lvi, 1654 pages ; 23 cm An authoritative bestseller for over fifty years, PERRINE'S LITERATURE: STRUCTURE, SOUND, AND SENSE continues to be an essential and highly effective introduction to literature for today's students. Written for students beginning a serious study of literature, the text introduces the fundamental elements of fiction, poetry, and drama in a concise and engaging way, addressing vital questions that other texts tend to ignore, such as "Is some literature better?" and "How can it be evaluated?" A remarkable selection of classic, modern, and contemporary readings serves to illustrate the elements of literature and ensure broad appeal to students of diverse backgrounds and interests. Updated with new stories, poems, and plays by some of the finest authors of any era, the twelfth edition remains true to Perrine's original vision while addressing the needs of a new generation of students. -- Amazon.com Includes bibliographical references and index Writing about literature -- The elements of fiction. Reading the story -- Plot and structure -- Characterization -- Theme -- Point of view -- Symbol, allegory, and fantasy -- Humor and irony -- Evaluating fiction -- Three featured writers : D.H. Lawrence, Flannery O'Connor, Joyce Carol Oates -- Stories for further reading -- The elements of poetry. What is poetry? -- Reading the poem -- Denotation and connotation -- Imagery -- Figurative language 1 : simile, metaphor, personification, apostrophe, metonymy -- Figurative language 2 : symbol, allegory -- Figurative language 3 : paradox, overstatement, understatement, irony -- Allusion -- Meaning and idea -- Tone -- Musical devices -- Rhythm and meter -- Sound and meaning -- Pattern -- Evaluating poetry 1 : sentimental, rhetorical, didactic verse -- Evaluating poetry 2 : poetic excellence -- Poems for further reading -- The elements of drama. The nature of drama -- Realistic and nonrealistic drama -- Tragedy and comedy -- Plays for further reading