Alpers argues that the heart of literary pastoral is the representation of herdsmen and their lives. Pastoral does not depict herdsmen "realistically," but its concern with the limitations of their lives, their vulnerabilities and social dependencies, determines its various conv…
One of the enduring traditions of Western literary history, pastoral is often mischaracterized as a catchall for literature about rural themes and nature in general. In What Is Pastoral?, distinguished literary historian Paul Alpers argues that pastoral is based upon a fundament…
One of the enduring traditions of Western literary history, pastoral is often mischaracterized as a catchall for literature about rural themes and nature in general. In What Is Pastoral? distinguished literary historian Paul Alpers argues that pastoral is based upon a fundamenta…