Center for Educational Policy Studies Journal (Dec 2015)
The Importance of Visual Reading for the Interpretation of a Literary Text
Abstract
In this paper, the two authors showcase the results of a research survey on the role of illustrations in the interpretation of literary texts. The survey sample included students of primary education and preschool education, who were given the poem Učenjak (Scholar) by Niko Grafenauer and asked to answer questions regarding the character’s personality and appearance, the literary space, and other factors. The first group of interviewees was given the poem illustrated by Lidija Osterc and the other the same poem illustrated by Marjan Manček. The results showed that the illustration had a significant impact on the message conveyed by the poem, particularly when the illustrator added the context by representing the character’s environment (which was not explicitly given in the text). Furthermore, the results showed the need for the comprehensive reading of an illustrated text, given that it is the interaction between the verbal and the visual that provides vital information necessary for the reader to understand the message of the dedicated literary work.
