What makes comparative literature different from other English degrees?

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Taking up an English degree will let you choose from a number of majors in most universities, such as, often, English literature, Creative Writing, and Comparative Literature.


English Literature is focused on an in-depth study of literature of the U.K. and the U.S., from old English and Medieval works to the Romantic, Victorian, and modern era. A Creative Writing degree requires complementary subjects in English literature but is more concerned with the actual writing of works of poetry, fiction, drama, and creative non-fiction. In short, creative writing students must come up with their own collection of works to graduate.


Comparative Literature is distinct from the two as, as the first word in the phrase suggests, it is a degree informed by other fields. In other words, it cannot exist in a vacuum, but must take into account the social, cultural, economic, and historical context of a given piece of literature.

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Comparative literature graduates will gain the same set of career advantages as those of the two other degrees, from editing, technical writing, journalism, blogging, and copy writing. But they also have the likelier chance of becoming full-fledged literary critics and translators. Their better understanding of context and interdisciplinarity make them great academicians. Many comparative literature students end up staying in the academe and choosing a career in teaching.


My name is John Eilermann, a Comparative Literature student based in St. Louis. Comparative literature may be a seen as a poor choice for a degree to some, yet I truly believe that this discipline provides the foundations for sound critical thinking that applies to all fields. Know more about me by following this Facebook page.

Sudden, flash, nano stories: What’s very short fiction?

Readers and lovers of literature have been long enjoying short fiction, with short stories in print magazines typically averaging around 7,500 words in the old days. But what about stories that have fewer than 1,000? Here’s a quick introduction to the so-called very short fiction.


Very short fiction is also usually known as flash fiction, sudden fiction, or nano stories. It’s also often called micro-fiction, micro narrative, micro-story, hint fiction, and postcard fiction. It’s composed of stories that are mostly under 1,000 words and maintain a world of their own, with many venues to explore for this kind of work online.


This category of short stories is becoming more and more popular among writers who find joy and challenge in seeing how few words can be used to create a story. As far as length goes, it’s a far cry from the forms of previous years and decades: the novella with its 20,000 to 50,000 words; the novelette with its 7,000 to 20,000; and the short story with its 1,000 to 7,000.

According to the magazine Flash Fiction Stories, its product stories are in the 500 to 1,000 word range. Others define flash fiction as stories under 2,000 words, which makes O. Henry’s popular story “The Magi” – some 70 words over the count – qualify as one. Micro fiction, too, is defined as having 100 words at the most.


Whatever it’s called and no matter the word count, very short fiction is a reality in literary production today. One can only get curious about how many readers actually share the enthusiasm of its writers in the deliberate conservation of words and the somewhat fleeting nature of such stories.


John Eilermann from St. Louis, Missouri is a student of comparative literature. It is his goal to develop an understanding of literary compositions regardless of boundaries such as language, culture, and tradition. Learn more on this website..

The iconic firearms of history’s great wars

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Over the past centuries, mankind has seen some of the greatest wars in history. From the American Civil War to the War on Terror, people have fought for what they believed in. Along with armed conflict comes the advancement of technology. From medicine to transport, technological breakthroughs emerge in droves.


One of the most noticeable is the firearm. Let’s have a gander at some of the most iconic firearms in the history of war.


The Greaser


The Greaser looks a lot like the grease gun of a mechanic, which is where it got its name. This was a popular weapon since it was simple, cheap, and reliable. It was America’s firearm of choice toward the end of World War 2.


The Lee-Enfield


The Lee-Enfield was a rifle that British soldiers utilized since the Napoleonic Wars. This rifle was ideal for rapid-fire strategies and stayed with the Brits until the 1900s.

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The STENs


STEN was a submachine gun and used the same bullets as the Lee-Enfield. It was not pretty to look at, but it did its job effectively and efficiently during the early part of World War 2. Very few other guns were used as extensively.


The AK-47


Probably the most recognizable gun apart from the M-16, the AK-47 was created by Mikhail Kalashnikov. It is extremely easy to use and very powerful, as well as resistant to water, dirt, and jamming.


Hello, I’m John Eilermann, a huge fan of the beautiful game, football. I’m also a World War 2 enthusiast. Learn more about me and the stuff I love by following me on Twitter.

Revisiting Anglo-Saxon Poetry

Anglo-Saxon literature covers literary writings in Old English, or from c.650 to c.1100. This is the 600-year period of Britain from the mid-5th century to the Norman Conquest of 1066, and works in this period include genres such as epic poetry, sermons, Bible translations, chronicles, and riddles. About 400 manuscripts from the Anglo-Saxon time still exist today.

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There are generally two types of Old English poetry: the heroic (sourced from pre-Christian Germanic myth, history, and custom) and the Christian. Almost all Old English poetry is preserved in a mere four manuscripts – namely the Exeter Book, the Junius Manuscript, the Vercelli Book, and the Beowulf manuscript – but much of it is deemed of high literary value and quality. Old English heroic poetry, for instance, is the earliest extant in Germanic literature, serving as the closest one can come to the oral pagan literature of Germanic culture.

Beowulf, likely produced between 700 and 750, is the oldest surviving Germanic epic as well as the longest Old English poem. Other great examples of Old English poetry are The Wanderer, The Seafarer, The Battle of Maldon, and The Dream of the Rood. Two popular poets from this period are Caedmon, deemed the first Old English Christian poet, and Cynewulf.

Old English poetry’s verse form is an alliterative line of four stressed syllables and an unfixed number of unstressed syllables interrupted by a caesura and arranged in one of different patterns. The lines are end-stopped and unrhymed, and the whole form lends itself to narrative, or the absence of lyric poetry in Old English.

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John Eilermann from St. Louis, Missouri is a student of comparative literature. It is his goal to develop an understanding of literary compositions regardless of boundaries such as language, culture, and tradition. Learn more about English literature on this

Biblical Allusions Within C. S. Lewis’ “The Lion, The Witch, And The Wardrobe”

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An allusion is a literary device wherein an author pertains to a particular subject indirectly or without explicitly mentioning it. Allusions are often used in poetry alongside metaphors. However, spotting particularly themed allusions can be difficult when discussing prose. To further explain this idea, let’s look at Biblical allusions used by C. S. Lewis in his novel “The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe.”

Midway through the narrative, Edmund betrays his siblings and joins forces with the White Witch. This is an allusion to Judas and his betrayal of Jesus with the White Witch pertaining to Satan. The White Witch’s lair is also a stark contrast to hell as it is cold, ice-filled, and yet equally filled with minions and trapped souls.

The theme of resurrection is also apparent when Aslan sacrifices himself to the White Witch, just as Jesus did in return for mankind’s redemption. In the scene, Aslan is humiliated, his mane cut away just as Jesus was stripped of his clothes when he was burdened with the cross.

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Lastly, the dangers of the sin of gluttony appear early in the narrative when Edmund gobbles the Turkish Delights as he begins his service to the White Witch. He also does this after leaving her. This may also be symbolic of the sin of consumption committed by Adam and Eve.

Hi there! My name is John Eilermann, and I’m from St. Louis, Missouri. I’m currently working on getting a degree in comparative literature. It is my goal to develop an understanding of literary compositions regardless of boundaries such as language, culture, and tradition. For more fascinating reads on literature, visit this blog.

The Mysterious Effect Of Bradbury’s 'Fahrenheit 451'

Ray Bradbury is an icon, not just in the sci-fi community, but in world literature in general.  His novels and other literary works have gone on to sell millions upon millions of copies, have been studied in universities everywhere, and have continued to capture the hearts and minds of readers everywhere.

Some lit experts say that his crowning achievement is the novel “Fahrenheit 451.”  The message it sends to people – that people without an education can be convinced to “think” – is central to the appeal of the novel.

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“Fahrenheit 451” is not a long novel, but it gets what it wants to say across to readers quite strongly.  While lit majors have noticed the influence of George Orwell’s “1984” on it, the same people admit the book can stand on its own quite capably.  The setting is an extreme dystopian universe where books are burned, and people are coerced away from thinking for themselves.

Though this reality seems far from the one we live in, there is a strong connection between the message and people today.  In Bradbury’s book, without spoiling it for anyone, it shows how a world, which is dangerously close to eradicating individualistic thought, can be changed by a small group of people who believe strongly enough that they can help everyone else think.

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If you think about that premise through and through and take a few minutes to go on social media or any online forum, you’ll gradually see how “Fahrenheit 451” figures into all of it.

Hello! My name is John Eilermann from St. Louis, Missouri. I’m currently in college pursuing a degree in Comparative Literature. Learn more about my passion for lit by visiting this page.

A Quick Dive Into Nick Hornby’s Works

English novelist, essayist, screenwriter, and lyricist Nick Hornby has produced a number of memorable works, foremost of which are his novels “High Fidelity” and “About a Boy” and screenplays for films “An Education” and “Brooklyn.” Here’s a quick look at the writer born in Surrey, England, in April 1957 and who attended Cambridge University.

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Hornby’s fiction is known to be a thorough navigation of male crises, weaknesses, and even obsessions. His 1998 novel “About a Boy” zeroes in on the growing relationship between a 30-something man and a 12-year-old boy, while “How to Be Good” is an exploration of marriage, parenthood, and contemporary morals that affect these two central themes. His early works are marked by 30-something male characters who struggle with emotional maturity and move about with uncertainty in their careers and personal lives. 

It’s interesting to note that his characters are often semi-autobiographical, and sans harsh judgment or condemnation of the careless decisions they often make. His later novels such as “Juliet, Naked” in 2009 and “Funny Girl” in 2014, however, offer more insight into female characters while they continue to highlight men’s search of strong emotional connections. 

Hornby’s empathy for these celebrated characters (which mostly enjoy both critical acclaim and public popularity) extends to what he does in his personal life. When not writing, he is involved in the London organization TreeHouse School for children with autism, which he helped establish in support of his eldest son, as well as a writing mentoring program for the youth. 

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John Eilermann from St. Louis, Missouri, is currently in college pursuing a degree in Comparative Literature. Growing up, he read books by Nick Hornby, Roald Dahl, C.S Lewis, and many others. Read more articles like this here.