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English Literature from the Beginnings to 1700


Course Description

Writers typically include the Beowulf poet, Gawain poet, Chaucer, Spenser, Sidney, Marlowe, Donne, Jonson, Shakespeare, and Milton.


Athena Title

English Literature to 1700


Equivalent Courses

Not open to students with credit in ENGL 2310, ENGL 2310E, ENGL 2350H


Non-Traditional Format

This course is writing intensive, which means that the course will include substantial and ongoing writing assignments that a) relate clearly to course learning; b) teach the communication values of a discipline—for example, its practices of argument, evidence, credibility, and format; and c) prepare students for further writing in their academic work, in graduate school, and in professional life. The written assignments will result in a significant and diverse body of written work (the equivalent of 6000 words or 25 pages) and the instructor (and/or the teaching assistant assigned to the course) will be closely involved in student writing, providing opportunities for feedback and substantive revision.


Prerequisite

ENGL 1102 or ENGL 1102E or ENGL 1102S or ENGL 1103


Grading System

A - F (Traditional)


Student Learning Outcomes

  • By the conclusion of the course, students will be familiar with representative texts of major English writers from the Beowulf poet to 1700.
  • Students will contextualize and analyze examples from multiple literary genres including prose fiction, poetry, essays, and drama. They will practice analyzing literary form and thinking critically about literature and culture.
  • Students will practice engaging in collaborative discussion with their peers, in both small groups and full-class discussion. They will improve their ability to express their ideas cogently and effectively.
  • Students will improve their abilities to argue persuasively, use textual evidence, and write vigorous prose that adheres to conventional standards of grammar and usage.

Topical Outline

  • Topical outline: The choice and sequence of topics will vary from instructor to instructor and semester to semester. The topics will consist of selected works by various authors, to be read outside of class and discussed in class, examined individually and comparatively in the context of the times and the circumstances of their composition.
  • A possible series of readings might resemble this: Beowulf Sir Gawain and the Green Knight Geoffrey Chaucer, The Canterbury Tales: "The General Prologue," "The Miller's Tale," "The Wife of Bath's Tale" Sir Thomas Malory, Morte Darthur: selected readings Sir Thomas More, Utopia: selected readings William Shakespeare, Sonnets; The Tempest John Donne, selected readings John Milton, Paradise Lost: selected readings

General Education Core

CORE IV: Humanities and the Arts

Syllabus