Comparative Literature emerged as a term in the mid-19th century, originally used to describe comparative analyses of different national literatures. It was first used by Matthew Arnold in 1848 to refer to the comparative survey of poetry between different nations. The term became more popularized in France and was used to establish the field as one focused on the "binary relations" between two or more literatures, distinguished from the more general study of literature. Some key debates around Comparative Literature include its purpose and whether it should include the study of folklore and other non-literary works. Seminal works that helped establish it as a discipline include Wellek and Warren's "Theory of Literature" and works by Harry Levin,

1. Comparative Literature: Origins,
Etymology And Quotations

2. Term “comparative”
derived from Latin“comparativus”
used by Shakespeare in Henry IV: Falstaff describing Prince Hal
used by Francis Meres in 1598- “A Comparative Discourse of Our English Poets with the
Greek, Latin and Italian Poets”
used by Thomas Warton in Preface to Vol.I of History of English Poetry (“a comparative survey of the poetry of other
nations”)

3. “Comparative Literature”- first used by Matthew Arnold in 1848
-decisive use in English by H.M.Posnett

4. • Cours de litterature comparee- French Anthologies by Noel and Laplace-1816
• Term “Litterature comparee” popularized in France by Abel-Francois Villemain
• The text which made the term a stable one: An obituary of Ampere by Saint-
Beuve

5. • Paul Van Tieghem distinguishes between Comparative Literature and General
Literature:
Comparative Literature- concerned with “binary relations”
General Literature- “research into facts common to several literatures”
(James Montgomery used “general literature” in the sense of “theory of literature” or
“principles of criticism”).

6. “WORLD LITERATURE”
- first used by Goethe in 1827- in a commentary on a translation of his drama Tasso into French

7. • “CL is a bogus term that makes neither sense nor syntax”– Lane Cooper
• “Theobject of CL is essentiallythe studyof diverse literaturesin their relations withone another”– Paul Van
Tieghem.
• “CL is the general theoryof literary evolution”- H.M.Posnett

8. Wellek and Warren: CL= cultural equivalent of the movement towards a UN
Assembly
Susan Bassnett: “CL as a discipline has had its day” in “Reflections on
Comparative Literature in the 21st Century”
G.N.Devy: CL is to assert national cultural identity.

9. EMILY APTER
• “The rush to globalize the literary canon in recent years
may be viewed as the ‘comp-lit-ization’ of national
literatures throughout the humanities”

10. • Baldensperger objected to folklore studies because it studied
only the content.
• Tieghem was also of the view that folklore should be
excluded from CL.

11. • J.M.Carre- CL is the study of international spiritual relations
(“rapport de fait”).
It is a branch of literary history.
Rene Wellek attacked Carre’s views as “pseudo-literary”

12. SOME SEMINAL WORKS ON CL
(WORKS BY INDIAN ACADEMICIANS MENTIONED IN SEPARATE SECTION)
 THEORYOF LITERATURE- RENEWELLEKANDAUSTINWARREN
GROUNDSFORCOMPARISON- HARRYLEVIN
COMPARATIVELITERATUREINTHEAGEOFGLOBALISATION-CHARLESBERNHEIMER. ed.
INTRODUCTIONTOCOMPARATIVELITERATURE- FRANCOISJOST
THECHALLENGEOFCOMPARATIVELITERATURE- CLAUDIOGUILLEN

13. SEMINAL WORKS. . .(CONTD.)
COMPARATIVELITERATURE:A CRITICALINTRODUCTION- SUSANBASSNETT
COMPARATIVELITERATURE:THEORY,METHODANDAPPLICATION- STEVENTOTOSY
COMPARATIVELITERATUREINANAGEOFGLOBALIZATION- HAUNSAUSSY