On the Art of Reading · Chapter
Lecture I: Introductory explained
The narrator introduces the overwhelming demands of the English Literature curriculum, critiquing the examination system for prioritizing facts and chronology over genuine literary engagement.
What happens
The narrator introduces the overwhelming demands of the English Literature curriculum, critiquing the examination system for prioritizing facts and chronology over genuine literary engagement. He argues that true literature is about life and the spiritual element in man, introducing Browning's doctrine of three souls—What Does, What Knows, What Is—and asserting that the highest study is of What Is, the spiritual self. The chapter sets the stage for a series of lectures on the art of reading literature.
Themes in this chapter
Education vs. Examination
The narrator criticizes the examination system for forcing students to memorize facts and outlines rather than truly engaging with literature, calling it impossible to know English literature in two years.
Reading and Life
Defines English Literature as 'that which sundry men and women have written memorably in English about Life,' emphasizing the connection between reading and living.
Critique of Modernity
Critiques modern society's inversion of values, prioritizing 'What Does' (efficiency, commerce) over 'What Is' (spiritual self), and laments the banishment of humanities for practical science.
The Purpose of Reading
Argues that reading should lead to self-knowledge ('Know Thyself') and spiritual growth, not just accumulation of facts.
Characters to notice
- Unknown Narrator
The narrator reflects on his own experience with a book that sparked his thoughts on literary study, and critiques the modern educational system.
- Satan
Quoted from Milton's Paradise Lost, describing Satan standing on the brink of Chaos, used as a metaphor for the overwhelmed student facing the vastness of English literature.
- Bacon
Referenced for his saying 'reading maketh a full man,' which the narrator critiques as leading to being 'too full' without digestion.
- Plato
Invoked for his idea that the best form of government is government by good men, contrasting with modern emphasis on business and efficiency.
- Elizabeth Barrett Browning
Her poem 'A Death in the Desert' is quoted to introduce the doctrine of the three souls: What Does, What Knows, What Is.
- Shakespeare
Mentioned as a required author in the English Tripos, and his character Macbeth is referenced regarding the need for good digestion after appetite.
- Chaucer
Listed as a subject of examination in the English curriculum, with papers on his works and language.
- Wordsworth
Mentioned as part of the literary timeline from 1785 onward, alongside other major authors.
Key passages
“The whole business of reading English Literature in two years, to know it in any reputable sense of the word—let alone your learning to write English—is, in short, impossible.”
It is impossible to truly know English literature in two years, let alone learn to write English well.
Summarizes the narrator's critique of the curriculum's unrealistic demands.
“For English Literature, as I take it, is that which sundry men and women have written memorably in English about Life.”
English Literature consists of memorable writings about life by various authors.
Defines the narrator's core understanding of literature.
“What Does, What Knows, What Is; three souls, one man.”
There are three aspects of the soul: the active, the intellectual, and the spiritual, which together form one person.
Introduces Browning's tripartite soul doctrine from 'A Death in the Desert.'
“Bacon tells us that reading maketh a full man. Yes, and too much of it makes him too full.”
Bacon said reading makes a person full, but excessive reading leads to being overfull and unable to digest.
Critiques the idea of reading for quantity rather than quality.
