THE LITERARY PRESENT

The basic rule is: You should use the past tense when discussing historical events, while you should use the literary present when discussing fictional events.

Literary works, paintings, films, and other artistic creations are assumed to exist in an eternal present. When you are writing about writers or artists as they express themselves in their work, stay in present tense. Here are some examples:

• Aeschylus' drama is concerned with what happens to Orestes after he has killed his mother.
• In Michelangelo's painting, Christ judges the world.
• Johnson's characters journey to Cairo.
• Plato argues without much conviction.
• Paul writes about the hardships he has endured.

But when you are writing about a certain historical event (even the creation of a literary or artistic work), use the past tense. Some examples:

• Paul wrote in the first century.
• Picasso then produced a series of sculptures.

Sometimes a sentence must employ both present and past tense. For example:

• The first part of the poem, which she completed in 1804, describes the effects of isolation from society.

Examine your changes of tense very carefully, however, and see if there is a logical reason for them.