Key Benefit: This compact version of Literature: An Introduction to Fiction, Poetry, Drama, and Writing has been updated to reflect the 8th Edition of the MLA Handbook (April 2016)* 

A streamlined version of Kennedy/Gioia's acclaimed literary anthology, Literature: An Introduction to Fiction, Poetry, Drama, and Writing, Compact, 8th Edition is a book to lead readers beyond the boundaries of self to see the world through the eyes of others. Built on the assumption that great literature can enrich and enlarge the lives it touches, this text was developed with two primary goals: to introduce individuals to the appreciation and experience of literature in its major forms and to develop individuals' abilities to think critically and communicate effectively about and through writing. 

Key Topics: Reading a Story; Point of View; Character; Setting; Tone and Style; Theme; Symbol; Reading Long Stories and Novels; Genre Fiction; Critical Casebook: Two Stories in Depth; Reading a Poem; Listening to a Voice; Words; Saying and Suggesting; Imagery; Figures of Speech; Song; Sound; Rhythm; Closed Form; Open Form; Symbol; Myth and Narrative; Poetry and Personal Identity; Poetry in Spanish: Literature of Latin America; Recognizing Excellence; What is Poetry?; Three Critical Casebooks: Emily Dickinson, Langston Hughes, and Robert Frost; Critical Casebook: T.S. Eliot's "The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock"; Poems for Further Reading; Reading a Play; Tragedy and Comedy; Critical Casebook: Sophocles; Critical Casebook: Shakespeare; The Modern Theater; Evaluating a Play; Plays for Further Reading; Writing About Literature; Writing About a Story; Writing About a Poem; Writing About a Play; Writing a Research Paper; Writing an Essay Exam; Critical Approaches to Literature; Major Themes; First Lines of Poetry; Authors and Titles; Literary Terms

Market: For anyone wishing to expand his/her knowledge of literature and improve his/her writing skills.