- to introduce students to major works of Western world
literature written up to the 17th century, with special emphasis
on the relevance of these texts, however old, to contemporary
society around the world; 
- to help students situate those works within larger historical
and cultural contexts; 
- to provide students with an understanding of the conventions of
literary composition and reception that inform their creation,
such as conventions of genre, metrics, style, etc.; 
- and to improve students' communication skills through oral
presentations in class and expository writing assignments,
including in-class and out-of-class essays. 

Students' performances will be evaluated through a variety of
means, including assessment of oral presentations, objective
tests, essays, and the final examination.

The typical course consists of a series of readings in Western
world literature up to the 17th century, with special emphasis on
the relevance of these texts, however old, to contemporary
society around the world. The topics considered are generated by 
the specific work under analysis. (The question of the Roman
assimilation of Greek culture,for example, is germane to the
study of the Aeneid.) The works treated will vary with the
instructor. The following is a sample syllabus of readings for a
single semester:

Homer.  The Odyssey
Virgil.  The Aeneid
Augustine.  The Confessions
Chaucer.  The Canterbury Tales (selections)
Dante.  The Inferno
Petrarch.  Selected sonnets
Rabelais.  Gargantua and Pantagruel (selections)
Montaigne.  Essays (selections)
Cervantes.  Don Quijote (selections)
Calderon.  Life Is a Dream
Shakespeare.  Hamlet

Students are required to abide by the University of Georgia academic honesty policy.