# Lecture I: Introductory explained — On the Art of Reading > Chapter companion for On the Art of Reading by Arthur Quiller-Couch. ## 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. ## Character check-ins ### 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 lines > 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._ ## Links - HTML: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/on_the_art_of_reading_se/chapters/lecture-i-introductory - Book: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/on_the_art_of_reading_se - All chapters: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/on_the_art_of_reading_se/chapters