| Professor Eric Leonidas
321 Willard Hall 832-2750 leonidase@ccsu.edu |
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Description: This course provides a survey of major works in English literature from the Middle Ages, through the Renaissance, and ending in the 18th Century. It is not an exhaustive study of the history or the works, but it does give you opportunity to develop your critical reading skills and to familiarize yourself with the periods. I have chosen some representative texts, and our purpose will be to explore the general issues in literary and cultural development that these works introduce.
Requirements: The requirements are two short papers (3-5 pages), a midterm, a final exam, occasional quizzes, a short presentation, regular attendance and participation. You must complete all of the requirements to pass the course.
Grades:
Papers 30% (15% each)
Midterm 20%
Final 20%
Quizzes 15%
Participation and presentation 15%
Preparation: Read the selections carefully and come ready to discuss them. Occasionally I will give you a list of questions to think about while you read. I ask you to take some notes and formulate answers. I will not collect your responses, but I will call on you from time to time in class. There are a couple of reading exercises to do as well.
Presentation: Once during the semester you will stand at the lectern and offer your observations on a short poem or a brief passage from a longer work. This should run no longer than 10 minutes, and should be followed by at least three questions to put to the class. I will collect the questions. You will sign up to present during the second week.
Text: Our book is The Norton Anthology of English Literature, 7th edition, Vol. I, Abrams et al., eds. (New York: Norton).
Quizzes: The works listed on the schedule must be read by the date given. Over the course of the semester you will be given 3-4 unannounced quizzes to make sure you have read what has been assigned (these aren’t hard; if you’ve done the reading you will pass).
Plagiarism: If you submit
anyone else’s writing or ideas as your own, without proper citation, you
are plagiarizing, and you will receive a zero for the particular assignment.
It will then be difficult to pass the course. The university may
take further action. Please don’t take any chances: if you have questions
or are unsure about whether what you have written amounts to plagiarism
ask me before turning the work in.
Schedule of Classes and Readings
Wed 1/23 Introduction: Literature and the Middle Ages
Fri 1/25 The Christian Narrative (handout)
Mon 1/28 Beowulf: lines 1-835
Wed 1/30 Beowulf: lines 836-1650
Fri 2/1 Beowulf: lines 1651-2199
Mon 2/4 Beowulf: lines 2200-end
Wed 2/6 Marie de France, Lanval
Fri 2/8 Marie de France, Lanval
Mon 2/11 Sir Gawain and the Green Knight, Part 1
Wed 2/13 Sir Gawain and the Green Knight, Part 2
2/15-2/18 Presidents’ Weekend
Wed 2/20 Sir Gawain and the Green Knight, Part 3
Fri 2/22 Sir Gawain and the
Green Knight, Part 4
.
Mon 2/25 Chaucer, Canterbury
Tales, "General Prologue," lines 1-42; 547-568
Langland, Piers Plowman,
ll. 1-86, pp. 319-21
Wed 2/27 Chaucer, "The General Prologue," lines 717-860
Fri 3/1 "The Miller’s Tale," lines 1-230
Mon 3/4 "The Miller’s Tale,"
lines 231-492
Short Paper Due
Wed 3/6 "The Miller’s Tale," 493-end
Fri 3/8 Everyman (selections)
Mon 3/11 Everyman (selections)
Wed 3/13 The Renaissance (handout)
Fri 3/15 Castiglione, The Courtier; Wyatt and Surrey selections
Mon 3/18 Midterm
Wed 3/20 Sonnets of Sidney
Fri 3/23 Sonnets of Shakespeare
3/25 - 3/29 Spring Break
Mon 4/1 Shakespeare, Twelfth Night, Act 1
Wed 4/3 Shakespeare, Twelfth Night, Acts 2 - 3
Fri 4/5 Shakespeare, Twelfth Night, Acts 3 - 4
Mon 4/8 Shakespeare, Twelfth Night, Act 5
Wed 4/10 John Donne, from "Songs and Sonnets"; Elegy 19
Fri 4/12 John Donne, from "Songs and Sonnets"
Mon 4/15 John Donne, from "Songs
and Sonnets":
"Good Morrow," "Ecstasy,"
"Valediction: Forbidding Mourning"
Wed 4/17 Ben Jonson, "To Penshurst"
Fri 4/19 Aemilia Lanyer, "Description of Cookeham"
Mon 4/22 Donne, from "Holy Sonnets"
Milton, Paradise Lost,
Book 1
Wed 4/24 Milton, Paradise Lost, Book 2
Fri 4/26 Milton, Paradise Lost, from Books 3-4
Mon 4/29 Milton, Paradise Lost, from Books 4-5
Wed 5/1 Milton, Paradise Lost, from Books 5 and 8
Fri 5/3 Milton, Paradise Lost, Book 9
Mon 5/6 Milton, Paradise Lost, Book 10
Wed 5/8 Milton, Paradise Lost,
from Books 11 and 12
Paper #2 Due