10 Characteristics of an Anthology

We explain what an anthology is, how it is classified and the criteria it must follow. Also, what are its characteristics and examples.

What is an Anthology?

It is known as an anthology a compilation of texts or works usually written that stand out for some common characteristic, referring to their authorship, their subject matter, their origin, etc. This term is used mostly in the literary field, but there may also be musical, film anthologies, etc.

All anthology revolves around a criterionthat is, a spirit that unifies and gives meaning to the sample, and that is defined by the selector, who is called anthologist or anthologist.

They are generally made up of published or already disseminated worksor fragments of them, so an anthology can be understood as a compilation or a sampler.

It is frequently used to offer momentary panoramas of a particular artistic disciplineso much so as to collect the best pieces from the same creator.

See also: Essay.

Characteristics of an anthology:

  1. The common base

Every form of anthology, however, is ordered based on a common criterion, which serves as a basis beyond gender of the chosen material.

So, For example, we can talk about an anthology of new poets., if said selection deals with poetry writers not published within the framework of a specific period; but also from African-American musicians of the 1920s, or from a selection of letters written between one renowned filmmaker and another.

In any case, The important thing is that the basis of the anthology is clear so that readers know what they are up against.

  1. Types of anthology

Usually Anthologies are classified according to the subject they deal withthus being able to define musical anthologies, film anthologies or literary anthologies, for example, and within the latter there are poetic, narrative, essay anthologies, etc., according to the specific genre they deal with.

  1. Criteria for an anthology

As has been seen, an anthology can vary greatly in its approach, but some of the most common may be:

  • Chronological. It brings together a sample with a historical, chronological sense, which recomposes the specific history of the area studied.
  • Panoramic. It brings together material from different sources around the same topic, topic or discipline, offering the reader a broad vision of the issue at a specific time.
  • Personal. Those anthologies that compile the best of the work of the same author or performer.

  1. Etymology

The word “anthology” comes from the Greek anthologia, which means “selection of flowers”. It is made up of the words anthos (“flower”) and leghein (“to choose”). Initially it was something linked to the floral arrangement, an image that became a metaphor for choosing the most beautiful or the best quality of an author or a specific discipline.

  1. Diversity

Most anthologies obey a different criterion, that is, brings together works from multiple sourcesalthough this criterion is always subsequently defined by the anthologist.

In the case of personal anthologies, for example, the best of a specific playwright’s work will be chosen from published works or available material from an author; while a chronological anthology may bring together representative material from the exponents of a genre over time.

  1. Compiler contributions

In addition to the selection of the collected material, an anthology It usually includes notes, comments, critical readings and teaching materials. from the anthologist, which include the details of their selection, explain their reasons and criteria, or provide the reader with additional information necessary to understand the selection offered in its context.

  1. Importance

The anthologies represent an important teaching tool in the study of different areas of knowledgeas it allows us to approach a topic from a variety of sources that would otherwise have taken a long time to choose.

The same allows you to delve into the work of an authorthrough a selection of its most important journey, which in a time or historical period.

  1. The anthology as a genre

In many cases There is debate as to whether the anthology could operate as a literary genre, and many writers have used it to produce important pieces. This is the case of the Chilean Roberto Bolaño, who wrote Nazi Literature in America (1996), a fictional anthology of American writers committed to the ideals of Hitler, for example.

  1. Limits of the anthology

Every anthology has limits, that is, covers one segment of its field of study and abandons or ignores the rest, so none should be considered an exhaustive and complete sample on the subject. Every anthology is a clipping, a selection, and does not intend to exhaust the subject it deals with, but only to serve as a sample.

  1. Anthology examples

Some examples of anthologies are:

  • Anthology of the Venezuelan story (1955). Guillermo Meneses (comp.). Ministry of Education of Venezuela, Caracas.
  • On painting. Anthology of essays on art and painting (2014). Juan García Ponce (author). Francisco Castro Leñero (selection and prologue). Edit. Ficticia, Mexico.
  • Anthology of aesthetics in Mexico in the 20th century (2006). María Rosa Palazón Mayoral (comp.). UNAM, Mexico.
  • Argentine musicians. First anthology. (2014). Maria Neder. La Comarca Ediciones, Buenos Aires.

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