Literary Blog Hop: July 7-10

Welcome to the Literary Blog Hop hosted by The Blue Bookcase!

This blog hop is open to blogs that primarily feature book reviews of literary fiction, classic literature, and general literary discussion.

How do I know if my blog qualifies as "literary"? Literature has many definitions, but for our purposes your blog qualifies as "literary" if it focuses primarily on texts with aesthetic merit. In other words, texts that show quality not only in narrative but also in the effect of their language and structure. YA literature may fit into this category, but if your blog focuses primarily on non-literary YA, fantasy, romance, paranormal romance, or chick lit, you may prefer to join the blog hop at Crazy-for-books that is open to book blogs of all kinds.

Instructions for entering the Literary Blog Hop:

1. Grab the code for the Button.



<a href="http://www.thebluebookcase.blogspot.com"><img src="http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y91/IngridLola/LiteraryBlogHop-1.jpg" alt="Literary Blog Hop" width="150" height="150"></a>


2. Answer the following prompt on your blog.
(Suggestions for future prompts? Email to them us at thebluebookcase@gmail.com)

What is one of your favorite literary devices? Why do you like it? Provide a definition and an awesome example.

Our answer comes from Ingrid:

I love the word palimpsest. According to my trusty Dictionary of Literary Terms and Literary Theory, the word "palimpsest" comes from the Greek word meaning "again rubbed away." It refers to "a surface, usually vellum or parchment, which has been used more than once for writing on, the previous writing having been rubbed out or somehow removed. Medieval parchment, being expensive, was often used two or three times."

The first time I came upon this term was in one of my first French Literature classes ... but I can't for the life of me remember in what context this term came up. I think the teacher was explaining to us the writing of a certain French author, but I can't remember who. To tell you the truth, I was pretty lost in that class ... I probably understood about a third of what the teacher was saying.

The second time I came upon this term was in an English class I took my very last semester. We were discussing the poetry of Natasha Tretheway and her collection of poems called "Native Guard." Tretheway has explained in interviews that her intent was, in her own personal way, to rewrite history. She imagined a journal with the words crossed out and her own words written over the top. Much of this collection was focused on her relationship with her mother and events that ocurred in her mother's life. Though I didn't love the collection as a whole, I loved how Tretheway used this concept of palimpsest to tie multiple narratives and points of view together.

What about you? What is one of your favorite literary concepts or devices? How did you learn about it? Why do you like it?

3. Add your link to the Linky List below.Happy Hopping! 
 *PLEASE NOTE: if you do not answer the question and link back to The Blue Bookcase in a post on your blog, you will be removed from the Linky list.