1. Culler explores the relationship between language and meaning, as well as how language develops meaning, in “Literature, Meaning, and Interpretation.” The link between language and meaning is one topic from this chapter that I find intriguing. The message the speaker is attempting to convey and the reader’s interpretation of the text. When the speaker goes into great depth and describes even the tiniest elements. This permits the reader to mentally see and imagine the scene. This particular choice of language engages the reader while also conveying the message in a non-monotonous manner. The use of language and its meaning are intimately connected. The speaker chooses carefully which words to use in order to deliver his message with the fewest number of words possible in a text.
2. Jonathan Culler addresses some of the ways poetry pushes us to think about how language works in Chapter 5 of Literary Theory: A Very Short Introduction. The use of metaphors is one method that interests me. The speaker utilizes two ideas that are unrelated, yet when combined, they produce a meaning and image in the reader’s mind. Emily Dickinson’s poem The Brain is Wider Than the Sky is an example of this. Emily compares the brain to the vast sky, which does not seem to fit together, but when viewed from the reader’s perspective, it becomes clear that she is comparing the brain to the sky, which is limitless. This helps shape the meaning of the poem by, helping us understand the message the speaker is trying to get across using the use of metaphors.

The angle I want to choose that I find most interesting would be “literature as the integration of language” I chose this one to talk more about it because I liked that it states that literature is the gateway to every language. this expresses that it doesn’t matter what language you speak or read the literature will always be there. I like this concept or this overall thought because it will say that no matter what literature will be there no matter the language you speak literature is the opening to new theories and thoughts, and I believe that is what the author is trying to state when he states that.

1. An idea that strike my interest from chapter 4:language, meaning and interpretation is how culler explains and describes the tree dimensions of ‘meaning’ in literature. This was significant to me because in the text culler stated that there are three different levels of meaning are the meaning of a word, utterance and text. I agree with this because I believe that in literature a text can have many different perspectives and meanings. It also has an effect on the reader and the text can make the reader think about what he/she read. I think this idea jumps out at me because I really think literature is like an artwork where it express things in a lot of ways and can affect the reader into questioning himself what the text really means.
2. A poem that I thought uses one of the techniques culler describes in chapter 5 is Emily Dickinson’s poetry titled “The brain is wider than the sky”. In this poem I found that she uses  figures of speech. Emily uses metaphor in this poem to describe and compare how the brain is wider than the sky. This technique jumps out to be important to b=me because this helps for the reader in his mind create images and questions to analyze of what the texts means and what the author is trying to express or say through their writing. It helps shape the meaning of the poem because the text is trying to tell you that the brain can be powerful and think of things that are out of this world.

1. One idea that strikes me as important regarding the relationship between language and meaning is how Culler defines meaning. He states that language and meaning have to evoke an effect on the reader. The effect being solving the “puzzle” that text is presenting for the reader. Stories and poems can both have parts that can engage the reader “in a process of puzzling..” I believe that this is important because it is very true. Language does produce meaning and such language can be what the parts of the story or poem can provoke. This, too, is also a part of the “meaning” of the text.
2. There is one poem that shows one of the four rhetorical language techniques, being irony, metaphor, metonymy, and synecdoche, which is the brain is wider than the sky by Emily Dickinson. Emily uses the rhetoric device metaphor to emphasize how special our human brain is and its capabilities, hence being “wider” than the sky. This is importance because Cullers poetic technique has the reader dig deeper into texts, such as this one, and has us find the true meaning behind that text. Culler specifically wants us to find the meaning of the text, think of it as having a structure of its own, and the provocations of the text. This helps shape the poem as a whole.

1. One idea from this chapter that strikes me as interesting, important, or significant regarding the relationship between language and meaning is the idea of how both language and meaning can be signified through their differences.  A text’s meaning can be determined by the text itself or by the context in which it was written. For example, while reading a text, it is necessary for us to consider the whole picture, not just the literal words used, but also why these words were chosen as opposed to others. And by looking at these differences and contrasts we can identify the meaning of the text, poem, or whatever we are reading.

   On the other hand, according to Ferdinand de Saussure, a language is a system of difference. Language is a system of signs and key facts; Saussure refers to this as the “Arbitrary nature of the linguistic sign.” Saussure believes that signs consist of a form and a meaning, and associations between the two are determined by convention  rather than natural resemblances. In this case, it’s the convention between the   sender and the recipient, which implies the existence of a connection between them.  Also, in addition to the sounds words make and the meaning they convey, the same sound does not equate to the same meaning. For instance, the words vow, wow sounds the same, but they convey two different meaning. So, therefore, the meaning of a word is made up of its (form) signifier and its (meaning) signified. which suggests, language is a way of thinking and expressing ideas.  This idea jumps out at me as being important because through reading this chapter “Language, Meaning and interpretation” by Jonathan Culler, I became aware of how language produces meaning and the relationship between language and meaning.

   2. In Chapter 5 of Literary Theory Jonathan Culler introduced us to four rhetoric techniques – Metaphor, Metonymy, Synecdoche, and Irony. After reading the “Yet Do I Marvel” written by Countee Cullen, I would say that the speaker used figurative language like metaphor in the poem. To further support my claim, the metaphor was being used in the 4th line of the poem where the speaker says, “Why flesh that mirrors Him must someday die.” By stating that humans reflect God’s image, the speaker creates a metaphor. In this case, human flesh is compared to a mirror, which reflects God’s image. In other words, “Flesh that mirrors him” is a metaphor referring to God creating human beings according to his own resemblance. This technique jumps out at me as being interesting because metaphor make writing easier to comprehend and respond to. Metaphor has played an important role here. For example, With the use of metaphors, Curler creates a vivid imaginary for the readers and makes the poem interesting yet understandable.  I believe metaphor helps shape the meaning of the poem more effective way. For example, metaphors allow the poet to better convey their emotions and thoughts. Lastly, the use of metaphor gave the poem an interesting meaning which I found enjoyable.  As Culler stated in chapter 5 a metaphor can carry a complex concept, even an entire theory, which makes it the most valuable rhetorical figure for supporting a claim.

In the chapter titled “The nature of literature,” Cullen introduces literature from several angles. One of the angles that I found to be the most intriguing was “literature as fiction.” The reason why I chose this angle was because fiction is very fascinating. It leverages the power of storytelling to capture the reader’s imagination and take them into an alternative world, away from contemporary reality whether that be through a novel, short story or even a screenplay. The writer also has the ability to show a glimpse of their dreams or imaginings. There is no restriction to how far your imagination can go when it comes to fiction. The impossible becomes possible through your limitless imagination because you are the director of your own story. Your story’s outcome depends entirely on you. You decide what happens to your characters, how they act, what happens to their relationships, and what happens to the world around them. Fiction is all about unexplored ideas that can, for now, only exist in our heads. Fiction in many cases inspires you to do things or dream big. It spurs your imagination, making you a more creative and intriguing person.