Discussion Of Literature Research Articles

Repetition in discourses across languages and genres

Abstract Despite the fact that various functions of repetition in discourse have been studied, we have decided to continue our exploration of the role of phonetic and lexical repetitions in the pragmatics and cognition of text and discourse focusing our attention on the epic texts and modern literary discourses across languages. The reason why we have decided to analyze both epic texts and modern literary discourses across languages is our intention to reveal the pragmatic nature of intersubjective behaviors regardless of time and place. In addition, phonetic and lexical repetitions play a crucial role in the cognition of these texts and discourses as they cause associations by stimulating knowledge in the human mind. Thus, our article’s goal is to analyze the ways why and how the sender uses these very important explicit linguistic devices to produce pragmatic and cognitive effects on the audience of the epic texts, as well as on the participants of modern fictional discourses in English, Azerbaijani, and Russian. Throughout the history, phonetic and lexical repetitions have gradually become key devices in producing pragmatic and cognitive effects in literary discourses across languages. The examples from Beowulf, The Book of Dede Korkut, as well as from modern fictional and poetic discourses in Azerbaijani and English clearly demonstrate this trend. We can draw a conclusion that as human’s life experience and his/her intellectual level gradually develops, the functions of these repetitions in discourse expand and gain a new meaning. Repetition is a choice made by the sender of any text, first of all, based on his/her subjective individual rather than social preferences. That is why the use of repetition in discourse motivates intersubjective behaviors regardless of time and place.

Multiple levels of literacy in Kopano Matlwa’s literature. The case of Evening Primrose (2018)

The paper explores distinctive ways in which Kopano Matlwa’s novel Evening Primrose (2018) employs continuities and discontinuities between surface-level literary expression and underlying identity and cultural literacy. It is a desktop study centred on Kopano Matlwa’s novel Evening Primrose (2018) as a primary text, as well as of secondary expository texts for theoretical and earlier literary commentary that constitute the article’s conceptual matrix. I demonstrate how the author’s thematic manoeuvring challenges notions of determinist culture and official mapping as fixed, as well as espouse conceptions of globalism that accommodate identity and cultural heterogeneity. As I discuss stylistic dimensions of the narrative from the vantage point of the theory of ecocriticism, I include the tenets of Es’kia Mphahlele’s concept of African humanism as well as the concepts of ‘borderland’, ‘code-switching’ and ‘integration literacy’. My findings have led to the conclusion that the novelist’s discourses are encoded in the texture of the novel in ways that portray the South African post-apartheid milieu as informed by an intricate intersection of distinctive identity and cultural literacies that the various characters display. My scrutiny of the environment-adoptive cognitive processes in the mind of Matlwa’s characters has led to a novel analogy between integration identity and cultural literacy and unitary grammar, reached psycholinguistically through code-switching.Contribution: This study provides new insights into how the novelist Kopano Matlwa employs literary discourse uniquely to explore South Africa’s post-apartheid, evolving social psyche in ways that diagnostically assert alternative cultural identity intersections, readings and articulation. The paper plumbs beneath surface-level characterisation to externalise how key character categories of the novel under discussion do practicalise the potency of the post-apartheid context to forge a composite heterogeneity of cohabiting and mutually respecting cultures that have entered it. In novel ways, the theoretical matrix applied in the analysis of the novel galvanises a recognition of commonalities hitherto unidentified, mainly between tenets of originally Eurocentric ecocriticism and those of an Afrocentric African humanism. I compare the characters’ successful creation of new cultural literacies, integrated with a new environment, to a successful integration of unitary grammar related to the linguistic process of code-switching. In this way, a new kind of relationship is projected between literary analysis and language learning.

Political emotions in a literature classroom

ABSTRACT The democratic potential of literature education has often been accentuated. In this article, we draw on Gert Biesta’s subjectification conception of democratic education, and view democracy as a concept open for (re)negotiation in the classroom. We are informed by Chantal Mouffe’s agonistic democratic theory, and its view of dissent as a foundational aspect of democracy, in that the struggle itself constitutes the identities of the opponents. Agonistic proposals for democratic education also pay attention to political emotions in the classroom. We pair agonism with Sara Ahmed’s view of emotion as performative to explore how power, identity and emotions are entangled in a student group and how this entanglement is integrated in the students’ conceptions of democracy. The students were in their last year of upper secondary school in Sweden. We analysed audio recordings from three group interviews with a total of eleven students. The interviews followed a literary discussion about the short story ‘Farangs’ by Rattawut Lapcharoensap, which was video recorded. The analysis shows that students referred to emotion when constructing the collective identities of themselves and their opponents, and that the power relations between these collective identities influenced what literary interpretations were centred in the discussion.

THE VISION OF STYLE WITHIN THE LIMITS OF THE LITERARY GRAMMAR DISCOURSE

In the proposed article, we turn to one of the directions in the modern academic theory of literature — personalist discourse, which gravitates towards metalinguistics, that studies the word (or the language), in its concrete and living entirety, and not the language as a specific subject of linguistics. The purpose of the research is to indicate the features of this discourse and to explain what the vision of style is within the framework of the personalist discourse. The object of research is the personalist theory of literature, the personalist discourse; the subject of research is style within the limits of personalist discourse. The following methods were used to achieve the goal: information analysis method, synthesis method, descriptive method. In contrast to literary grammar, which strives for accuracy and specificity and personalist constituted on the border with linguistics, personalist discourse is constituted on the border with metalinguistics. For the personalist theory of literature, style becomes a way of being of creative individuality, or more precisely, a way of being of a person-author in his work. Personalist discourse gives style a "unifying energy". Within the personalist discourse style becomes a formative center that concretizes the relations. To understand the essence of style, personalists distinguished between compositional and architectural forms. It is characteristic that architectural forms are not forms in the personalist discourse, but are the "content of aesthetic activity" and understood as purely meaningful. So, equating "aesthetic" and "meaningful" in the artistic style, M. M. Bakhtin defines it as "a set of techniques for the formation and completion of a person and its world". In the artistic style, the "internal style" and the content revealed in the images are interconnected. For personalism, "artistic style works not with words, but with moments of the world, values of the world and life", it is a "way of processing" a person and its world, a way of "aesthetic completion". The author of the article concludes that "aesthetic completion" is impossible without the finalizing ability of the image. In the personalist discourse, all problems related to the perception and interpretation of the artistic text are transferred to the sphere of intersubjective relations. The object in personalism is precisely the relations between the subjects of the statement — dialogical relations. In the personalist theory of literature, the constitutive moment of artistic creativity is the author-creator. But personalism deprives the artistic style of its main essence — inner core, the image, that is why the idea of style in the personalist discourse is post-aesthetic. The relevance of the research is determined by the need to clarify the multiplicity of style concepts in their originality in modern literary theory and modern linguistics. One of the fundamental features of artistic creativity is denoted by the concept of "style". First of all, style is a defining way of revealing the aesthetic essence of poetic art. But there are quite different understandings of style. The perspective of further research is to reveal the semantic content of the category of style within the limits of various theoretical and literary discourses.

THE MYTHOLOGEME "PODRÓŻ" / "TRAVELS" AND ITS LINGUISTIC REPRESENTERS IN OLGA TOKARCHUK’S NOVEL "BIEGUNI" ("RUNNER")

The article is devoted to the study of the means of linguistic objectification of the mythologeme "PODRÓŻ" / "TRAVELS" in Olga Tokarchuk’s novel "Bieguni". Mythological thinking as a special kind of world-view includes a sensory, figurative understanding of natural phenomena and facts of social life. The main purpose of the article is to analyze the linguistic representation of the mythologeme "TRAVELS" by Polish writer Olga Tokarchuk, the winner of literary prizes ("Nike" 2008, International Booker Prize, Nobel Prize 2018). The research material provides an opportunity to reveal the archetypal and topical understanding of the mythologeme "TRAVELS", characteristic not only for the mythopoetic thinking of the archaic society, but also for the consciousness of contemporary speakers, and the individual author’s world-view of the literary discourse regarded. To achieve this goal, methods of descriptive, component and discursive analysis are used. The analysis allows us to state that O. Tokarchuk provides rather complete information about this mythological phenomenon, which is both a static structure because it contains a system of images and a dynamic one, because it is able to unfold in the form of a plot. The author creatively interprets and modifies the archetypal mythologeme, which embodies the human aptitude for travels and travelling as cognition of the world around, one of the manifestations of human freedom, filling it with new culturally marked semantics, creating a special mythosymbolic model of the world in which the mythologeme "PODRÓŻ" can mean life, interpersonal contacts, loneliness in the crowd, movement without movement, movement as an exploration of oneself through the cognition of the world around, search for the mystery of existence, etc. Only by travelling, says the writer, we can reconstruct the link lost by the mankind between individual traditions and cultures. We see the prospects of the research in the further separation of archetypal and individual authorial treatment in literary texts in the interpretation of mythologists.

„Die schlimmste Seuche unserer Tage ist die Angst.“ – Krankheit und Pandemie in Thea Dorns Trost. Briefe an Max

In the course of the pandemic since 2020 we have experienced different ways of life in public and private spaces, healthcare as well as work. Doris Bachmann-Medick talks about a ‘pandemic turn’ and claims, that the coronavirus pandemic implies a kind of crisis situation for human existence in our global reality. Everything has changed with the pandemic. Especially the biopolitical measures as well as health policy have entailed significant changes in social and individual living conditions. Literary discourses as a particular part of culture have the significant potential to reflect and criticize certain aspects of society and culture. Thea Dorn’s Corona novel Trost. Briefe an Max can obviously be described as a reaction to and literary reception of the Corona-era since 2020. The first-person narrator Johanna works as a culture journalist. She recently lost her mother, who travelled to Italy despite the pandemic. In her letters to her philosophy teacher, she expresses her immeasurable sadness and anger due to the new way of living because of the pandemic. The critical attitude of the novel is remarkable in terms of absolutization since helping becomes a part of biopolitics in times of the pandemic that leads to a tragic situation for the subject. In this article, I will analyze Thea Dorn’s Trost. Briefe an Max with reference to the approaches of Giorgio Agamben in Homo Sacer concerning biopolitics. In this context, especially the critical potential and attitude of this novel get important.

The theme of joining Russia in the literature of the peoples of Siberia in the 1950s–1980s

The article examines the features of the embodiment of the theme of joining Russia in the literature of the peoples of Siberia in the 1950s–1980s in the context of state memory policy of this period. The research materials are the works of Altai, Buryat, Khakass and Yakut literature. The research is based on the theory and methodology of comparative literature, as well as on the theory of cultural and historical memory. It has been established that the appearance of the theme of joining Russia in the literature of the peoples of Siberia in the 1950s–1980s was associated with the memory politics of this period. At this time, the basis of the national histories of the peoples of the USSR was the concept of friendship of peoples, within the framework of which special attention was paid to the idea of the voluntary entry of indigenous peoples into Russia, which brought them various benefits and became the basis for further national development. The appearance of the first literary works on this topic in the literature of Siberia dates back to the time of anniversary celebrations in honor of the anniversaries of the voluntary entry of local peoples into Russia, which proves the connection between these phenomena. It is also known that in the writing community since the 1950s the directive was spread to pay special attention to the theme of friendship of peoples and the positive role of Russia and Russians in the history of the peoples of Siberia. Within literary discourse, this idea was embodied in works of various genres: historical poems, plays, novels dedicated to the era of annexation to Russia, as well as in a number of poems glorifying the patriotism of the peoples of Siberia and the beneficial influence of the Russian state and Russian culture on their historical destiny. These works are characterised by an appeal to historical facts, which in Soviet times were interpreted as a manifestation of the friendship of the peoples of Siberia with Russia, as well as to folklore legends, interpreted in the same vein. All these works can be considered as a kind of hypertext, formed in the literature of Siberia in the 1950s–1980s around the theme of joining Russia and reflecting the corresponding trend in the politics of memory of this period.

Women Characters in the Works of Tagore and Shakespeare

This comparative study delves into the representation of women characters in the works of Rabindranath Tagore and William Shakespeare, two luminaries from distinct cultural and temporal backgrounds. By examining key female characters such as Charulata from "Nastanirh" and Binodini from "Chokher Bali" alongside Lady Macbeth from "Macbeth" and Portia from "The Merchant of Venice," the paper explores themes of strength, resilience, intelligence, and societal constraints. The analysis reveals that despite their different contexts, both authors portray women with profound depth, challenging traditional norms and highlighting their enduring significance in literary discourse. Through specific line-by-line examples and textual analysis, the paper underscores the universal and timeless nature of these characters, emphasizing their roles in reflecting and critiquing the societal dynamics of their respective eras.

SEMANTIC AND PRAGMATIC MANIFESTATION OF MODALEM AND SPECIFICS OF DIALOGIC DISCOURSE TRANSLATION (based on the parallel corpus)

The article centers on the description of the category of subjective modality of dialogic discourse in terms of its semantic and pragmatic nature, exemplify the concept of modalem as a semantic marker of a verbal message, a means of expressing the subjective modality and a semantic quantum of the speaker’s remarks in a literary discourse. It alsо provides a semantic typology of modalems and illustrates the role of modalems with equivalent verbal content. The structure of dialogic discourse includes: producer – reference situation – remark – recipient. These are the components of communicative situation. The semantic load of such a communication conveys an obligatory modal aspect which is formed by the superposition of semantic and pragmatic coordinates. The process of subjectification (modalization) of the speaker’s remark in fictional discourse begins with the subjective view and perspective one of objective reality, described through a selected subjective mode of comprehension which represents the subjective modality of discourse. In other words, the subjective modal marking of discourse implies the speaker’s intention. Modalization is a complex process of including additional meanings onto the verbal information of a remark, determined by the author-producer’s intentions and their attitude towards the referential meaning. It serves as a pragmatic and axiological quantum of information that the producer embeds in their verbal message. The deciphering of modalem in the context of direct communicative interaction, as exemplified by the dialogic discourse of fictional prose, represents the semantic link that binds together “what the speaker said” and “what they meant to say” into a single semantic whole. For beginner translators, working with corpora for identifying the ways to convey modalems in different languages serves both a reliable basis for successful translation activities and an essential source for practicing interpreting and simultaneous translating.

The image of a Japanese as seen by a Dutchman in the English novel and its Ukrainian translation

The article deals with the problem of rendering a literary image of a foreigner in translation. The object of research is the cumulative literary image of a Japanese on the material of David Mitchell’s novel “The Thousand Autumns of Jacob De Zoet” and the subject of research is the means and strategies of its reproduction in the Ukrainian translation. The aim of the research is to conceptualize the above strategies and determine the factors that have an impact on the translator’s decision-making. In particular, the attention is drawn to the factor of ethnic stereotypes that underline the formation of a foreigner’s image in a literary discourse. The article offers a hierarchic view of a literary image as an interaction of three levels of analysis: mega-image (correlated with the idea/theme/conception of a literary piece), macro-image (literary image per se) and micro-image (linguistic and/or stylistic means of a macro-image embodiment). Correspondingly, the translator’s attention should be concentrated on equivalent rendering micro-images, but in a manner consistent with corresponding macro-images and the mega-image of the whole text. Every literary image of a foreigner is based on certain ethno-stereotypes, also known as heterostereotypes that govern the author’s selection of micro-images and consequently the whole structure of a macro-image. Three aspects of a Japanese’s macro-image were singled out: appearance; speech characteristics; traditions, customs and rituals. At the next stage, the micro-images of these aspects’ verbalization were singled out and the translator’s strategies of their re-creation were analyzed. The conclusion was made that due to the similarity in foreigners’ stereotyping by the British and Ukrainians, the translator had no need for cultural adaptations and their strategy was predominantly aimed at overcoming interlinguistic asymmetry.

경계 밖(Extra moenia)에서: 내적불안(Inquietudine)은 연대의 가능성일까, 파편화(frantumaglia)일까

Tabucchi defines inquietudine (disquiet) in terms of ontological nostalgia. His novels illustrate how marginalized groups escape “the boundaries.” Similarly, Ferrante shows how a subject experiencing frantumaglia (fragmentation) forms a new subjectivity through La smarginatura. There is sympathy between Tabucchi’s inquietudineand Ferrante’s La smarginatura. Both authors show the process of deconstruction and reconstruction of the subject through literature, suggesting the possibility of forming a new subject. These literary discussions are congruent with Italian philosophers’ discussions of resistant subject formation and social transformation through the concept of sinisteritas—those excluded from the existing order—similar to the marginalized groups in Tabucchi and Ferrante’s works. Through the subjectification of sinisteritas, Italian philosophers resist the existing order and seek new political subjectivities. This corresponds to the possibility of La smarginaturaand new subject formation in literary works.

إسهامات الدكتور إبراهيم محمد إبراهيم في تطور الأدب العربي والأردي: دراسة حياته وأعماله

Dr. Ibrahim is a renowned scholar whose extensive contributions to Arabic and Urdu literature have had a profound impact on the academics and literary researchers of both languages and cultures. After obtaining his foundational education, he pursued higher studies in Urdu at Al Azhar University, followed by advanced degrees from Punjab University, Lahore, where he completed his Master's and Ph.D. in Urdu language and literature. His books, translations, research papers, articles, lectures and seminars offer new insights and interpretations between Arabic and Urdu. His translations have made significant literary works accessible to a broader audience fostering cross-cultural understanding and appreciation. Arabic being his mother tongue and Urdu learnt and lived at its home - Pakistan, made him arise as an established translator and critic. He won many prestigious awards including ‘Father of Urdu Maulvi Abdul Haq award’ and Pakistan’s national award ‘Tamgha-e-Imtiaz’. Throughout his career, Dr. Ibrahim has been a prolific writer, contributing extensively to both Arabic and Urdu literature. His works reflect a deep understanding and appreciation of both languages, bridging cultural gaps and enriching literary discourse. Dr. Ibrahim's life and works stand as a testament to his dedication and passion for literature. His contributions continue to inspire and influence scholars and students alike, making him a pivotal figure in the development of Arabic and Urdu literary studies.

THE HALF MOTHER: AN INQUIRY INTO THE POETICS OF RESISTANCE LITERATURE

“The Half Mother: An Inquiry into the Poetics of Resistance Literature” investigates the dynamic interplay between literary representation and political resistance in the context of the Kashmir conflict. This paper delves into how Shahnaz Bashir's novel, The Half Mother, exemplifies the genre of resistance literature by exploring the intersection of personal and collective trauma amidst a protracted conflict. The Kashmir Valley, historically a cradle of poetic and artistic expression, has faced profound devastation since the late 1980s due to a surge in violence and insurgency. This period, marked by intense militarization and human rights abuses, has given rise to a distinct body of English-language literature that seeks to authentically portray the lived experiences of its people.The study situates The Half Mother within the broader framework of resistance literature, drawing on Ghassan Kanafani's theoretical construct of resistance as both a cultural and political act. This study demonstrates how these literary efforts transcend mere chronicles of victimhood to engage in a profound examination of human resilience and the quest for self-determination. Bashir’s novel thus emerges as a pivotal text that not only contributes to the international literary discourse but also amplifies the voices of a marginalized and silenced population. The Half Mother encapsulates the transformation of individual suffering into a collective resistance, shedding light on the intrinsic link between literary creation and political struggle, and offering a poignant commentary on the enduring human spirit amidst adversity.

CSOKONAI KOLLÉGIUMI PERE A MODERN BÜNTETŐJOG ÉS KRIMINOLÓGIA TÜKRÉBEN

The expulsion of the well-known Hungarian classical poet, Csokonai, has been studied and reviewed several times. According to the widely-accepted interpretation, the gifted young poet was unjustly dismissed after a show trial, while his talent was not recognised. But can we challenge the whole conception?This paper aims to present the facts and events merely from the point of view of jurisdiction, applying the results, methods, and aspects of modern criminal law, hoping that we can see a more varied new picture of the trial. Hopefully, it can also contribute to the literary discourse about a traditionally accepted figure of the Hungarian literary canon.

DO SERINGAL À TERRA CAÍDA: a Amazônia infilmável no processo de adaptação da literatura ao discurso televisivo

This work discusses representations of the Amazon from the Unfilmable category as it is impossible to portray on TV, not due to usual translation mechanisms, but due to ideological choices that “decorate” the Amazon and construct a distorted vision. To do this, we consider the processes of adaptation between literary text and its recreations, as well as stereotyped discourses that often disseminate this space from the perspective of common places that mark these representations of the region, whether in literary discourse, analyzed here from the novels Terra Caída by José Potyguara and Seringal by Miguel Ferrante, whether in the television discourse represented by the miniseries Amazônia: de Galvez a Chico Mendes, written by Glória Perez. As a theoretical reference for the discussion we will use different authors, among which we highlight: (Dutra, 2005), (Bueno, 2002), (Guimarães, 1995), (Figueiredo, 2010), (Benjamin, 2008) among others. With this discussion, we intend to weave a reflective panel on how the filmable Amazon often feeds mistaken notions about the region and these marks are visible in the construction of a text that often ignores the particularities of a real Amazon concealed by a supposed impossibility. of adaptation.

EKPHRASIS IN LITERARY ENGLISH DISCOURSE

The article systematises the experience of researchers of the concept of ekphrasis, reveals its significance and role in literary English discourse. The main focus is on analysing the definition of ekphrasis, identifying its functions in literature and art, historical foundations of the term, and the given classification of ekphrasis. The definitions offered by researchers in this field, their contributions and developments in the understanding of ekphrasis are considered. The article is based on the research of leading scholars such as J. Heffernan, P. Wagner, W. Mitchell, D. Carrier, G. Scott and others, analysing various definitions of ekphrasis, its evolution and importance in literary discourse. Future research prospects in this area include a deeper analysis of ekphrastic phenomena in contemporary literary texts. The article reflects the relevance and prospects of ekphrasis research, expanding the understanding of this phenomenon in the context of intermediality, the interaction between literature and visual art.

EVOLUTION OF THE DYSTOPIAN GENRE

The article examines the stages of the formation of the genre of dystopia in the context of the world literary process. Dysutopia, which is a model of forecasting the future, reacts particularly acutely to the problems and challenges of modernity, projecting them onto imaginary societies of the future. Thanks to this, it gains special popularity in modern literary discourse, attracts the attention of more and more readers. As a result of the analysis, three stages of the development of the genre were established. The first stage covers the first half of the 20th century and is characterized by the design of the main genre features. In particular, the important features characteristic of this genre are the presence of a closed, linear space, the futuristic and prognostic nature of dystopian works, the conflict between a strong personality and the repressive apparatus of a totalitarian state or a unified, mechanized society. In the dystopias of the second period, which is the second half of the 20th century, we trace the expansion of issues, the variety of new artistic stylistic and compositional techniques, as well as the acquisition of features of other genres. The third period is the 20s of the 19th century, characterized by multi-vector development, processes of genre diffusion and convergence, which caused the appearance of a large number of genre varieties. The works are characterized by parody, grotesqueness, and violation of genre canons. We consider the dystopia of this period as a metagenre, which allows us to identify different genre variants of dystopia.

Let Us Rejoice by Drinking and Talking Beautifully: Sympotic Poetics as a Function of Culture

The article explores the concept of sympotic poetics in European culture as a distinctive form of discourse. This tradition originated in the Greek civilisation during the archaic period as a technique for socialisation within aristocratic culture and subsequently developed in Roman culture during the imperial period. Sympotic poetics thrived in medieval and modern Europe, where new forms of literary games, rooted in the intellectual traditions of antiquity, emerged. The article examines the beginnings of scholarly literary discussion and reviews selected examples of sympotic discussion practices in European culture.

The Phenomenon of “the Other" in the context of the American Dream in American Proletarian Literature and Left-Wing Political Discourse of the 1920s and 30s

The global crisis caused by the COVID-19 pandemic generated serious social upheavals, intensified the politicization of the literary process and awakens literary discourse, highlighting the “enduring reality" of national identity and social class. The proletarian literature of the USA of the 1920s and 30s and the left-wing political discourse of this period echoing it are a vivid example of understanding these issues in American society and in the life of the common man. This article aims to analyze and summarize the most fundamental aspects of American proletarian literature, as a phenomenon of the 1920s and 30s, and left-wing political discourse, shedding light on the relationship between two phenomena directly related to American identity – the "Other" and the "American Dream". The themes of identity and otherness in American history and literature of this period were critically analyzed using the example of historical documents, literary texts and theoretical studies. The novelty of the study lies in its synthesizing nature; the important aspects and patterns have been identified that combine a body of sources of various scales on the topic of the American Dream and the concept of the Other, relating to individuals or groups who are excluded from the idealized vision of success due to the existence of systemic obstacles to access to the same opportunities and results that the mainstream or dominant culture possesses. The results of the study open the way for further literary studies of the broader socio-political contexts that shaped the production and perception of proletarian literature, and their significance for the modern understanding of American society and the social challenges that it faces.

Nautical Metaphors and Late-Victorian Literary Culture

Abstract This article reveals how nautical conceits were frequently used to articulate stylistic concerns and respond to publishing trends emerging in late-Victorian culture. Reviewers, authors, and press commentators described writing as akin to ship building or seafaring and employed marine metaphors to categorize and critique narratives as ‘vessels’ for certain characters or plots. For example, leisurely multi-volume ‘three-deckers’ were manned by a recognizable ‘crew’ of characters while modern literary ‘steamers’ were more sparsely populated and took shorter and more direct narrative routes. Many accounts discussed also show an acute awareness of commercial pressures of the book-trade and parallel developments in author-publisher relations. Rudyard Kipling, amongst others, envisioned the publishing world as a ‘seascape’ upon which works needed to be carefully launched—especially if the voyage was trans-Atlantic. His unusually inventive and intricate nautical metaphors anchor much of the article’s analysis, while close literary-critical readings of contemporary periodicals shed light on broader patterns of contact between literary and maritime cultures. The linguistic creativity with which the Victorian nautical imagination was expressed demonstrates the depth of maritime influence upon literary discourses of the period while also reflecting very real interconnections developing between nautical and literary industries.