A classic literary work is one that has made a significant contribution to the development of literature. It is a work that has remained popular and valued through time, and it is generally one recognized—whether at its time of publication or retrospectively—as innovative or pathbreaking. The canon refers to the overall collection of these classic works. Recent criticism of the canon points out its lack of diversity on several levels. The majority of featured works were written by white men, for example, and the canon has historically excluded works of genre and popular fiction. Recent efforts to revise the canon have been successful at including more diverse voices.

Close reading refers to slow, attentive reading of literature to examine the deeper meaning of words, phrases, and sentences. In Teaching Literature (2002), literary critic Elaine Showalter describes close reading as “a form of defamiliarization we use in order to break through our habitual and casual reading practices” (Showalter, Elaine. Teaching Literature, Wiley-Blackwell, 2002, p. 98). As Showalter suggests, slowing down to read a passage for syntax, imagery, and other elements of language helps the reader avoid skimming over a text.