ANOTATED READING LIST OF ENGLISH AND AMERICAN LITERATURE

I. ENGLISH LITERATURE

A. POEM

THE RAVEN

by EDGAR ALLAN POE (1845)

In January 1845, The Raven appeared in the New York Evening Mirror and
became an immediate popular sensation. It was soon reprinted, parodied and
illustrated; and it made Edgar Allan Poe a household name. The poem tells the story of
an unnamed lover who, while lamenting the death of his beloved Lenore, is visited by a
talking raven. The raven enhances his distress with its constant repetition of the word
“Nevermore”, slowly plunging him into madness. The poem makes use of a number of
folk and mythological references; and is noted for its stylized language and supernatural
atmosphere. It influenced numerous later works including the famous painting
Nevermore by Paul Gauguin. The Raven is the most famous poem of Edgar Allan Poe,
who is renowned for his dark romanticism, a sub-genre of Romanticism which reflects
fascination with the irrational, the demonic and the grotesque.

SHALL I COMPARE THEE TO A SUMMER’S DAY?

by WILLIAM SHAKESPEAR (1906)

Though he is most renowned for his plays, William Shakespeare also remains the
most popular poet in the English language. His best-known work in poetry is his
collection of 154 sonnets. Sonnet 18 is a part of Fair Youth sequence of Shakespeare’s
collection, which is addressed to an unnamed young man. It is a hugely influential and
often quoted work; and there are several double meanings in the poem which give it
greater depth. Shakespeare starts Sonnet 18 with a flattering question to his beloved:
“Shall I compare thee to a summer’s day?” He goes on to list some negative aspects of
summer to establish that his beloved is better. In the last part of the poem, he states
that the beauty of his beloved will never fade as he will make it eternal though the
words of this poem which will remind the world of him “so long as men can breathe or
eyes can see”. Sonnet 18 is not only the most famous poem written by William
Shakespeare but also the most renowned sonnet ever written.

THE TYGER

by WILLIAM BLAKE (1794)

William Blake is considered a highly influential figure in the history of poetry and
one of the greatest British artists. His most renowned work in poetry is Songs of
Innocence and of Experience, considered one of the leading poetic works of the
Romantic era. The Tyger is a poem in Blake’s Songs of Experience. It serves as a
counterpart to his poem in Songs of Innocence, The Lamb. In The Tyger, the speaker
focuses on the subject of creation asking who could have made such a terrifying beast
as the tiger. The speaker talks about the fearful features of the tiger and wonders “did
he who made the Lamb make thee? “before he ends the poem with the question with
which he began, “What immortal hand or eye, Could frame thy fearful symmetry?”. The
Tyger, with its strikingly powerful words, serves as a counter to the innocence and
tenderness of The Lamb. It is one of the most analyzed poems and Cambridge calls it
the “the most anthologized poem in English”. The Tyger is not only the most famous
work of William Blake but also one of the best-known poems of all time.

DAFFODILS

by WILLIAM WORDSWORTH (1807)

 Along with Samuel Taylor Coleridge, William Wordsworth is credited with
launching the Romantic Age in English literature. Romanticism laid emphasis on
emotion and individualism as well as glorification of the past and of nature. It was
partly a reaction to the Industrial Revolution and the scientific rationalization of nature.
Wordsworth was Britain’s poet laureate from 1843 until his death in 1850 and he
remains one of the best known poets in the English language. This poem is titled “I
Wandered Lonely as a Cloud“but it is commonly known as “Daffodils”. Wordsworth was
inspired to write it on encountering a long belt of Daffodils while taking a walk with his
sister Dorothy in April 1802. The poem simply tells about the poet discovering a field of
the beautiful flowers while wandering. As it is among the most popular poems in the
English language, it has frequently been the subject of parody and satire. Daffodils is
taught in many institutions across the world as a classic of English Romanticism and it is
the most famous Romantic poem.

IF—

by RUDYARD KIPLING (1910)

By far the most famous poem of Rudyard Kipling, if—, presents a set of
situations and the ideal behavior a person should adopt when he encounters them. It
acclaims Victorian-era stoicism and displaying fortitude in the face of adversity. The
person Kipling had in mind while writing this verse was his friend Sir Leander Starr
Jameson, who incidentally was betrayed and imprisoned by the British Government.
The poem doesn’t have a physical setting but is often seen as a father giving the most
valuable lesson of life to his son. The lines of the poem are hugely popular; and the
third and fourth lines of its second stanza are written on the wall of the players’
entrance to the Centre Court of the Wimbledon Championship. If— is one of the most
well-known poems in the English language and it was voted the favourite poem of
Britain in a 1995 BBC poll.

Reference: https://learnodo-newtonic.com/famous-american-poems
 B. SHORT STORY

MR. KNOW-ALL

by WILLIAM SOMERSET MAUGHAM

Although the writer of fiction creates his own world, peopling it with such
invented characters as David Copperfield, Silas Marner, Eustacia Vye, and Holden
Caulfield, he is not altogether free. We have to feel that his fictional world hangs
together, that one thing more or less leads to another. This is not to say that there can
be nothing fantastic in a story: only that what is fantastic must be presented in a
context that makes the fantastic seem plausible.
References: https://mthoyibi.wordpress.com/literature/short-story/

THE HORSE DEALER’S DAUGHTER

by D. H. LAWRENCE (1885-1930)

"The Horse Dealer's Daughter" is a story from the middle period of D. H.

Lawrence's writing career and was collected in 1922 in England My England and Other
Stories. The story is set in the wake of the death of a horse dealer, when life seems to
be over for the rest of his family as well. Lawrence's original title was overtly religious:
"The Miracle." In combining so many aspects with such easy mastery, from religious
reverence for life down through acute psychological penetration to the little details of
characterization such as the animal imagery in Mabel's brutish horsey brothers and her
own "bull-dog" fixity and determination, this story is indeed miraculous.

References: https://mthoyibi.wordpress.com/literature/short-story/

A GOOD MAN IS HARD TO FIND

by FLANNERY O’CONNOR (1953)

 First published in 1953, following her permanent move to Andalusia, her
mother's dairy farm, "A Good Man Is Hard to Find" illustrates many of the techniques
and themes which were to characterize the typical O'Connor story. Since she was
limited by her illness to short and infrequent trips away from the farm, O'Connor
learned to draw upon the resources at hand for the subject matter of her stories. These
resources included the people around her, her reading material, which consisted of
various books and periodicals which came to Andalusia, and an assortment of local and
regional newspapers. Several critics have pointed out the influence of regional and local
newspaper stories on O'Connor's fiction. The Misfit, the pathological killer who murders
an entire family in this story, was apparently fabricated from newspaper accounts of
two criminals who had terrorized the Atlanta area in the early 1950s; Red Sammy Butts,
according to another critic, may have been based on a local "good ole boy" who had
made good and returned to Milledgeville each year, on the occasion of his birthday, to
attend a banquet in his honor, hosted by the local merchants.

References: https://www.cliffsnotes.com/literature/o/oconnors-short-stories/summary-
and-analysis/a-good-man-is-hard-to-find

TREE OF KNOWLEDGE

by HENRY JAMES (1898)

Bearing a striking resemblance to Edith Wharton’s 1898 story, “The Pelican,”

today’s Henry James feature takes us into the low-stakes world of rich expatriates’s
feelings.

The dramatic tension, as usual with Mr. James, derives from the unsaid. I swear, if
these characters would just say what was on their mind from the start, they’d have a
lot fewer problem. But then we wouldn’t have a story.
The conversations here between Peter and his godson are particularly strong.
Sometimes stories are undone by terrible dialogue. Not here. This is a master class in
how to use dialogue to capture the tension and move the story forward. The phrases
and descriptions between the spoken words are perfectly executed. It’s almost like a
play, with lines and stage directions. And that’s quite a trick on James’s part.

References:https://shortstorymagictricks.com/2020/02/18/the-tree-of-knowledge-by-
henry-james/

THE RETURN

by JOSEPH CONRAD (1932)

An intense, psychologically charged domestic drama, The Return is a brilliant and

haunting exploration of the insecurities that lie at the heart of human relationships.
When successful businessman Alvan Hervey begins his daily journey back from the city,
he has no idea what awaits him at home—for there, on his bedroom table, is a letter
from his wife, confessing her ultimate betrayal: she has left him for another man. But
no sooner has this awful truth begun to sink in, then Hervey finds himself face to face
with his wife as she returns to make one last desperate attempt to save their marriage.
With their world in tatters around them, husband and wife are forced to confront the
truth. Acclaimed by F.R. Leavis as one of “the very great novelists in the language,”
Joseph Conrad is best known for his chilling work Heart of Darkness.

Reference:https://www.amazon.com/Return-Hesperus-Classics-Joseph-Conrad/dp/
1843910780
C. NOVEL

THINGS FALL APART

by CHINUA ACHEBE (1958)

Things Fall Apart is acclaimed as the finest novel written about life in Nigeria at
the end of the nineteenth century. Published in 1958, it is unquestionably the world’s
most widely read African novel, having sold more than eight million copies in English
and been translated into fifty languages. But it offers far more than access to pre-
colonial Nigeria and the cataclysmic changes brought about by the British. It also can
be a window into the story of the Aborigines in Australia, the Maori of New Zealand,
and the First Nations of North, Central, and South America in the “falling apart” of the
indigenous cultures of these and other places whose centers could not hold.

Things Fall Apart tells two overlapping, intertwining stories, both of which center
around Okonkwo, a "strong man" of an Ibo village in Nigeria. The first story traces
Okonkwo’s fall from grace with the tribal world in which he lives. It provides us with a
powerful fable about the immemorial conflict between the individual society. The
second story, which is as modern as the first is ancient, concerns the clash of cultures
and the destruction of Okonkwo’s world through the arrival of aggressive, proselytizing
European missionaries.

References: https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/565351/things-fall-apart-by-
chinua-achebe/9780385474542/teachers-guide/

BELOVED

by TONI MORRISON (1987)

Upon the original publication of Beloved in 1987, John Leonard wrote in the Los
Angeles Times: “I can’t imagine American literature without it.” Nearly two decades
later, The New York Times chose Beloved as the best American novel of the previous
fifty years.

Set in post–Civil War Ohio, it is the story of Sethe, an escaped slave who has lost a
husband and buried a child; who has withstood savagery and not gone mad. Sethe,
who now lives in a small house on the edge of town with her daughter, Denver, her
mother-in-law, Baby Suggs, and a disturbing, mesmerizing apparition who calls herself
Beloved.

References: https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/117647/beloved-by-toni-
morrison/

THE GOD OF SMALL THINGS

by ARUNDHATI ROY (1997)

In the novel The God of Small Things, Arundhati Roy is aiming to portray the
differences that the Indian society casts upon its people because of being born under
different circumstances; the rights you are supposed to have as a human no matter,
the gender or class you are from, and for the sole reason of being a human being, that
is human rights. She does this through various common and tangible themes, such as
identity, family, and most importantly love.

References: https://blogs.brown.edu/intl-1802g-s01/2014/10/15/the-meaning-and-
purpose-of-love-in-the-god-of-small-things/

BLOOD MERIDIAN

by CORMAC MCCARTHY (1985)

An epic novel of the violence and depravity that attended America's westward
expansion, Blood Meridian brilliantly subverts the conventions of the Western novel and
the mythology of the "wild west."
Based on historical events that took place on the Texas-Mexico border in the 1850s, it
traces the fortunes of the Kid, a fourteen-year-old Tennesseean who stumbles into the
nightmarish world where Indians are being murdered and the market for their scalps is
thriving.

References:https://www.amazon.com/Blood-Meridian-Evening-Redness-West/dp/
0679728759

THE HANDMAID’S TALE

by MARGARET ATWOOD (1985)

Offred is a Handmaid in the Republic of Gilead, a totalitarian and theocratic state

that has replaced the United States of America. Because of dangerously low
reproduction rates, Handmaids are assigned to bear children for elite couples that have
trouble conceiving. Offred serves the Commander and his wife, Serena Joy, a former
gospel singer and advocate for “traditional values.” Offred is not the narrator’s real
name—Handmaid names consist of the word “of” followed by the name of the
Handmaid’s Commander. Every month, when Offred is at the right point in her
menstrual cycle, she must have ritualized sex with the Commander while Serena sits
behind her, holding her hands. Offred’s freedom, like the freedom of all women, is
completely restricted. She can leave the house only on shopping trips, the door to her
room cannot be completely shut, and the Eyes, Gilead’s secret police force, watch her
every public move.

References: https://www.sparknotes.com/lit/handmaid/summary/

II. AMERICAN LITERATURE

A. POEM
 STILL I RISE,

by MAYA ANGELOU (1978)

Still I Rise directly addresses the white oppressors of black people and responds
to centuries of oppression and mistreatment they have suffered. It talks about
various means of oppression, like writing, which the narrator addresses in the first
stanza of the poem. Still I Rise hails the indomitable spirit of Black people; and
expresses faith that they will triumph despite adversity and racism. It is the most
famous poem of Maya Angelou and it was also her favorite. She quoted it during
interviews and often included it in her public readings. In 1994, Nelson Mandela
recited this poem at his presidential inauguration. Still I Rise is perhaps the most
famous poem written by an African American and it has been called a “proud, even
defiant statement on behalf of all Black people”.

STOPPING BY WOODS ON A SNOWY EVENING

by ROBERT FROST (1923)

Written in a very short time, Robert Frost called this poem,“my best bid for
remembrance”. In it, the narrator stops to behold a lovely scene of snow falling in the
woods and is tempted to stay longer. However, he ultimately decides to move on as he
still has a considerable distance to travel before he can rest. The poem has been
interpreted in many ways revolving around the pull the narrator faces between the
“lovely” woods and the “promises” he has to keep. It has been thought to imply several
things including being symbolic of the choice between adventure and responsibility.
Stopping by the Woods is one of the most popular poems, especially its last four lines,
which are among the most often quoted lines in poetry.

SONG OF MYSELF
by WALT WHITMAN (1855)

Song of Myself is a mesmerizing mixture of romanticism and realism. The poem,

which was initially titled Poem of Walt Whitman, an American, also serves as a
biography of the poet. In it, Whitman emphasizes an all-powerful “I” which serves as
the narrator. This “I” is not limited to Whitman. It transcends the conventional
boundaries of self; and identifies with everyone and everything in the universe,
including the dead. The poem ends with the narrator saying that he’s going to give his
body back to nature to continue his great journey. The poem also focuses on what the
narrator believes and what he is opposed to. Song of Myself caught the attention of
public and critics alike when it was published. It is Whitman’s most famous poem; and it
remains among the most acclaimed and influential poems written by an American.

I CARRY YOUR HEART WITH ME

by E.E. CUMMINGS (1952)

E.E. Cummings is considered one of the greatest American poets of the

20th century and this poem is his most famous work. The poetry of Cummings is radical
for its unconventional punctuation and phrasing. This poem can be compared with a
sonnet due to its similar structure but Cummings does add modern twists to it. It begins
with the speaker describing the ubiquitous influence of his love in his life and goes on
to touch several themes including oneness, and love as the originator of life. Its
popularity can be gauged from the fact that its opening line is still often tattooed by
people and that its lines have been used by several artists, including in the song Ion
Square by English indie rock band Bloc Party. E.E. Cummings is renowned for his love
poetry and i carry your heart with me is one of the most famous love poems of all time.

Reference: https://learnodo-newtonic.com/famous-american-poems

HOPE IS THE THING WITH FEATHERS

By EMILY DICKINSON (1891)

The most famous poem by Emily Dickinson, Hope is the Thing with Feathers is
one of the best known short poems in the English language. It metaphorically describes
hope as a feathered bird that rests in the soul. It sings without words and continuously,
never stopping in its quest to inspire. It sounds sweetest in hardships and it must take
an extremely troubling situation to a bash this “little Bird” that gives warmth and
comfort to so many people in difficult times. Moreover, despite serving in the direst
circumstances, it never demands anything. Hope is the Thing with Feathers is an early
poem of Dickinson but despite its simple style, it remains hugely popular

B. SHORT STORY

A DARK BROWN DOG

by STEPHEN CRANE (WRITTEN 1893, PUBLISHED 1901)

This a powerful and well written tale of sorrow. The story -- depending on the
reader -- can operate on at least two levels; as a simple story about a dog, a child and
crushing cruelty. It may also be interpreted as an allegorical social criticism after the
American Civil War. Either way, it's a powerful, sad story. March 1901. The story was
probably written in the summer of 1893, an allegory about the Jim Crow South during
Reconstruction. The dog represents emancipated slaves. Students and teachers, check
out our useful A Dark Brown Dog Study Guide to break-down the allegory. This story is
featured in our collection of Dog Stories.

Reference: https://americanliterature.com/author/stephen-crane/short-story/a-dark-
brown-dog

AN OCCURRENCE AT OWL CREEK BRIDGE

by AMBROSE BIERCE (1890, 1891)

 A short story masterpiece: This a suspenseful story about a Civil War soldier,
Petyon Farquhar, who has been captured by enemy troops. The story opens in a
dangerous predicament, with the soldier about to be hanged, "A man stood upon a
railroad bridge in northern Alabama ... A rope closely encircled his neck." Will Farquhar
succeed in his effort to make a daring escape? the Civil War leading up to this story,
about the specific Northern Alabama Civil War battles, review maps, and reminiscences
of daily life on a Southern plantation during the War. The Franklin-Nashville campaign
occurred in 1864, led by General Robert S. Grander (US) and General John B. Hood
(Confederates). The American Civil War is filled with stories of traitorous spies, or
civilians caught and hung for their actions against the enemy.

Reference: https://americanliterature.com/an-occurrence-at-owl-creek-bridge-study-
guide

THE STORY OF AN HOUR

by KATE CHOPIN (1894, 1895)

This dramatic short story -- an early entrant in feminist literature -- was very
controversial when published in 1894. It suggests a possibility that people of that era
were more comfortable rejecting rather than considering. The story still has the power
to make modern readers uncomfortable. But please note that it is possible and
sometimes even desirable to criticize an aspect of something to point out a nuanced
feature; a quick mind can illuminate part of an arrangement without condemning the
entire arrangement. I believe that is what Chopin did here. This suspenseful and
climactic story will take you on an emotional journey.

References: https://americanliterature.com/author/kate-chopin/short-story/the-story-
of-an-hour

THE CASK OF AMONTILLADO

by  EDGAR ALLAN POE (1846)

A classic revenge story in the horror genre. The story is set in an unspecified
Italian city, the protagonist, Motressor believes he has suffered a thousand slights and
injuries at the hand of his friend. Montressor invites -- rather tricks --his
friend, Fortunato, into tasting some wine stored back at his pallazo in the wine cellar.
This story was included in Poe's collection, Tales of Mystery and Imagination, illustrated
by Harry Clarke (1919). The story was first published in Godey's Lady Book in the
November 1846 edition -- the most popular periodical in America at the time. It is often
read by students in middle and high school. Readers: note that a "pipe" in the text
below is a unit of measurement, equivalent to about 130 gallons. This story is featured
in our collection of Halloween Stories and The Unreliable Narrator.

References: https://americanliterature.com/author/edgar-allan-poe/short-story/the-
cask-of-amontillado

THE GIFT OF THE MAGI

by O. HENRY (1905)

This tender story -- one of the most famous titles in the short story genre -- is a
must-read. The story is about a young couple and how they meet the challenge of
buying each other a Christmas gifts when they don't have enough money. This
sentimental tale has a moral lesson and is widely enjoyed during Christmastime and the
holiday season. O. Henry's short story, The Gift of the Magi (1905) offers a memorable
ironic twist. We hope our study guide is particularly useful for teachers and students to
study irony and appreciate O. Henry's clever literary devices.

References: https://americanliterature.com/the-gift-of-the-magi-study-guide
C. NOVEL

A FAREWELL TO ARMS

by ERNEST HEMINGWAY (1929)

Lieutenant Frederic Henry is a young American ambulance driver serving in the

Italian army during World War I. At the beginning of the novel, the war is winding down
with the onset of winter, and Henry arranges to tour Italy. The following spring, upon
his return to the front, Henry meets Catherine Barkley, an English nurse’s aide at the
nearby British hospital and the love interest of his friend Rinaldi. Rinaldi, however,
quickly fades from the picture as Catherine and Henry become involved in an elaborate
game of seduction. Grieving the recent death of her fiancé, Catherine longs for love so
deeply that she will settle for the illusion of it. Her passion, even though pretended,
wakens a desire for emotional interaction in Henry, whom the war has left coolly
detached and numb.

Reference: https://www.sparknotes.com/lit/farewell/summary/

ONE FLEW OVER THE CUCKOO’S NEST

by KEN KESEY (1950)

Chief Bromden, the half-Indian narrator of One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest,
has been a patient in an Oregon psychiatric hospital for ten years. His paranoia is
evident from the first lines of the book, and he suffers from hallucinations and
delusions. Bromden’s worldview is dominated by his fear of what he calls the Combine,
a huge conglomeration that controls society and forces people into conformity.
Bromden pretends to be deaf and dumb and tries to go unnoticed, even though he is
six feet seven inches tall.

The mental patients, all male, are divided into Acutes, who can be cured, and Chronics,
who cannot be cured. They are ruled by Nurse Ratched, a former army nurse who runs
the ward with harsh, mechanical precision. During daily Group Meetings, she
encourages the Acutes to attack each other in their most vulnerable places, shaming
them into submission. If a patient rebels, he is sent to receive electroshock treatments
and sometimes a lobotomy, even though both practices have fallen out of favor with
the medical community.

References: https://www.cliffsnotes.com/lit/cuckoo/summary/

SLAUGHTERHOUSE-FIVE

by KURT VUNNEGUT (1969)

Slaughterhouse-Five is an account of Billy Pilgrim's capture and incarceration

by the Germans during the last years of World War II, and scattered throughout the
narrative are episodes from Billy's life both before and after the war, and from his
travels to the planet Tralfamadore (Trawl-fahm-uh-door). Billy is able to move both
forwards and backwards through his lifetime in an arbitrary cycle of events. Enduring
the tedious life of a 1950s optometrist in Ilium, New York, he is the lover of a former
pornographic movie star on the planet Tralfamadore and simultaneously an American
prisoner of war (POW) in Nazi Germany.

The multidimensional panorama points out the importance of cyclical time and
psychological experience during events that receive equal emphasis in linear time.
While some scenes become so jumbled that they seem to have no cause or effect, we
must remember Vonnegut's comments on the title page. He suggests that this narrative
is "schizophrenic," and he invites us to become psychologists helping Billy make sense
of his life.

Reference: https://www.cliffsnotes.com/literature/s/slaughterhousefive/book-summary
FOR WHOM THE BELL TOLLS

by ERNEST HEMINGWAY (1937)

For Whom The Bell Tolls opens in May 1937, at the height of the Spanish Civil
War. An American man named Robert Jordan, who has left the United States to enlist
on the Republican side in the war, travels behind enemy lines to work with Spanish
guerrilla fighters, or guerrilleros, hiding in the mountains. The Republican command has
assigned Robert Jordan the dangerous and difficult task of blowing up a Fascist-
controlled bridge as part of a larger Republican offensive.

A peasant named Anselmo guides Robert Jordan to the guerrilla camp, which is hidden
in a cave. Along the way, they encounter Pablo, the leader of the camp, who greets
Robert Jordan with hostility and opposes the bridge operation because he believes it
endangers the guerrilleros’ safety. Robert Jordan suspects that Pablo may betray or
sabotage the mission

Reference:https://search.yahoo.com/search?
fr=mcafee&type=E210US91215G91490&p=for+whom+the+bell+tolls

WHITE FANG

by JACK LONDON (1906)

White Fang is a short novel written by Jack London and published in 1906. He
intended it to be the companion to his earlier and more popular work The Call of the
Wild. As with London’s earlier work, White Fang is set largely in the Arctic Northland,
specifically in the Yukon and the Northwest Territories of Canada, and in Alaska,
sometime during the Klondike Gold Rush in the 1890s. The book tells the tale of the
wolfdog White Fang’s long and eventful transformation from a feral and savage animal
of the Wild to a domesticated household pet.

Reference: https://phmillennia.com/white-fang-by-jack-london-book-overview-and-
review/