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
