Discovering Literature with the Help of Freudian Psychoanalysis

Sanmit Sarkar; Prakriti Rais

Sanmit Sarkar MIT World Peace University
Prakriti Rais MIT World Peace University

Keywords: Psychoanalysis, Poetry, Literature Analysis, Free Association, Performance Studies

Abstract

In this study, we will be using psychoanalysis to understand literature, more specifically poetry and the poets themselves. Analyzing literature in such a way helps us have a better grasp of human behavior and involuntary thoughts that manifest in the form of stories, poems, or any sort of creative work. Literature helps us to travel back in time and learn about life on Earth from those who have gone before us. We can gain a deeper grasp of cultures and appreciate them more. We learn from the methods, history is documented, such as manuscripts and oral history.

Literature encompasses forms such as poetry, drama, prose, folklore, epic tale, personal narrative, history, biography, satire, philosophical dialogues, etc. Poetry is a composition in verse and is usually characterized by concentrated and heightened language in which words are chosen for their sound and suggestive power as well as for their sense, and using such techniques as meter, rhyme, and alliteration.

Psychoanalysis is defined as a set of psychological theories and therapeutic methods which have their origin in the work and theories of Sigmund Freud. The primary assumption of psychoanalysis is the belief that all people possess unconscious thoughts, feelings, desires, and memories. Psychoanalysis therapy aims to release repressed emotions and experiences, i.e., make the unconscious conscious. It is only by having a cathartic (i.e., healing) experience can the person be helped and "cured."

.

Author Biographies

Sanmit Sarkar, MIT World Peace University

Professor Sanmit Sarkar is a passionate educator, with a demonstrated history of teaching and research. He is presently working as an Assistant Professor of English at MIT World Peace University Pune. He is also pursuing his Ph.D. in Contemporary American Poetry from Institute of Advanced Studies in English, Pune, affiliated to Savitribai Phule Pune University. He has taught courses on Literature in English, Creative Writing and Women’s Writing at the under graduate level. He has a contemporary outlook towards poetry and strives to uphold the importance of poetry in society today through his teaching & research.

Email: sanmit.sarkar@mitwpu.edu.in

Prakriti Rais, MIT World Peace University

Prakriti Rais is an aspiring counseling psychologist. She is currently completing her master’s degree from MIT-WPU, School of Liberal Arts. She has completed her bachelor’s in Psychology, English Literature, and Political Science from Maharani Laxmibai, Bhopal. She has worked on the SEL and LSRW model for learning and is an avid reader. Her areas of interest in research are social psychology, developmental psychology and personality.

Email: 1172210100@mitwpu.edu.in

References

Ahmed, A. (2022, April 13). Major Themes in the Poetry of Sylvia Plath | Her Vision. ASK LITERATURE. Retrieved June 8, 2022, from https://askliterature.com/poetry/themes-in-the-poetry-of-sylvia-plath/
Ahmed, A. & HNB Garhwal Central University Uttarakhand. (2017). LITERATURE AND ITS INFLUENCE ON HUMAN LIFE. http://data.conferenceworld.in/NCCW/P129-134.pdf
Alb, M. (2022, April 3). A Prayer for my Daughter by W. B. Yeats. Poem Analysis. Retrieved June 8, 2022, from https://poemanalysis.com/william-butler-yeats/a-prayer-for-my-daughter/#:%7E:text=The%20poem%20’A%20Prayer%20for%20my%20Daughter’%20portrays%20the%20theme,attributes%20of%20a%20virtuous%20soul.
Baldwin, E. (2022, April 14). A Dream by Edgar Allan Poe. Poem Analysis. Retrieved June 9, 2022, from https://poemanalysis.com/edgar-allan-poe/a-dream/
Brooks, R. (2022, February 4). Alone by Edgar Allan Poe. Poem Analysis. Retrieved June 9, 2022, from https://poemanalysis.com/edgar-allan-poe/alone/
Corfman, A. (2022, February 4). Daddy by Sylvia Plath. Poem Analysis. Retrieved June 8, 2022, from https://poemanalysis.com/sylvia-plath/daddy/
Delahoyde, M. (n.d.). Psychoanalytic Criticism. Psychoanalytic Criticism. Retrieved June 5, 2022, from https://public.wsu.edu/%7Edelahoyd/psycho.crit.html
findcourses.co.uk. (n.d.). The Importance of Literature in Modern Society. Retrieved June 5, 2022, from
https://www.findcourses.co.uk/inspiration/hobby-fun-leisure-articles/the-importance-of-literature-in-modern-society-17411#:%7E:text=Literature%20allows%20a%20person%20to,manuscripts%20and%20through%20speech%20itself.
G, T. (n.d.). How do I apply Psychoanalysis to literature? | MyTutor. MyTutor. Retrieved June 5, 2022, from https://www.mytutor.co.uk/answers/10830/A-Level/English-Literature/How-do-I-apply-Psychoanalysis-to-literature/

Hedley, J. (1994). Since First Your Eye I Eyed: Shakespeare’s “Sonnets” and the Poetics of

Narcissism. Style, 28(1), 1–30. http://www.jstor.org/stable/42946178

Id, Ego, and Superego Are Part of a Structural Model of Personality. (2020, November 20). Verywell Mind. Retrieved June 5, 2022, from https://www.verywellmind.com/the-id-ego-and-superego-2795951
L. (2021, April 6). A Dream by Edgar Allan Poe Meaning | Summary, Analysis, Structre and Literary Devices. Learn Cram. Retrieved June 9, 2022, from https://www.learncram.com/english-summary/dream-by-edgar-allan-poe/
Mambrol, N. (2016, March 17). Intentional Fallacy. Literary Theory and Criticism. Retrieved June 5, 2022, from https://literariness.org/2016/03/17/intentional-fallacy/
Mart, Cagri. (2019). Reader-Response Theory and Literature Discussions: a Springboard for

Exploring Literary Texts. The New Educational Review. 56. 10.15804/tner.2019.56.2.06.

Mcleod, S. (n.d.). Psychoanalysis | Simply Psychology. Simply Psychology. Retrieved June 5. 2022, from https://www.simplypsychology.org/psychoanalysis.html
Pajo, B. (2022). Introduction to Research Methods: A Hands-on Approach (Second ed.). SAGE Publications, Inc.
Reader-response theory. (n.d.). Reader-response theory. Poetry Foundation. Retrieved June 5, 2022, from https://www.poetryfoundation.org/learn/glossary-terms/reader-response-theory
Reader-Response Theory Introduction. (n.d.). Shmoop. Retrieved June 5, 2022, from https://www.shmoop.com/study-guides/literary-schools-of-theory/reader-response-theory
Sexuality in Shakespeare’s Sonnets - 2243 Words | Research Paper Example. (2020, September 7). Free Essays. Retrieved June 9, 2022, from https://ivypanda.com/essays/sexuality-in-shakespeares-sonnets/
A Short Analysis of W. B. Yeats’s ‘Death.’ (2021, June 27). Interesting Literature. Retrieved June 8, 2022, from https://interestingliterature.com/2016/05/a-short-analysis-of-w-b-yeatss-death/
Study.com | Take Online Courses. Earn College Credit. Research Schools, Degrees & Careers. (n.d.). Study.Com. Retrieved June 5, 2022, from https://study.com/learn/lesson/sigmund-freud-psychoanalytic-theory-personality.html
Tearle, O. (2020, August 16). A Short Analysis of Edgar Allan Poe’s ‘Alone.’ Interesting Literature. Retrieved June 9, 2022, from https://interestingliterature.com/2018/03/a-short-analysis-of-edgar-allan-poes-alone/
Tyson, L. (2014). Critical Theory Today: A User-Friendly Guide (3rd ed.). Routledge.
Waugaman, R. M., & Brown, C. E. (2017). Shakespeare and Psychoanalytic Theory. By Carolyn E. Brown. The Psychoanalytic Quarterly, 86(3), 743–752. https://doi.org/10.1002/psaq.12168
William Shakespeare | Plays, Poems, Biography, Quotes, & Facts. (2022, April 19). Encyclopedia Britannica. Retrieved June 5, 2022, from https://www.britannica.com/biography/William-Shakespeare
William Shakespeare Biography. (n.d.). Shakespeare Birthplace Trust. Retrieved June 5, 2022, from https://www.shakespeare.org.uk/explore-shakespeare/shakespedia/william-shakespeare/william-shakespeare-biography/