Feature Summary

More than 150 New Photographs: In addition to the documentary photos included in the sections treating Writers in Context, black-and-white author portraits now put faces to the words of all major authors.

Transformed Transformations: This unique chapter gives students a fresh look at the art of poetry by examining poems in translation; parodies; revision (with a new look at drafts of Langston Hughes’ "Ballad of Booker T."); response; poetry and song; and, in the Poetry and Painting section, 4 new full-color plates – making 10 in all – of paintings that inspired poetry.

A Cultural/Historical Timeline: This invaluable new appendix, extending from the composition of The Odyssey to the election of George W. Bush, helps students place literary works in historical and cultural context.

Plays and the Elements of Drama: Additional plays bring the total to 21 unabridged works, and the Elements of Drama chapter has been expanded to cover such elements as subtext, symbolism, and irony.

Short Stories: Twenty-three new selections include works by Anita Desai, Nathan Englander, Bharati Mukherjee, Annie Proulx, and John Edgar Wideman.

A World of Poetry: One-third of the poems collected in Chapter 13 are new to this edition, with an ambitious new offering of contemporary voices and a new section on World Poetry that includes 34 international poets.

The Essay: To allow greater coverage of poetry, drama, and fiction, the essay is no longer included as a fourth genre. Instead Robert DiYanni’s The Essay (ISBN: 0-07-249861-7) is available as a separate text, or for only about $1.00 more when packaged with Literature.

Writing with Sources: (Chapter 23) has been thoroughly expanded and updated, with special attention to the use of the Internet and computerized databases for research, and evaluation and documentation of electronic resources.

Poems and Paintings: The Fifth Edition of Literature continues to present DiYanni’s Poems and Paintings section, which beautifully illustrates examples of paired poems and paintings. This unique feature opens up the process of poetic creation for students and adds a new dimension to their analysis of the relationships among visual arts, language, and the elements of poetry. Focused questions guide students through points of comparison and interpretation.

Writers and Readings in Context: Robert DiYanni is known for his superb contextualized coverage of writers and readings. For each genre, the Fifth Edition includes a wealth of exciting new material.

• Three Fiction Authors In Context: Edgar Allan Poe, Sandra Cisneros, and Flannery O’Connor are each represented by a rich selection of stories, historical documents, and critical commentary.
• Three Poets in Context: Emily Dickinson, Robert Frost, and Langston Hughes are featured in full historical and cultural context.
• Expanded Introductions: Detailed cultural and historical introductions to the works of each featured author help students to better place literary works in context.
• New Author Timelines: This new visual reference zeroes in on significant events in literature, culture, and history that span the author’s life and works.
• Cultural Moments: The chapters on Greek, Elizabethan, and Modern Drama feature extensive coverage of key cultural events in the history of drama.