Over 770 articles summarize and evaluate poems written between the sixteenth and twentieth centuries.

"The classic Wordsworth poem is depicted in vibrant illustrations, perfect for pint-sized poetry fans."

Chrysanthemum loves her name, until she starts going to school and the other children make fun of it.

Supplement volumes 7-9 (a-fou, fre-poem, and poet-z) contain discussions of 376 poems from the eighth to the late twentieth century. The volumes complement the original six-volume Masterplots II: Poetry Series (1992), continuing its pagination and volume- number sequence. They extend coverage to well-known poems that were not in the original series and to more 20th-century poems--allowing more discussions of work by African Americans, Hispanic, Asian American, and American Indian writers. Entries for each selected poem begin with a description of the poem, then discuss forms and devices and themes and meanings. Quick reference information at the head of each entry includes the author, type of poem, and date of first publication. The cumulative indexes in volume nine include an index by type of poem. Annotation copyrighted by Book News, Inc., Portland, OR

This concise and highly accessible textbook outlines the principles and techniques of storytelling. It is intended as a high-school and college-level introduction to the central concepts of narrative theory – concepts that will aid students in developing their competence not only in analysing and interpreting short stories and novels, but also in writing them. This textbook prioritises clarity over intricacy of theory, equipping its readers with the necessary tools to embark on further study of literature, literary theory and creative writing. Building on a ‘semiotic model of narrative,’ it is structured around the key elements of narratological theory, with chapters on plot, setting, characterisation, and narration, as well as on language and theme – elements which are underrepresented in existing textbooks on narrative theory. The chapter on language constitutes essential reading for those students unfamiliar with rhetoric, while the chapter on theme draws together significant perspectives from contemporary critical theory (including feminism and postcolonialism). This textbook is engaging and easily navigable, with key concepts highlighted and clearly explained, both in the text and in a full glossary located at the end of the book. Throughout the textbook the reader is aided by diagrams, images, quotes from prominent theorists, and instructive examples from classical and popular short stories and novels (such as Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice, Franz Kafka’s ‘The Metamorphosis,’ J. K. Rowling’s Harry Potter, or Dostoyevsky’s The Brothers Karamazov, amongst many others). Prose Fiction: An Introduction to the Semiotics of Narrative can either be incorporated as the main textbook into a wider syllabus on narrative theory and creative writing, or it can be used as a supplementary reference book for readers interested in narrative fiction. The textbook is a must-read for beginning students of narratology, especially those with no or limited prior experience in this area. It is of especial relevance to English and Humanities major students in Asia, for whom it was conceived and written.

The purpose of this book is to provide a clear and systematic account of the complexities of fictional narration which result from the shifting relationship in all storytelling between the story itself and the way it is told.