What tense do I use when writing about literature?: Difference between revisions

Revision as of 02:24, 12 July 2013

When reading a piece of literature, the event is happening in present time, regardless of when the literature or art was created.

When writing about literature always use the present tense.

    Ex.  In Paradise Lost Milton creates a luxurious Garden of Eden.

When you are writing about an historical event such as the creation of a piece of literature, use the past tense.

    Ex.  Milton wrote during the 17th century.

At times you may need to use both the present and the past tense when writing about literature.

    Ex.  Milton's second edition of Paradise Lost was written in 1674 and is English heroic verse without rhyme.^[1]

↑ Milton, John. Paradise Lost, The Norton Anthology of English Literature, Volume 1, Ninth Edition, New York, WW Norton & Company, 2012 p. 1945

Using present tense when writing about literature might seem counter-intuitive, since Milton did these things in the past, both in the sense of authorship and readership; however, literature, like any work of art, exists in the present, and the actions of that work do as well when writing about them or refer to them.

References

1. Composition FAQ

[1] Milton, John. Paradise Lost, The Norton Anthology of English Literature, Volume 1, Ninth Edition, New York, WW Norton & Company, 2012 p. 1945

[1]

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-When writing about literature, or any piece of art, always use the present tense. For example, the following is in past tense:
+When reading a piece of literature, the event is happening in present time, regardless of when the literature or art was created.
-: On his odyssey, Odysseus outsmarted the cyclops, slept with Circe, journeyed into the underworld, and still managed to kill all the suitors.
+When writing about literature always use the present tense.
+    Ex.  In ''Paradise Lost'' Milton creates a luxurious Garden of Eden.
-Write about the literature as if it is still alive, something that presently exists:
+When you are writing about an historical event such as the creation of a piece of literature, use the past tense.
+    Ex.  Milton wrote during the 17th century.
-: On his odyssey, Odysseus outsmarts the cyclops, sleeps with Circe, journeys into the underworld, and still manages to kill all the suitors.
+At times you may need to use both the present and the past tense when writing about literature.
+    Ex.  Milton's second edition of ''Paradise Lost'' was written in 1674 and is English heroic verse without rhyme.<ref>Milton, John. ''Paradise Lost'', The Norton Anthology of English Literature, Volume 1, Ninth Edition, New York, WW Norton & Company, 2012 p. 1945</ref>
+{{reflist}}
-This might seem counter-intuitive, since Odysseus ''did'' these things in the past, both in the sense of authorship and readership; however, literature, like any work of art, exists in the present, and the actions of that work do as well when we write about them or refer to them.
+Using present tense when writing about literature might seem counter-intuitive, since Milton ''did'' these things in the past, both in the sense of authorship and readership; however, literature, like any work of art, exists in the present, and the actions of that work do as well when writing about them or refer to them.
 ----
+== References ==
+.
 [[Composition FAQ]]
 [[Category:Composition|Literature]][[Category:Literature|writing]]