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 saintsSocial philosophersPhilosophy writersPhilosophers of literaturePhilosophers of mindTheorists on Western civilizationWriters about activism and social changeEnglish male poetsPhilosophers of culturePhilosophers of religionEnlightenment philosophersSonneteersAphoristsCritics of the Catholic ChurchEnglish essayistsEnglish male non-fiction writersGerman male non-fiction writersPhilosophers of social science19th-century German male writers19th-century German philosophersChristian humanistsPantheistsPhilosophers of mathematics17th-century English male writersGerman male essayistsGerman philosophers of historyGerman political philosophersNatural philosophersPhilosophers of sexualityEnglish male dramatists and playwrightsEnglish non-fiction writersGerman philosophers of artGerman philosophers of cultureLiteracy and society theoristsPhilosophers of art16th-century English poets17th-century English poets17th-century English writers19th-century German essayists20th-century essayistsEpic poetsGerman philosophers of education, German ethicistsLutheran saintsModernismModernist writersPeople celebrated in the Lutheran liturgical calendar17th-century English dramatists and playwrights17th-century writers in Latin18th-century German male writersAnglican poetsChristian poetsEnglish satiristsGerman philosophers of languageGerman philosophers of scienceIrish male dramatists and playwrights, Irish expatriates in FranceIrish male poetsIrony theoristsLeipzig University alumniMale essayistsMembers of the Bavarian Academy of SciencesMetaphysics writersPeople from the City of LondonRhetoric theoristsRomantic poetsTrope 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 poetsEnglish people of Welsh descentEnglish political philosophersEnglish republicansFabulistsFreethought writersMembers of the Göttingen Academy of Sciences and HumanitiesMetaphor theoristsNeoclassical writersPhilosophers of pessimismWriters from London19th-century German historians19th-century German novelists19th-century historians, 18th-century historians, 19th-century German educators, 18th-century German educators19th-century travel writers20th-century mystics20th-century translatorsAnglican philosophersAnthologistsBlind writersBritish free speech activistsCalvinist and Reformed poetsColor scientistsEnglish educational theoristsEnglish writers with disabilitiesEpigrammatistsGerman FreemasonsGerman autobiographersGerman librariansGerman male poets, German male dramatists and playwrightsGerman travel writersGerman untitled nobilityHumor researchersIrish male novelistsJerusalem Prize recipientsLecturersMythopoeic writersPamphleteersPhilosophers of linguisticsPhilosophers of timeSturm und Drang, Johann Wolfgang von GoetheSurrealist writersUniversity of Strasbourg alumni16th-century English male writers17th-century Anglican theologians17th-century English educators20th-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 wearersGerman bibliophiles, 19th-century German dramatists and playwrights, 18th-century travel writers, Writers from Weimar, 19th-century German diplomats, 18th-century German novelists, German diplomats, 18th-century German historians, German male novelists, 19th-century German poets, People from Weimar, Scientists from Weimar, 18th-century German dramatists and playwrights, 19th-century German civil servants, Writers from Frankfurt, 18th-century German poets, 18th-century German civil servantsHaiku poetsIndependent scholarsIrish male short story writers, 20th-century Irish short story writers, 20th-century Irish novelistsIrish satiristsMagic realism writersMetaphysical poetsPhilosophers of identityPoet priestsRhetoriciansSpanish-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
CulturePhilosophy writersPhilosophers of literatureTheorists on Western civilizationWriters about activism and social changeEnlightenment philosophersGerman male non-fiction writersPhilosophers of social sciencePantheists19th-century German male writers19th-century German philosophersGerman male essayistsGerman political philosophersGerman philosophers of historyNatural philosophersPhilosophers of sexualityLiteracy and society theoristsGerman philosophers of artGerman philosophers of cultureEpic poetsLiterary theorists19th-century German essayistsRomantic poetsLeipzig University alumni18th-century German male writersGerman philosophers of languageGerman philosophers of scienceMembers of the Bavarian Academy of Sciences19th-century German non-fiction writersMembers of the Göttingen Academy of Sciences and HumanitiesFabulistsFreethought writersEpigrammatists19th-century German novelistsGerman FreemasonsUniversity of Strasbourg alumniPhilosophers of linguisticsGerman untitled nobilityGerman librariansGerman travel writers19th-century travel writersColor scientistsGerman autobiographers19th-century German historiansGerman philosophers of education, German ethicists18th-century German philosophers, 18th-century essayistsGerman male poets, German male dramatists and playwrights19th-century historians, 18th-century historians, 19th-century German educators, 18th-century German educatorsSturm und Drang, Johann Wolfgang von GoetheGerman bibliophiles, 19th-century German dramatists and playwrights, 18th-century travel writers, Writers from Weimar, 19th-century German diplomats, 18th-century German novelists, German diplomats, 18th-century German historians, German male novelists, 19th-century German poets, People from Weimar, Scientists from Weimar, 18th-century German dramatists and playwrights, 19th-century German civil servants, Writers from Frankfurt, 18th-century German poets, 18th-century German civil servantsGoethe 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
SciencePhilosophy writersPhilosophers of literatureTheorists on Western civilizationWriters about activism and social changeEnlightenment philosophersGerman male non-fiction writersPhilosophers of social sciencePantheists19th-century German male writers19th-century German philosophersGerman male essayistsGerman political philosophersGerman philosophers of historyNatural philosophersPhilosophers of sexualityLiteracy and society theoristsGerman philosophers of artGerman philosophers of cultureEpic poetsLiterary theorists19th-century German essayistsRomantic poetsLeipzig University alumni18th-century German male writersGerman philosophers of languageGerman philosophers of scienceMembers of the Bavarian Academy of Sciences19th-century German non-fiction writersMembers of the Göttingen Academy of Sciences and HumanitiesFabulistsFreethought writersEpigrammatists19th-century German novelistsGerman FreemasonsUniversity of Strasbourg alumniPhilosophers of linguisticsGerman untitled nobilityGerman librariansGerman travel writers19th-century travel writersColor scientistsGerman autobiographers19th-century German historiansGerman philosophers of education, German ethicists18th-century German philosophers, 18th-century essayistsGerman male poets, German male dramatists and playwrights19th-century historians, 18th-century historians, 19th-century German educators, 18th-century German educatorsSturm und Drang, Johann Wolfgang von GoetheGerman bibliophiles, 19th-century German dramatists and playwrights, 18th-century travel writers, Writers from Weimar, 19th-century German diplomats, 18th-century German novelists, German diplomats, 18th-century German historians, German male novelists, 19th-century German poets, People from Weimar, Scientists from Weimar, 18th-century German dramatists and playwrights, 19th-century German civil servants, Writers from Frankfurt, 18th-century German poets, 18th-century German civil servantsJohn 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
CultureAnglican saintsWriters about activism and social changeEnglish male poetsPhilosophers of religionSonneteersCritics of the Catholic ChurchEnglish male non-fiction writers17th-century English male writersLiteracy and society theorists16th-century English poets17th-century English poetsLiterary theoristsLutheran saintsPeople celebrated in the Lutheran liturgical calendarAnglican poetsChristian poetsEnglish satiristsPeople from the City of LondonEnglish people of Welsh descentMetaphor theoristsWriters from LondonEpigrammatistsPamphleteers16th-century English male writers17th-century Anglican theologiansAlumni of Hart Hall, OxfordIndependent scholarsMetaphysical poetsPoet priestsJorge 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
CulturePhilosophers of literaturePhilosophers of mindPhilosophers of cultureSonneteersAphoristsPhilosophers of mathematicsLiteracy and society theoristsPhilosophers of artLiterary theorists20th-century essayistsTrope theoristsMetaphysics writersMetaphor theoristsPhilosophers of pessimismSurrealist writersLecturers20th-century translatorsPhilosophers of timeJerusalem Prize recipients20th-century mysticsAnthologistsBlind writersCommanders Crosses of the Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of GermanySpanish-language poetsHaiku poetsMagic realism writersPhilosophers of identityBlind poetsJoyce'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
CultureLiterary theoristsModernist writersModernismIrony theoristsTrope theoristsIrish male poetsMetaphor theoristsSurrealist writersHumor researchersIrish male novelistsEyepatch wearersDeaths from ulcers20th-century letter writersIrish satiristsIrish male dramatists and playwrights, Irish expatriates in France20th-century Irish dramatists and playwrights, 20th-century Irish male writers, 20th-century Irish poetsIrish male short story writers, 20th-century Irish short story writers, 20th-century Irish novelistsMilton
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
CultureSocial philosophersWriters about activism and social changeEnglish male poetsEnlightenment philosophersSonneteersCritics of the Catholic ChurchEnglish essayistsChristian humanists17th-century English male writersEnglish non-fiction writersLiteracy and society theoristsEnglish male dramatists and playwrightsEpic poets17th-century English poetsLiterary theorists17th-century English writersAnglican poetsChristian poetsPeople from the City of London17th-century writers in LatinRhetoric theorists17th-century English dramatists and playwrightsMale essayistsMetaphor theoristsWriters from London17th-century English philosophersEnglish republicansEnglish political philosophersNeoclassical writersPamphleteersEnglish writers with disabilitiesEnglish educational theoristsCalvinist and Reformed poetsMythopoeic writersAnglican philosophersBritish free speech activistsBlind writersDeaths from kidney failure in the United KingdomEnglish Anglican theologians17th-century English educatorsRhetoriciansBritish philosophers of religionEnglish DissentersAlumni of Christ's College, CambridgeBlind poetsEnglish theologiansAnti-Catholicism in the United Kingdom