https://padlet.com/letsweiler/sn5zmznxrwgd en-us 2015-09-30 23:48:51 UTC 2021-09-07 01:49:53 UTC hello@padlet.com https://padlet-assets.storage.googleapis.com/portrait/rose_close.jpg letsweiler https://padlet.com/letsweiler/sn5zmznxrwgd/wish/1709982011
Until the 18th century writing was only "literature" if enough learned readers spoke well of it, and while the word 'canon' was not applied to secular writing until 1768, the translation of Chaucer in 1700 was one of the first works to help canonize English literature.

In 1700 John Dryden translated Chaucer to compete with the quality Greek and Latin works. This led to its competing with works written by Homer and Virgil and it being considered a classic. 

]]> 2021-09-01 14:03:13 UTC https://padlet.com/letsweiler/sn5zmznxrwgd/wish/1709982011 letsweiler https://padlet.com/letsweiler/sn5zmznxrwgd/wish/1709983110 The essay created "four classes and degrees" of poets. There were specific poets including Shakespeare, Milton, and Spenser that were clearly ahead. 

The Canon determined (stemming from the greek word meaning measuring stick or rule) what modern literature was most worthwhile. Shakespeare, Spenser, and Milton were leaders in poetry in the mid-1750's.

Wharton's essay ' created 'four classes and with big name poets such as Shakespeare on the top of the list. This may have pushed forward already big name poets while keeping smaller poets in the dark. This determined what modern literature was most worthwhile.


]]> 2021-09-01 14:03:39 UTC https://padlet.com/letsweiler/sn5zmznxrwgd/wish/1709983110 letsweiler https://padlet.com/letsweiler/sn5zmznxrwgd/wish/1709984591 The standards of literary merit were updated so that the common reader knows what to look for when trying to determine the value of a piece of literature. Johnson identified 52 English poets that could compare to the Greek and Latin texts. ]]> 2021-09-01 14:04:13 UTC https://padlet.com/letsweiler/sn5zmznxrwgd/wish/1709984591 letsweiler https://padlet.com/letsweiler/sn5zmznxrwgd/wish/1709986693 The idea of judging books by covers began with the development of advertising. Authors would go to great lengths to make rich covers in order to gain perceived literary merit. 

Books were advertised in coffee shops and clubs and they were reviewed in magazines as well which helped increase their popularity.

Books were sold in uniform sets or the "complete work" (standard publishing). ]]> 2021-09-01 14:05:02 UTC https://padlet.com/letsweiler/sn5zmznxrwgd/wish/1709986693 letsweiler https://padlet.com/letsweiler/sn5zmznxrwgd/wish/1709989687 In the 70s and 80s, the canon was challenged by political groups who believed that no book should be considered essential. They thought that all literature was only a reflection of the time period they were written, and as such, all books were worthy in some form. Traditionalists pushed back against this idea, believing that literature was a summation of the human experience, and that certain pieces of literature did a much better job of this than others, and should be treated as such.

]]> 2021-09-01 14:06:03 UTC https://padlet.com/letsweiler/sn5zmznxrwgd/wish/1709989687