Analysis Of Good Readers And Good Writers By Vladimir Nabokov

In the literary essay, Good Readers and Good Writers by Vladimir Nabokov, a college literature professor and famous literary writer, who passionately writes to create art through words. He addresses this writing to students majoring in literature, in which his text informs the reader about the skills necessary to be a good reader and writer in order to construct the magic necessary to effectively read and write. Nabokov proves through his literary essay that reading and writing is a masterpiece that requires expertise to make. To do so, Nabokov utilizes erotic and juxtaposed diction, types of simple and complex syntax, and an argumentative passionate tone to illustrate his message. Nabokov begins his literary essay by formatting his writing …show more content…
People don’t usually stroke or caress details, so Nabokov is trying to say to love a piece of writing like loving a person. Another way he showed his love for reading and writing when he states the difference between minor writers and real writers: “Time and space, the colors of the seasons, the movements of muscles and minds, all these are for writers of genius (as far as we can guess and I trust we guess right) not traditional notions which may be borrowed …show more content…
Nabokov uses various combinations of sentence structures and organizes them in order to show his purpose. In paragraph 4, the text includes,“But the real writer, the fellow who sends planets spinning and models a man asleep and eagerly tampers with the sleeper’s rib, that kind of author has no given values at his disposal: he must create them himself” (Nabokov 4). He uses a mixed sentence, which usually comes across as a very compact and confusing sentence. Nabokov later on says that in order to fully understand a text, a reader must reread the text more than once because the first time the reader is just for content. However, the second time is for content and reading for a deeper meaning. He is setting up the reader up to do exactly what he is talking about rereading, so he includes mixed sentences. On the other hand, simples sentences are applied too. “Literature is invention. Fiction is fiction. To call a story a true story is an insult to both art and truth” (Nabokov 12). Nabokov intentionally writes simple his sentences is to get the readers to remember these sentences. They are straight to the point, the sentences are very short, and they are clear and emphasize the message. There is also parallelism which helps balance and give a smoother feel when reading this. It sounds very fluent like how a