Forms of Literature: Short Forms: Fables, Tales, Aphorisms

Though often considered elementary-associated with the instruction of children and beginning language learners-fables, tales, riddles, and aphorisms are among the most ancient, powerful, and haunting literary forms. These short forms seem transparent, yet the brevity that makes them seem simple challenges our wit, queries the morals they seem to announce, and stymies our distinctions between sense and nonsense, humans and animals, reason and absurdity. In addition to riddles, we will read fables from Aesop to Kafka, fairy tales from Perrault to Angela Carter, and aphorisms from Bacon to bathroom grafitti.