Tradition and influence in Anglo-Saxon literature : an evolutionary, cognitivist approach / Michael D.C. Drout.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Drout, Michael D. C., 1968-

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

English literature--Old English, ca. 450-1100--History and criticism--Theory, etc.

English literature.

English language--Old English, ca. 450-1100--Texts.

English language.

Civilization, Anglo-Saxon, in literature.

Civilization, Medieval, in literature.

England--Civilization--To 1066.

England.

Civilization.

Exeter book.

Memetics.

Genre:

Texts.

Physical Description:

xiv, 290 pages : illustrations ; 25 cm

Edition:

First edition.

Place of Publication:

New York : Palgrave Macmillan, 2013.

Summary:

"This book extends the theory of tradition developed in the author's How Tradition Works to address the phenomenon of influence and the related literary problems of genre, aesthetics, authorship and Harold Bloom's "anxiety of influence." The study introduces a new methodology--lexomics, the use of computer-aided statistical analysis to identify influence--and integrates research from cognitive psychology and evolutionary biology with traditional, philological approaches to literature, specifically the Anglo-Saxon poems of second codicological booklet of the Exeter Book. An example of "hard interdisciplinarity," Tradition and Influence makes technically sound contributions to Anglo-Saxon studies, oral tradition, evolutionary epistemology and cultural theory"-- Provided by publisher.

Contents:

Machine generated contents note:

Introduction: Influence and Tradition

1. A Theory of Influence

2. Influence and its Detection with Lexomic Analysis

3. Cultural Selection Pressure: Mnemonic and Cognitive Aesthetics

4. Adaptive Landscapes, Cognitive Prototypes, and Genre

5. Application of the Theory: Genre and Adaptive Radiation in Poems of the Exeter Book

6. Authorship, Authors, and The Anxiety of Influence

7. How Authorship Works: The Anxiety of Influence Explained by Memetics

Conclusion: This View of Culture.

Notes:

Includes bibliographical references and index.

ISBN:

9781137325808

1137325801

OCLC:

829386997