The compact Bedford introduction to literature : reading, thinking, writing / [compiled by] Michael Meyer.

Includes indexes.

Introduction: Reading imaginative literature -- FICTION -- Reading fiction -- Writing about fiction -- Plot -- Character -- Setting -- Point of view -- Symbolism -- Theme -- Style, tone, and irony -- Combiningt he elements of fiction: A writing process -- A study of Nathaniel Hawthorne -- A study of Flannery O'Connor -- A critical case study: William Faulkner's "Barn Burning" -- A thematic case study: The literature of the South -- A thematic case study: Humor and satire -- An album of contemproary stories -- Stories for further reading --POETRY -- Reading poetry -- Encountering poetry: Images of poetry in popular culture -- Writing about poetry -- Word choice, word order, and tone -- Images -- Figures of speech -- Symbol, allegory, and irony -- Sounds -- Patterns of Rhythm -- Poetic forms -- A study of Robert Frost -- A study of Langston Hughes -- A study of Julia Alvarez: Five poems -- A thematic case study: Love and longing -- A thematic case study: Teaching and learning -- A thematic case study: Humor and satire -- An album of contemporary poems -- A collection of poems -- A thematic case study: Border crossings -- DRAMA -- Reading drama -- Writing about drama -- A study of Sophocles -- A study of William Shakespeare -- Modern Drama -- A critical case study: Henrik Ibsen's " A Doll House" --A thematic case study: An album of contemporary humor and satire -- Plays for further reading -- Critical strategies for reading -- Reading adn writing -- The literary research paper -- Taking essay examinations.