Encyclopedia of Allegorical LiteratureBloomsbury Academic, 1996 - 326 pages In the Encyclopedia of Allegorical Literature, readers will find more than 400 concise articles covering all aspects of literary allegory: the device wherein characters, situations, and actions stand for ideas. Far-ranging in scope, the book covers the entire Western allegorical tradition during the vast sweep of time between the Old Testament Song of Songs and the postmodernist novels of Thomas Pynchon and Ishmael Reed. Selected Indian, Middle Eastern, South American, and African works are also included, as are works that are not, strictly speaking, allegories, yet contain allegorical aspects. In addition, the authors provide articles on allegory as it relates to film, music, psychoanalysis, and other fields. The A-to-Z entries include allegorical works, authors, characters, definitions, and literary devices and terms, all carefully cross-referenced to direct the reader to related topics. Essays on the works include a brief overview of the work itself as well as an analysis of how closely it adheres to the definition of allegory set out in the helpful introduction. Quick-reference appendixes list titles of works featured in the book both alphabetically and chronologically. An extensive bibliography refers readers to a wealth of background material. A subject index rounds out the volume. |
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Absalom adventures Aesop Alice Allegoresis allegorical interpretation allegorical meaning American animals becomes Beowulf Book born C. S. Lewis called castle century B.C.E. characters Christ Christian Church critics Crusoe Dante dark death depicts Dorian dream England English epic Erewhon Everyman evil example Fable Faerie Queene farm father fiction figure Fletcher garden Gawain gorical Greek Gulliver Gulliver's Travels Henry hero Holy human J. R. R. Tolkien Jeckyll John journey King Knight Lewis literary literature lives Lord MacQueen medieval metaphor Moby-Dick modern morality play mysterious myth Narnia novel Orpheus parable Parlement of Foules personification philosopher Piers Plowman Pilgrim's Progress playwright poem poet poetry political allegory Psyche published quest Quilligan readers religious allegory represents romance satire sense Sir Orfeo Song soul Space Trilogy spiritual story suggests symbolic tale Thomas thou tion tradition University Press unto vision Waiting for Godot William woman writer York