Introductory Topics in Literature
Topic: 'Magic and Modernism'
Class Information
Instructor: Dobbins, Gregory
CRN: 56629
Time: TR 12:10-1:30pm
Location: Hart 1120
GE Areas: Writing Experience
Description
In the late nineteenth-century-- and possibly as a direct response to the widespread acceptance of increasingly rational or scientific explanations of existence-- mysticism, magic, and alternative forms of spirituality emerged as areas of interest and commitment within various sub-cultures throughout the world. On one side of the spectrum were the Theosophists-- a loosely organized group of progressive mystics inspired by the mysterious Russian occultist Madame Helena Blavatsky who sought to find unity between all religious and scientific systems evident in the world. On the other side of the spectrum were esoteric, secretive organizations like the Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn, who attempted to revive different forms of magic for more individualist purposes. Among the many aspects of our contemporary culture which might be traced in part back to the competing movements of Theosophy and Esotericism over one hundred years ago was a revolution in artistic representation which ultimately came to be known as Modernism. This course will seek to rediscover the mystical and magical roots of Modernism through an examination of the links between Theosophy, Occultism, and artistic experimentation. A special emphasis will be placed on the Tarot-- both as an occult practice we will become familiar with, and in its relevance to Modernist poetry in particular.
Note: the reading list below is not finalized yet; specific texts on the syllabus might change by the beginning of the Spring quarter.
Grading
The course grade will be determined by short writing assignments involving Tarot readings, Modernist painting, and literature; weekly ungraded reading journal submissions; a take-home not particularly consequential final exam, and a final essay (2000+ words) that will be the culminating assignment for the quarter.
Texts
Concerning the Spiritual in Art, Wassily Kandinsky
Collected Poems, W.B. Yeats
The Waste Land, T.S. Eliot
Trilogy, H.D.
The White People and other Weird Stories, Arthur Machen
The Pictorial Key to the Tarot, A.E. Waite
The Rider Tarot Deck, A.E. Waite