RUNNING HEAD: The Possibilities of Paraphrase in the Teaching of Literary Idiom

Critique on The Possibilities of Paraphrase in

the Teaching of Literary Idiom

By Prof. Jonathan Acua Solano
Sunday, May 10, 2015
Twitter: @jonacuso
Post 171

If Carter (1986) proposed the usage of Labovs linguistic narrative model to be

used in the teaching of narratives, the question regarding poetry and its teaching is still
in the air. Can paraphrasing be used to teach the literary idiom in poetry? Nash (1986)
proposes the use of paraphrase in the teaching of literary idiom as a way to create a
better connection between the reader and the text.
For Wilbur (quoted by Nash, 1986), there is no way of paraphrasing poetic
creations in English. Based on Wilburs comment, Nash (1986) comments that
paraphrases of the kind suggested here [in Wilburs eyes] do not bring a poem more
firmly into our possession, and may even mislead us if we rely on them as a form of
explanation and commentary. It is quite understandable that paraphrasing the English
classic poets, even when they are translated, there is a great loss in features in their ars

poetica.

Prof. Jonathan Acua Solano

The Possibilities of Paraphrase in the Teaching of Literary Idiom

For Nash (1986), however, paraphrase may have no critical status, may be utterly
ludicrous as an account of what the poem is and does, but it can still be the step that
initiates a sophisticated response to language. And, in order to produce this response,
Nash proposes the following: The instructor should begin with (1) proverbs re-phrased
since they account for explanatory/interpretative poetic language in regular speech, (2)

explanatory and mimetic paraphrase that can somehow produce a comic/satirical result,
and (3) rewriting prose passages, something that Nash does not explored in his paper.
Mostly of what is presented in term of paraphrase is connected to poetry but no narrative
prose.
One well-known feature () of literary texts is that while they may intensively
state a case, they also have the inherent power to illuminate a universe of parallels,
analogies, and variants (Nash, 1986). If this universe can be illuminated, the possibility
to explore poets ars poetica is infinite; student comprehension can be well-fostered and
strengthened so learners can enjoy literature by mirroring themselves in the lines of what
is being read, like in Lacans mirror metaphor for literature (Bruss, 1981).
Richard Wilbur stated that it ought to be impossible satisfactorily to separate
ideas from their embodiment (Nash, 1986), and he could be right. But when it comes
to working with non-native speakers, paraphrase can be a great asset for the literature
class. If we teachers can have students relate to the text by means of an aesthetic
response rather than an efferent one, a better comprehension is now open in front of the
literature students eyes: Poetry is indeed accessible for anyone.

Bruss, N. (1981), Lacan & Literature. The Massachusetts Review. Vol. 22, No. 1 (Spring
1981). pp. 62-92. Retrieved on 2015, April 2, 2015 from the Jstor webpage at
http://www.jstor.org/stable/25089121

Prof. Jonathan Acua Solano

The Possibilities of Paraphrase in the Teaching of Literary Idiom

Carter, R. (1986). Linguistic Models, Language, and Literariness: Study strategies in the
teaching of literature to foreign students. Literature and Language Teaching. Edited by
Brumfit & Carter. Oxford: OUP
Nash, W. (1986). The Possibilities of Paraphrase in the Teaching of Literary Idiom.
Literature and Language Teaching. Edited by Brumfit & Carter. Oxford: OUP

Prof. Jonathan Acua Solano