Comparative Literature: Origins, Etymology and Quotations

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