pt. I. Fiction. Reading a story ; Point of view ; Character ; Setting ; Tone and style ; Theme ; Symbol ; Evaluating a story ; Reading long stories and novels ; Writer in depth ; Stories for further reading ; Criticism : on fiction -- pt. II. Poetry. 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 ; Alternatives ; Evaluating a poem ; What is poetry? ; Poems for further reading ; Criticism : on poetry ; Lives of the poets -- pt. III. Drama. Reading a play ; Theater of Sophocles ; Theater of Shakespeare ; Modern theater ; Evaluating a play ; Plays for further reading ; New voices in American drama ; Criticism : on drama -- pt. IV. Supplement : writing. Writing about literature ; Writing about a story ; Writing about a poem ; Writing about a play ; Critical approaches to literature.