Course Description
Romantic-era literature (1780-1830) focusing on a particular circle of writers who knew and wrote in relation to one another. Possible circles include, but are not limited to, Coleridge and the Wordsworths, Byron and the Shelleys, and the Keats-Hunt circle.
Athena Title
Romantic Circles
Prerequisite
(Two 2000-level ENGL courses) or (one 2000-level ENGL course and one 2000-level CMLT course)
Grading System
A - F (Traditional)
Course Objectives
Students will read a substantial body of literature and will develop a sophisticated understanding of the texts produced by the selected group of writers. Students will gain experience in considering different authors' relations to one another and in analyzing connections between different texts. They will also acquire knowledge of the social and cultural conditions of Britain in the late 18th and early 19th centuries. Students will engage with the assigned literature both orally and in writing and will develop their skills in literary analysis in both formats.
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 the chosen circle of authors, to be read outside of class and discussed in class, examined individually and comparatively in the context of the historical and cultural situation. Groups of writers might include the Godwin- Wollstonecraft circle, Coleridge and the Wordsworths, Byron and the Shelleys, the Keats-Hunt Circle, the Joseph Johnson publishing circle, and more. Related topics might include poetic and narrative form, dialogic revision practices, gender dynamics, political engagements, theories of literary influence, coterie writing, literary history, publication practices. Because the course will change from semester to semester, students are encouraged to refer to the English Department website for information concerning the course content for a specific semester.