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DESCRIPTION:
British authors and stylistic developments in British literature from the Romantic poets to the Modern period are considered. The course will emphasize critical reading and analysis of selected fiction, poetry, drama, and essays.

This is an introductory course in British literature of the nineteenth and twentieth centuries. Students do not need to have taken LIT-207: English Literature I before taking this course; however, it is assumed that students have successfully completed the prerequisites for this course, English 101 and English 102, or their equivalent.  Therefore, students are expected to have the necessary background and experience in analyzing, discussing, and responding to literature, as well as the ability to conduct independent research and to write correctly documented research essays  using MLA format.

Students are cautioned that this course requires extensive reading, writing, and discussions; students not prepared to read  and to write on a regular basis and to take an active part in class discussions should not consider taking this course.

OBJECTIVES:
At the conclusion of this course, students will be able to:

  Discuss the works of major British writers in the following contexts:
     ~  Literary periods (Romantic, Victorian, and Modern)
     ~  Social movements
     ~  Intellectual movements
  Trace the development of themes and genres within their historical contexts;
  Analyze literary works for their aesthetic features and thematic patterns;
  Identify styles, themes, and works of major writers;
  Examine a variety of critical approaches to literature.

TEXTS:
Required:
Abrams, M. H. et. al., eds.  The Norton Anthology of English Literature, Seventh Edition.  Vol. 2.  New York: W. W. Norton, 2000.*

Dickens, Charles.  Hard Times. (ANY EDITION)

Supplemental readings and materials may be assigned at the instructor�s discretion.

Recommended:
Maimon, Elaine P. and Janice H. Peritz. A Writer�s Resource: A Handbook for Writing and Research. Boston: McGraw-Hill, 2003, or another handbook covering grammar, writing, and MLA documentation.

A good college-level dictionary

Recommended additional texts:**
Ackroyd, Peter. Albion: The Origins of the English Imagination. New York: Nan A. Talese, 2002. (***)�

Ackroyd, Peter. The Casebook of Victor Frankenstein. New York: Nan A. Talese, 2010. (Available starting at $14.85 at Amazon.com***)�

Baugh, Albert C. and Thomas Cable. A History of the English Language, 3 ed. Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice-Hall, 1978.

Bloom, Harold. How to Read and Why. New York: Scribner, 2000. (Available starting at $1.00 at Amazon.com***)

---., ed. Romanticism and Consciousneess: Essays in Criticism. New York: W. W. Norton, 1970.

Casagrande, June. Grammar Snobs are Great Big Meanies: A Guide to Language for Fun and Spite. New York: Penguin, 2006. (Available starting at $4.27 at Amazon.com***)

Chandler, Alice. A Dream of Order: The Medieval Ideal in Nineteenth-Century Literature. London: Routledge & Kegan Paul, 1971.

Chevalier, Tracy. Burning Bright. New York: Dutton, 2007.

Crystal, David. The Stories of English. New York: Overlook Press, 2004.

---. Words, Words, Words. New York: Oxford U P, 2006. (Available used starting at $9.28 at Amazon.com***)

Denby, David. Great Books: My Adventures with Homer, Rousseau, Woolf, and Other Indestructible Writers of the Western World. New York: Simon & Schuster, 1996. (Available used, starting at $1.37, at Amazon.com***).

Dirda, Michael. Classics for Pleasure. Orlando, FL: Harcourt, 2007.

Fraser, Rebecca. The Story of Britain: From the Romans to the Present: A Narrative History. New York: W. W. Norton, 2005.

Fulghum, W. B. A Dictionary of Biblical Allusions in English Literature. New York: Holt, Rinehart & Winston, 1965. (Available used, starting at $3.99, at Amazon.com ***).

Gaul, Marilyn. English Romanticism: The Human Context. New York: W. W. Norton, 1988.

Gould, Stephen Jay. "The Monster�s Human Nature." Dinosaur in a Haystack: Reflections in Natural History. New York: Harmony, 1995. 53-62. (Available starting at $1.70 at Amazon.com***)

Hoobler, Dorothy and Thomas Hoobler. The Monsters: Mary Shelley and the Curse of Frankenstein. New York: Little, Brown, 2006.

Houghton, Walter E. The Victorian Frame of Mind, 1837-1870. New Haven and London: Yale U. P., 1985.

LaValley, Albert J. "The Stage and Film Children of Frankenstein: A Survey." The Endurance of Frankenstein. Eds. George Levine and U. C. Knoepflmacher. Berkeley: U of California P, 1979. 243-248. (Available starting at $39.95 at Amazon.com***)

Sisman, Adam. The Friendship: Wordsworth and Coleridge. New York: Viking, 2007.�

*Note that all major reading selections for the semester are available online, as indicated by links (see Schedule, below). However, students must have a copy of the appropriate text(s) with them for each class session, whether they have purchased the textbook or printed out hardcopy from the Internet;  no excuses about computer or printer problems will be accepted. In addition,  although the three longer works (Frankenstein- the 1818 ed., Hard Times, and The Importance of Being Earnest) are also available online, students who do not purchase The Norton Anthology of English Literature should  obtain paperback versions or  library copies.

** Recommended additional texts are not required purchases, and have not been ordered for the course; however, they provide�depending on the course� alternative readings, historical and cultural backgrounds, criticism, personal literary responses, or entertaining revisions. Students who find themselves becoming deeply interested in one or more of the required readings may find these interesting and/or useful. Texts indicated with a dagger (�) are only provisionally recommended, as I have not read these works yet, although they have received excellent reviews or recommendations.

*** Prices listed at Amazon.com do not include shipping, and are accurate as of posting date only; no guarantees of prices or availability are express or implied�.

CLASS POLICIES:
Attendance:
Students must not only attend every class, but also arrive on time, be prepared (all reading or writing assignments complete), and take an active part in class (see Participation, below). According to the College Catalog, �Students are expected to attend all class, clinical, laboratory, and studio sessions for the full duration of each instructional session.�  Moreover, once students get to class, they are expected to stay in the classroom until the class is over. Leaving class early or getting up in the middle of class is considered disruptive behavior and should happen only in extreme emergencies. Students may be required to sign in at the beginning of each class session to verify their attendance.

Students unable to attend class should contact the instructor regarding their absence in advance or as soon as they return to school. Excessive absences or repeated tardiness will result in a lowered grade and may result in failure of the course at the instructor�s discretion.

Plagiarism and Cheating:
Plagiarism includes copying or paraphrasing another�s words, ideas, or facts without crediting the source; submitting a paper written by someone else, either in whole or in part, as one�s own work; or submitting work previously submitted for another course or instructor. Plagiarism, cheating, or other forms of academic dishonesty on any assignment will result in failure (a grade of zero) for that assignment and may result in further disciplinary action, including but not limited to failure for the course and expulsion from the College. Please refer to the Burlington County College Student Code of Conduct in your Student Handbook for additional information regarding plagiarism and College regulations.

Homework/Essay Submission:
All writing assignments must be received by the instructor on or before the due date, by the beginning of the class period, as indicated on the schedule, below. In the event of an unavoidable absence the day an assignment is due, the work may be emailed. Only work submitted as an email attachment, in MS Word format, and received before the end of the normal class period will be accepted. Late work will not be accepted except under extraordinary circumstances with appropriate documentation; work submitted after deadlines will receive a  grade reduction of 10% for each day it is late.

All essays must be typed, double-spaced, and grammatically correct; essays will be evaluated according to the rubric for Essay Grading Standards. Please refer to the Essay Outline and Revising and Editing Checklist. In addition, research essays must include a cover page and Works Cited page, and use MLA format for documentation.

Make-up Exams/Late Work:
All assignment deadlines and scheduled exam dates are provided at the beginning of the semester; therefore, late papers will not be accepted nor will make-up exams be offered, except under extraordinary circumstances with appropriate documentation. Excuses such as �crashed computers,� �lost flash drives,� or �empty printer ink cartridges� will not be accepted. It is suggested that all computer work be saved both on your computer�s hard drive and again on disk or removable storage device. Work submitted after deadlines will receive a grade reduction of 10% for each day it is late.

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ASSIGNMENTS:
Attendance and Participation (10 points):
As this class will combine both lecture and discussion, students are expected both to attend every session and to take an active part in class�joining in discussions and raising questions. Discussion is one of the best ways to clarify your understandings and to test your conclusions; therefore, it is imperative that all students participate regularly in order that we may together discover what each selection �means� to us. Open discussion always involves personal exposure, and thus the taking of risks: your ideas may not be the same as your fellow students� or even the instructor�s. Yet as long as your points are honest and supportable, they will be respected by all of us in the classroom. Questions, discussion, disagreement, and laughter are all encouraged in this class (However, ridicule or scoffing is never tolerated).

Quizzes (10 points):
With the exception of the first day, class may begin with a short (five- to ten-minute) quiz or writing assignment on the reading(s) for the day, at the instructor�s discretion. Quizzes missed due to tardiness may not be made up. At the end of the semester, the lowest quiz grade will be dropped. Total number of quizzes during the semester will determine the point value of each; that is, if 11 quizzes are given (lowest quiz grade will be dropped), each quiz is worth up to one full point.

Presentations (20 points):
At the beginning of the semester, all students will select at least one of the works from the list provided (see Presentation Topics, below) to present to the class; each presentation must be ten to fifteen minutes long, and demonstrate familiarity with the selection, its context, and its significance. Ideally, presentations will also be open-ended, leading into class discussions with questions, major themes or topics for further thought.

Essays (2 @ 15 points):
Students will complete two essays during the semester; topics should be selected from the list of suggestions provided (see Essay Topics, below) or developed in consultation with the instructor. Essays must be at least 5 pages, typed (12-point Times New Roman), double-spaced, with a cover page and Works Cited page (cover page and Works Cited do not count toward the five-page requirement); include a minimum of three sources, properly documented (utilizing MLA format for documentation); and be stapled when submitted. Essays should be grammatically correct, free of errors in mechanics, grammar, usage, spelling, and documentation, and will be evaluated according to the Model for Evaluation of Student Writing.

Please refer to the Essay Outline and Revising and Editing Checklist for additional assistance, as well as Writing About Literature, Writing a Literature Paper, and Getting an A on an English Paper.

Exams (2 @ 15 points):
Students will complete two ninety-minute exams: an in-class midterm and a final during the designated final exam period. These exams will each evaluate students� recognition and comprehension of material studied during the previous weeks, covering specific texts, literary themes, and cultural and historical backgrounds. The exams will combine objective questions and short essay answers. Students may be entitled to use notes or textbooks for the essay portion of the exams.

Poetic Recitation (2-4 points Extra Credit): Students may select and memorize one of the selections below to be recited in front of the class for extra credit. Memorization serves the student�s skills of reading lines carefully and making judgments about how particular passages can be interpreted. A single recitation is worth 2 points extra credit; a second recitation will earn an additional 2 points. There will be opportunities for recitation twice during the semester, on the day of the midterm and final exams; students must sign up for these dates at least one week in advance, as sufficient time must be allocated for completion of the exam.

Selections for Recitation 1 (Session 12: Thu. 02 Mar.):
 Blake, �London� (56): 16 lines
 Wordsworth, �Expostulation and Reply� (227): 32 lines
 Wordsworth, �The Tables Turned� (228): 32 lines
 Byron, �She Walks in Beauty� (556-7): 18 lines
 Shelley, �Ozymandias� (725): 14 lines
 Keats, �Ode on a Grecian Urn� ll. 1-10, 41-50 (851-853): 20 lines

Selections for Recitation 2 (Final Exam week):
 Tennyson, �Ulysses� ll. 44-70 (1214): 26 lines
 Hopkins, �God�s Grandeur� (1651): 14 lines
 Owen, �Dulce et Decorum Est� (2069-2070): 28 lines
 Yeats, �The Second Coming� (2106-2107): 22 lines
 Eliot,  �The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock� ll. 1-22 (2364): 22 lines
 Eliot, �The Hollow Men� I: ll. 1-18 (2383-2384): 18 lines
 Auden, �Mus�e des Beaux Arts� (2505): 21 lines

GRADING:
Final grades will be determined as follows:

Total Points earned (Final Average) will determine the grade received for the course, as follows:

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SCHEDULE:
Projected Schedule of Readings and Assignments (This schedule is subject to revision according to the academic calendar for the semester, school closings due to inclement weather, and the progress of the class.)
Note: All readings below are required, and must be completed by the day indicated; the only exceptions are those indicated with an asterisk (*), which are recommended additional readings.

Blue text indicates links or online texts (Note: While every effort is made to verify the accuracy and usefulness of these links and their contents, no guarantees are made. Please notify me of any broken or outdated links at [email protected]).

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PRESENTATION TOPICS:

Select one of the following work(s) or topic(s) to present to the class; you must be present on the day of your assigned reading and present the material thoroughly and coherently, demonstrating familiarity with the selection, its context, and its significance. Each presentation must be ten to fifteen minutes long, and, ideally, presentations will also be open-ended, leading into class discussions with questions, major themes, or topics for further thought. The following points may be covered, but do not feel constrained by these suggestions; be creative and have fun.

	The Author...(click for details) Major achievements and publications in literature Consistent themes or topics Sources of inspiration Philosophy of art, life, literature Autobiographical elements of the poem
	The Text...(click for details) Plot, its actions and occurrences Speaker or narrative voice and its impact on the work Language (including figurative language or imagery, diction, and allusions) Key characters or actors, conflicts, crises and resolutions Setting and its significance to the plot and theme Interpretation of key lines or passages Contextual and historical usage of words or phrases Analytical statement of Theme or message
	Connections...(click for details) Images, motifs, or themes reflected in other works Impact on literature or influence on other authors Possible thematic comparisons for use during critical literary analysis Topics for further class discussion and in-class examinations

Presentation Schedule:

Session 5 (Tue. 07 Feb.)
1) Wordsworth Preface to Lyrical Ballads - 1802 ed. (238-252): Patty M.
2) Wordsworth �Expostulation and Reply� (227) and �The Tables Turned� (228): Michael B.

Session 6 (Thu. 09 Feb.)
3) Coleridge �The Rime of the Ancient Mariner� (422-438): _________________
4) Coleridge �Kubla Khan� (439-441): Chris R.

Session 8 (Thu. 16 Feb.)
5) Shelley �Mutability� (701): Celestia O.
6) Shelley �To a Skylark� (765-767): Rose D.

Session 9 (Tue. 21 Feb.)
7) Keats �On First Looking into Chapman�s Homer� (826-7): _________________
8) Keats �La Belle Dame Sans Merci� (845-847): Holly F.

Session 10 (Thu. 23 Feb.)
9) Shelley Frankenstein (907-1034) and Epistolary form/nested narratives: _________________
10) Shelley Frankenstein (907-1034) and the Role of Women: Denise B.
11) Shelley Frankenstein (907-1034) and Milton�s Paradise Lost: _________________

Session 11 (Tue. 28 Feb.)
12) Shelley Frankenstein (907-1034) and Parenting, esp. Fathers and Sons: Brandi C.
13) Shelley Frankenstein (907-1034) and Education (and Language): _________________

Session 13  (Tue. 14 Mar.)
14) Tennyson �Ulysses� (1213-14): Kim P.

Session 14 (Thu. 16 Mar.)
15) Browning �Rabbi Ben Ezra� (1413-1418): _________________
16) Browning �Fra Lippo Lippi� (1373-1382): _________________

Session 15 (Tue. 21 Mar.)
17) Hopkins �Thou Art Indeed Just, Lord� (1658-1659): _________________

Session 16 (Thu. 23 Mar.)
18) Tennyson �The Coming of Arthur� (1282-1293) and �The Passing of Arthur� (1293-1303): Andrew P.
19) Morris �The Defence of Guenevere� (1606-1614): Allie P.

Session 17 (Tue. 28 Mar.)
20) Industrialism: Progress or Decline? (1696-1697): Stephanie C.
21) The �Woman Question": The Victorian Debate about Gender (1719-1721): Dejaunee B.

Session 18 (Thu. 30 Mar.)
22) Dickens Hard Times and the Role of Women: Raquel C.

Session 19 (Tue. 04 Apr.)
23) Dickens Hard Times and Industrialization: Gloria H.

Session 20 (Thu. 06 Apr.)
24) Dickens Hard Times and Education: Dan M.

Session 21 (Tue. 11 Apr.)
25) Wilde The Importance of Being Earnest (1761-1808) and Satire: Chris M.

Session 22 (Thu. 13 Apr.)
26) Wilde The Importance of Being Earnest (1761-1808) and Aestheticism: Jessica G.

Session 23 (Tue. 18 Apr.)
27) Wilde The Importance of Being Earnest (1761-1808) and Social Roles: Kristen C.

Session 24 (Thu. 20 Apr.)
28) The Rise and Fall of Empire (2017-2018): Rachel K.

Session 25 (Tue. 25 Apr.)
29) Sassoon �They� (2055): Alexis F.

Session 26 (Thu. 27 Apr.)
30) Yeats �Easter 1916� (2104-2106): Jennifer B.

Session 27 (Tue. 02 May)
31) Joyce �Araby� (2236-2240): Kristal F.
32) Joyce �The Dead� (2240-2268): Alison L.
33) Eliot �The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock� (2364-2367): Megan E.
34) Eliot �The Hollow Men� (2383-2386): Suzie K.

Session 28 (Thu. 04 May)
35) Auden �Mus�e des Beaux Arts� (2505): _________________

 

 

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ESSAY TOPICS:
For each of the assigned essays, a list of topic choices is provided. Your essay must be on one of the assigned topics for that assignment or developed in consultation with the instructor. All essays must be submitted on or before the due date, by the beginning of the class period; late work will not be accepted.

For each of the essays, select one of the topics to discuss in a well-developed, coherent, and thoughtful essay of at least five (5) pages; essays must be typed (in 12-point Times New Roman font), double-spaced, with a cover page and Works Cited page (cover page and Works Cited do not count toward the five-page requirement), and be stapled when submitted. Essays should be grammatically correct, free of errors in mechanics, grammar, usage, spelling, and documentation, and will be evaluated according to the Model for Evaluation of Student Writing. In addition, essays must use a minimum of three authoritative sources, including at least one primary source (the text or texts discussed) and at least two reputable critical or scholarly secondary sources. Essays must contain quotations from or other references to your sources, and these references should be used to support your assertions about the text and be properly documented (utilizing MLA-style citations for documentation).

Be sure to focus carefully on the topic: formulate a strong, objectively worded thesis, and avoid plot summary. Remember that these are formal essays: they must have an appropriate, original title; contain an introduction, body, and conclusion; have a clear, explicit, assertive, objectively worded thesis statement; and avoid use of �I� or �you� throughout.

Please feel free to communicate any concerns or questions to me before the essays are due; I will be available to meet with any student who needs assistance or additional instruction. Please speak to me before or after class or e-mail me to set up an appointment during my office hours.

Essay 1: Due Session 13 (Tuesday, March 14)

1. Blake�s Songs of Innocence  and Songs of Experience present several complementary pairs of poems (for example, �The Lamb� and �The Tyger,� �The Chimney Sweeper� and �The Chimney Sweeper,�  �Holy Thursday� and �Holy Thursday�). How do these and other such paired poems, not only those discussed in class, illustrate Blake�s thesis that they show �Two Contrary States of the Human Soul"? You may include in your discussion Blake�s engravings in relation to this thesis.

2. There is often a sudden change of mood or emotion in Wordsworth�s poetry. Explain why Wordsworth uses this technique, citing specific examples from several different works.

3. Compare ideas of nature and natural processes in several of the Romantic poets; for example, does Keats use nature as a teacher the same way Coleridge and Wordsworth do in their poems? Or, compare Shelley�s �Ode to the West Wind� and Keats�s �To Autumn.� Explain your answer by using specific references to poems by each author.

4. Mary Shelley�s Frankenstein is subtitled �The Modern Prometheus"; in addition, she includes below the title an epigraph from Paradise Lost:
         Did I request thee, Maker, from my clay
         To mould me man? Did I solicit thee
         From Darkness to promote me?
   In what way does Shelley draw upon the Prometheus myth and/or Paradise Lost in her novel? Why?

 

Essay 2: Due Session 26 (Thursday, April 27)

1. How does historical context shape the Victorian poets? That is, how are their themes, their understanding of poetry, their attitude towards life shaped and reflected by their era, and how does this distinguish them from the Romantic poets?

2. In the nineteenth century, a number of poets adapted (or attempted) the Arthurian legends: not only Tennyson (The Idylls Of The King) and  Morris (�The Defence of Guenevere�), but also Matthew Arnold, A. C. Swinburne, et cetera. Compare the treatment of Arthurian legends in several of the Victorian poets; for example, how is the story of Tristan and Iseult rewritten by various poets? Or, how does Morris�s treatment of Guenevere differ from Tennyson�s?

3. Two concerns of the Victorian period were industrialism and its effects and �The Woman Question,� the debate about gender and the role of women. Compare the treatment of one of these themes in two different works not discussed in class.

4. In The Metaphysical Poets (1921), T. S. Eliot states that the modern poet �must become more and more comprehensive, more allusive, more indirect, in order to force, to dislocate if necessary, language into his meaning.� Explain how Eliot and/or other modernist poets either adhere to or violate this principle, citing specific examples from several different works.

5. The modernist period is, chronologically, closer to the Victorian age than to the early twenty-first century. Select a pair of nineteenth-century (Romantic or Victorian) and early-twentieth-century works and discuss their continuities and differences. In what respects, if any, is the twentieth-century work closer to our own era than the corresponding nineteenth-century work? Some possible pairings include Keats�s �Ode on Melancholy� and Hardy�s �The Darkling Thrush,� Arnold�s �Thyrsis: A Monody� and Auden�s �In Memory of W. B. Yeats,� Wordsworth�s �Ode: Intimations of Immortality� and Yeats�s �Among School Children,� and Wollstonecraft�s A Vindication of the Rights of Woman  and Woolf�s A Room of One�s Own.

 

 

 

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