English 10A-1 - Winter, 2016

Literatures in English I: to 1700

Class Information

Instructor: Chaganti, Seeta
CRN: 22611
Time: TR 1:40-3:00
Location: 293 Kerr

Description

The aim of this course is prepare you for advanced study in English literature. Our focus will be literature written in English before 1700, a period of fascinating historical, political, social, and linguistic transformation. We will read texts from a range of authors (English and American) and genres that reflect, address, and produced these changes. A unifying theme for the course will be the genre of romance in literature -- in its earlier form, this literary genre explored not only love, but also transformation, self-examination, and journeying. These themes will help us to organize our ideas about both English literature itself and the journey from England to colonial America. Of paramount importance will be students’ development of skills in reading, discussing, and writing about the literature. Specifically, we will work on three kinds of skills: (1) understanding how Anglophone language and literature develop over time; (2) learning to interpret both the content and form of poetry, prose, and drama by observant attention to textual detail; and (3) formulating a compelling argument about a literary text.

Grading

Attendance and Participation: 10%
Quizzes and Short Writing Assignments: 20%
Close Reading Paper: 20%
Research Paper: 30%
Final Exam: 20%

Texts

Norton Anthology of English Literature, Greenblatt et al.
The Tempest, Shakespeare