#101 - First Sight: An Introduction to Literature
An introduction to the course content and approach.

#102 - Ways of Seeing: Responding to Literature
Scholars who will appear throughout the series present an overview of critical approaches to literature, using excerpts from some of the dramatic scenes and author interviews to be seen in upcoming programs.

#103 - A Personal View: The Art of the Essay
A documentary segment tracing the development of the formal essay, the birth of printing technology, and their impacts on the growth of political democracy is followed by an introduction to the informal essay.

#104 - Reflected Worlds: The Elements of Short Fiction
A dramatization of Frank O'Connor's "First Confession" and an interview with Ernest Gaines introduce and illustrate the elements of short stories.

#105 - The Story's Blueprint: Plot and Structure in Short Fiction
A dramatization of Stephen Crane's "The Blue Hotel" exemplifies the relationship of plot, structure, and conflict.

#106 - Telling Their Tales: Character in Short Fiction
Techniques of characterization and the importance of point of view become clear in a dramatization of Tillie Olsen's "I Stand Here Ironing."

#107 - In That Time and Place: Setting and Character in Short Fiction
Setting reveals character in Susan Glaspell's "A Jury of Her Peers" and magnifies meaning for contemporary short story writer Stephen Dixon. Both authors discuss how they use place and illustrate with examples from their work.

#108 - The Author's Voice: Tone and Style in Short Fiction
An interview with Maxine Hong Kingston highlights an examination of the impact of style on meaning.

#109 - Suggested Meanings: Symbolism and Allegory in Short Fiction
Symbolism is prominent in a dramatization of D.H. Lawrence's "The Horse Dealer's Daughter," while myth predominates in the work of Native American writer N. Scott Momaday, who is interviewed about his inspirations.

#110 - The Sum of Its Parts: Theme in Short Fiction
Multiple themes are uncovered in a dramatization of Alice Walker's short story "Everyday Use."

#111 - The Sacred Words: The Elements of Poetry
Poetry readings and dramatizations suggest some of the roles poetry plays for individuals and for the culture. James Dickey reads and analyzes his poems "The Performance" and "The Lifeguard."

#112 - A Sense of Place: Setting and Character in Poetry
The historical settings of "My Last Duchess," "Theme for English B," and "Dover Beach" convey much about the characters and ideas of these poems. The New England landscapes of Maxine Kumin echo the themes of her poetry.

#113 - Tools of the Trade: Words and Images in Poetry
Poetry readings, visualizations of poems, and an interview with Lucille Clifton reveal the beauty and the workings of poetic language and imagery. Clifton reads two of her favorite poems, "This Morning" and "Homage to My Hips."

#114 - Seeing Anew: Rhetorical Figures in Poetry
The power of metaphors, similes, and other figures of speech to make the reader see in new ways becomes clear through dramatizations of Anne Bradstreet's "The Author to Her Book," Nikki Giovanni's "Woman," and Daniel Halpern's "Snapshot of Hue."

#115 - An Echo to the Sense: Prosody and Form in Poetry
Kennedy discusses the importance of rhyme and meter in his poetry. Analysis of works by Shakespeare, Dickinson, Hopkins, and contemporary poets like Randall and Adams shows how prosody and form contribute to meaning.

#116 - Distant Voices: Myth, Symbolism, and Allusion in Poetry
Four poetic versions of the Icarus myth—by Sexton, Spender, Williams, and Field—are dramatized and compared. Marge Piercy discusses the role of myth in her poetry.

#117 - Artful Resonance: Theme in Poetry
Dramatizations of six poems that share the same subject help clarify the difference between subject and theme. Close analysis of poems by John Donne and Donald Hall explores the interrelationship between poetic form and meaning.

#118 - Image of Reality: The Elements of Drama
Dramatizations of selected scenes from Oedipus Rex, Hamlet, and The Glass Menagerie and an interview with Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright August Wilson introduce the origins, structure, and purposes of drama.

#119 - Playing the Part: Characters and Actors in Drama
The development of dramatic character, by playwright and by actor, is illustrated through several interpretations of a single scene from Hamlet and an interview with Shakespearean actor John Vickery.

#120 - Patterns of Action: Plot and Conflict in Drama
A dramatization of Sophocles' tragedy Oedipus Rex demonstrates the classical plot structure. Dramatist A.R. Guerney discusses conflict and plot in contemporary American theater.

#121 - Perspectives on Illusion: Setting and Staging in Drama
An interview with set designer Chris Barecca and a documentary overview of types of theaters demonstrate the intertwining of text and technique in dramatic setting.

#122 - Speech and Silence: The Language of Drama
Michael Kahn, artistic director of the Shakespeare Theatre at the Folger, demonstrates interpretation of dramatic language in a workshop with actors. Director Emily Mann talks about staging The Glass Menagerie.

#123 - The Vision Quest: Myth and Symbolism in Drama
Alaskan playwright David Hunsaker's dramatizations of Eskimo myth and his productions of Eskimo translations of Greek tragedies, together with scenes from Oedipus Rex, demonstrate the enduring power and meaning of myth in drama.

#124 - A Frame for Meaning: Theme in Drama
Dramatist David H. Hwang discusses the themes and structures of his plays, which include M. Butterfly. Scholars consider thematic interpretations inherent in the production of a single act of Hamlet.

#125 - Casting Long Shadows: The Power of Literature
Reviews the impact of literature on the individual through excerpts from series dramatizations and interviews.

#126 - Continuing Vision: The Uses of Literature
Documentary, dramatization, and interview segments explore literature's past, present, and possible future impacts on society and culture and look ahead to see what new forms it may take.