Corpus and modus: Teaching materials as the basis for understanding comparative literature studies

Abstract At many universities worldwide, comparative literature is deliberately offered only at the postgraduate level, given that conducting such studies requires broad comparative insight spanning different countries and genres. Course titles vary across institutions, ranging from “Transnational Genres,” “Literature and Comparative Cultures,” and “World Literature”, to “Cultural Studies”, but the core of these courses involves comparing a literary work with other literary or artistic works, or with other phenomena that demonstrate a connection. However, several Indonesian universities offer this course at the undergraduate level, typically in the final semesters, under the assumption that students have already completed introductory courses in literature, prose, poetry, and drama. At the Universitas Indonesia specifically, the course, formerly taught by Sapardi Djoko Damono and subsequently by myself, covers fundamental concepts such as affinity, influence, translation, parody, and plagiarism, while also addressing issues of genre, literary movements, and more. Drawing on over thirty years of teaching experience, I have found that students are most engaged when the curriculum highlights instances of influence and related phenomena through the direct reading of accessible texts. By engaging directly with the material and examining "problematic" works such as the poem "Kerendahan Hati" attributed to Taufik Ismail (sic!), Chairil Anwar’s "Karawang-Bekasi," the poem "Duka-Mu Abadi" (allegedly by Sapardi Djoko Damono), or Ali Hasjmi’s "Menyesal", students gain a broader understanding of the various modes involved in these issues. Consequently, the prevalence of hoaxes in recent years comes as no surprise to students who have taken this course.

Keywords: corpus, mode, comparative literature, transnational, hoax