Literary theorists
Literary theory is the systematic study of the nature of literature and of the methods for literary analysis. Since the 19th century, literary scholarship includes literary theory and considerations of intellectual history, moral philosophy, social prophecy, and interdisciplinary themes relevant to how people interpret meaning.
6 episodes
Episodes in this category also belong to the following categories:
CultureScienceAnglican saintsEnglish male poetsSocial philosophersPhilosophy writersPhilosophers of literaturePhilosophers of mindTheorists on Western civilizationWriters about activism and social changePhilosophers of culturePhilosophers of religionSonneteersEnlightenment philosophersAphoristsCritics of the Catholic ChurchEnglish essayistsEnglish male non-fiction writersGerman male non-fiction writers17th-century English male writersPhilosophers of social science19th-century German male writers19th-century German philosophersChristian humanistsPantheistsPhilosophers of mathematicsEnglish male dramatists and playwrightsGerman male essayistsGerman philosophers of historyGerman political philosophersLutheran saintsNatural philosophersPhilosophers of sexuality17th-century English poetsEnglish non-fiction writersEpic poetsGerman philosophers of artGerman philosophers of cultureLiteracy and society theoristsPeople celebrated in the Lutheran liturgical calendarPhilosophers of art16th-century English poets17th-century English dramatists and playwrights17th-century English writers17th-century writers in Latin19th-century German essayists20th-century essayistsAnglican poetsEnglish satiristsGerman ethicists, German philosophers of educationIrish male dramatists and playwrightsIrish male poetsModernismModernist writersPeople from the City of LondonRomantic poets18th-century German male writersChristian poetsGerman philosophers of languageGerman philosophers of scienceIrish expatriates in FranceIrony theoristsLeipzig University alumniMale essayistsMembers of the Bavarian Academy of SciencesMetaphysics writersRhetoric theoristsTrope theorists17th-century English philosophers18th-century German philosophers, 18th-century essayists19th-century German non-fiction writers20th-century Irish dramatists and playwrights, 20th-century Irish male writers, 20th-century Irish poets20th-century translatorsEnglish people of Welsh descentEnglish political philosophersEnglish republicansEnglish writers with disabilitiesFabulistsFreethought writersGerman untitled nobilityIrish male novelistsMembers of the Göttingen Academy of Sciences and HumanitiesMetaphor theoristsNeoclassical writersPhilosophers of pessimismWriters from London18th-century German educators, 18th-century historians, 19th-century German educators, 19th-century historians19th-century German historians19th-century German novelists19th-century travel writers20th-century mysticsAnglican philosophersAnthologistsBlind writersBritish free speech activistsCalvinist and Reformed poetsColor scientistsEnglish educational theoristsEpigrammatistsGerman FreemasonsGerman autobiographersGerman librariansGerman male dramatists and playwrights, German male poetsGerman travel writersHaiku poetsHumor researchersJerusalem Prize recipientsJohann Wolfgang von Goethe, Sturm und DrangLecturersMagic realism writersMythopoeic writersPamphleteersPhilosophers of linguisticsPhilosophers of timePoet priestsSurrealist writersUniversity of Strasbourg alumni16th-century English male writers17th-century Anglican theologians17th-century English Anglican priests17th-century English educators18th-century German civil servants, 18th-century German dramatists and playwrights, 18th-century German historians, 18th-century German novelists, 18th-century German poets, 18th-century travel writers, 19th-century German civil servants, 19th-century German diplomats, 19th-century German dramatists and playwrights, 19th-century German poets, German bibliophiles, German diplomats, German male novelists, People from Weimar, Scientists from Weimar, Writers from Frankfurt, Writers from Weimar20th-century Irish novelists, 20th-century Irish short story writers, Irish male short story writers20th-century letter writersAlumni of Christ's College, CambridgeAlumni of Hart Hall, OxfordAnti-Catholicism in the United KingdomBlind poetsBritish philosophers of religionCommanders Crosses of the Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of GermanyDeaths from kidney failure in the United KingdomDeaths from ulcersEnglish Anglican theologiansEnglish DissentersEnglish theologiansEyepatch wearersIndependent scholarsIrish satiristsMetaphysical poetsPhilosophers of identityPostmodern writers, Recipients of the Legion of HonourRhetoriciansSpanish-language poets
Goethe
Melvyn Bragg discusses the great German polymath Johann Wolfgang Goethe - novelist, dramatist, poet, humanist, scientist and philosopher.
6 April 2006
Featuring: Tim Blanning, Sarah Colvin, W. Daniel Wilson
18th-century German male writersMembers of the Bavarian Academy of Sciences19th-century German non-fiction writersGerman philosophers of language19th-century travel writersMembers of the Göttingen Academy of Sciences and HumanitiesPhilosophers of sexualityLiteracy and society theoristsGerman autobiographersGerman philosophers of historyGerman male non-fiction writersEpigrammatistsJohann Wolfgang von Goethe, Sturm und DrangEpic poetsPhilosophers of linguistics18th-century German civil servants, 18th-century German dramatists and playwrights, 18th-century German historians, 18th-century German novelists, 18th-century German poets, 18th-century travel writers, 19th-century German civil servants, 19th-century German diplomats, 19th-century German dramatists and playwrights, 19th-century German poets, German bibliophiles, German diplomats, German male novelists, People from Weimar, Scientists from Weimar, Writers from Frankfurt, Writers from WeimarGerman untitled nobilityNatural philosophersWriters about activism and social changeRomantic poetsGerman travel writersGerman librariansPhilosophy writersGerman political philosophersFabulists19th-century German novelistsGerman FreemasonsColor scientistsGerman philosophers of culture18th-century German philosophers, 18th-century essayistsFreethought writersGerman philosophers of science19th-century German philosophersGerman ethicists, German philosophers of educationTheorists on Western civilizationLiterary theoristsUniversity of Strasbourg alumniLeipzig University alumni19th-century German historiansGerman male dramatists and playwrights, German male poetsPhilosophers of social science19th-century German essayists19th-century German male writersGerman male essayistsEnlightenment philosophers18th-century German educators, 18th-century historians, 19th-century German educators, 19th-century historiansPantheistsPhilosophers of literatureGerman philosophers of art18th century19th centuryGermanyLanguageGoethe and the Science of the Enlightenment
Melvyn Bragg assesses the scientific legacy of the 18th century German poet and thinker Goethe, who gave us the term morphology and is sometimes even credited with inventing biology itself.
10 February 2000
Featuring: Nicholas Boyle, Simon Schaffer
Science18th-century German male writersMembers of the Bavarian Academy of Sciences19th-century German non-fiction writersGerman philosophers of language19th-century travel writersMembers of the Göttingen Academy of Sciences and HumanitiesPhilosophers of sexualityLiteracy and society theoristsGerman autobiographersGerman philosophers of historyGerman male non-fiction writersEpigrammatistsJohann Wolfgang von Goethe, Sturm und DrangEpic poetsPhilosophers of linguistics18th-century German civil servants, 18th-century German dramatists and playwrights, 18th-century German historians, 18th-century German novelists, 18th-century German poets, 18th-century travel writers, 19th-century German civil servants, 19th-century German diplomats, 19th-century German dramatists and playwrights, 19th-century German poets, German bibliophiles, German diplomats, German male novelists, People from Weimar, Scientists from Weimar, Writers from Frankfurt, Writers from WeimarGerman untitled nobilityNatural philosophersWriters about activism and social changeRomantic poetsGerman travel writersGerman librariansPhilosophy writersGerman political philosophersFabulists19th-century German novelistsGerman FreemasonsColor scientistsGerman philosophers of culture18th-century German philosophers, 18th-century essayistsFreethought writersGerman philosophers of science19th-century German philosophersGerman ethicists, German philosophers of educationTheorists on Western civilizationLiterary theoristsUniversity of Strasbourg alumniLeipzig University alumni19th-century German historiansGerman male dramatists and playwrights, German male poetsPhilosophers of social science19th-century German essayists19th-century German male writersGerman male essayistsEnlightenment philosophers18th-century German educators, 18th-century historians, 19th-century German educators, 19th-century historiansPantheistsPhilosophers of literatureGerman philosophers of art18th century19th centuryGermanyLanguageJohn Donne
Melvyn Bragg and guests discuss the extraordinary life and work of one of England's finest love poets and, as Dean of St Paul's Cathedral, most remarkable preachers.
12 January 2023
Featuring: Mary Ann Lund, Sue Wiseman, Hugh Adlington
CultureCritics of the Catholic ChurchAlumni of Hart Hall, OxfordPhilosophers of religionLiteracy and society theoristsEpigrammatistsEnglish people of Welsh descentIndependent scholars17th-century English poets16th-century English male writersMetaphor theoristsWriters about activism and social changeChristian poetsSonneteersEnglish male poets17th-century Anglican theologiansLutheran saintsAnglican poetsAnglican saints16th-century English poetsPeople celebrated in the Lutheran liturgical calendarWriters from LondonPeople from the City of London17th-century English male writersLiterary theoristsMetaphysical poetsEnglish satiristsPoet priestsEnglish male non-fiction writersPamphleteers17th-century English Anglican priests16th century17th centuryTheologyJorge Luis Borges
Melvyn Bragg and guests discuss the life and work of the Argentinian master of the short story, Jorge Luis Borges.
4 January 2007
Featuring: Edwin Williamson, Efraín Kristal, Evelyn Fishburn
Commanders Crosses of the Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of GermanyPostmodern writers, Recipients of the Legion of HonourPhilosophers of culturePhilosophers of timeSpanish-language poetsPhilosophers of mindSurrealist writersBlind poetsLiteracy and society theoristsPhilosophers of pessimismMetaphysics writers20th-century mysticsMetaphor theoristsSonneteersPhilosophers of artJerusalem Prize recipientsMagic realism writersTrope theoristsBlind writersPhilosophers of identityLecturersPhilosophers of mathematics20th-century translatorsHaiku poetsLiterary theoristsAnthologistsAphorists20th-century essayistsPhilosophers of literature20th centuryLanguageMathematicsJoyce's A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man
Melvyn Bragg and guests discuss A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man, James Joyce's groundbreaking 1916 novel about growing up in Catholic Ireland.
26 November 2009
Featuring: Roy Foster, Katherine Mullin, Jeri Johnson
CultureIrish satirists20th-century Irish dramatists and playwrights, 20th-century Irish male writers, 20th-century Irish poetsModernist writersTrope theoristsHumor researchersIrish expatriates in FranceIrish male dramatists and playwrightsMetaphor theoristsDeaths from ulcersIrish male novelistsSurrealist writersEyepatch wearersModernism20th-century letter writersIrony theorists20th-century Irish novelists, 20th-century Irish short story writers, Irish male short story writersIrish male poetsLiterary theorists20th centuryIrelandMilton
Melvyn Bragg examines the literary and political career of the 17th century poet John Milton, examining work such as Paradise Lost as well as his role as propagandist during the English Civil War.
7 March 2002
Featuring: John Carey, Lisa Jardine, Blair Worden
Critics of the Catholic ChurchChristian humanistsBritish free speech activistsNeoclassical writersRhetoricians17th-century writers in Latin17th-century English writersMythopoeic writersRhetoric theoristsEnglish Anglican theologiansLiteracy and society theoristsBlind poetsEnglish political philosophersEnglish essayistsEpic poets17th-century English poetsEnglish male dramatists and playwrightsMetaphor theoristsWriters about activism and social changeChristian poetsSonneteersEnglish male poetsCalvinist and Reformed poetsDeaths from kidney failure in the United KingdomAnglican philosophersAnglican poetsBlind writersAnti-Catholicism in the United KingdomMale essayistsWriters from LondonPeople from the City of London17th-century English male writersEnglish writers with disabilitiesEnglish non-fiction writersLiterary theoristsBritish philosophers of religionEnglish DissentersAlumni of Christ's College, Cambridge17th-century English educatorsEnlightenment philosophersSocial philosophersPamphleteersEnglish educational theorists17th-century English philosophers17th-century English dramatists and playwrightsEnglish theologiansEnglish republicans17th centuryTheology