Texts: Abrams, et. al., The Norton Anthology of English Literature, vol. 2, 7th ed.
Requirements:
Study Questions: 15%
Paragraph Responses 50%
Mid-term Examination 20%
Final Examination 25%
Format: lecture and class discussion
Attendance and Withdrawals: To allow for illnesses and other unforeseeable misfortunes, a student may be permitted a limited number of absences. If a student's absences exceed 14% of the scheduled classes, I may drop the student from the class with a "WF."
A student who misses more than 15 minutes of the class period will be counted as absent for that class period and will also receive a "0" for that day's paragraph and study question assignments.
A student is allowed a make-up examination only for valid and documented reasons (i.e., illness). If a student misses an examination without a documented excuse, the student will receive a grade penalty (usually a "0"). Foreseeable problems must be discussed with me before the absence.
There will be four make-ups for missed paragraph responses. The make-up must be taken within seven (7) days of the original assignment. After seven days, the student will receive a "0" for the missed assignment.
Four sets of study questions, that is, the study questions for four class periods, may be turned in late. They will be considered late if they are not turned in at the beginning of the class period on which they are due. Each day late (including weekends) will count 10 points off the original grade, up to seven days late. I will not accept study questions seven days after the original due date.
Paragraph Responses: At the beginning of each class period, students will write a paragraph responding to a question that I ask directed toward analyzing the reading assigned for that day. You will have 20 minutes to write your paragraphs. I will collect the paragraphs after that allotted time.
Study Questions: At the beginning of each class period, students will turn in three (3) questions that they have devised on that day's reading assignment. The three questions will be based on content, context (biographical, historical, etc.), and analysis. For instance, for 22 Oct., students will turn in three questions on Shakespeare, questions such as 1) Why does King Lear decide to divide up his kingdom? (content); 2) What effect did Queen Elizabeth I having no children have on the play's focus on inheritance? (context); and 3) How does the character of the Fool connect with the character of Cordelia? (analysis)
Mid-term and Final Examinations: Both examinations will include paired passages and essay questions based on concepts stressed throughout the semester. Both examinations will contain choice.
Schedule (NOTE: this schedule is open to change without notice):
Aug. 20 Introduction
Aug. 22 Beowulf (first half)
Aug. 27 Beowulf (second half)
Aug. 29 Gawain and the Green Knight (first half)
Sept 3 NO CLASS
Sept. 5 Gawain and the Green Knight (second half)
Sept. 10 Geoffrey Chaucer's Canterbury Tales: The General Prologue
Sept. 12 The Canterbury Tales: The Miller's Tale
Sept. 17 The Canterbury Tales: The Wife of Bath's Prologue and Tale
Sept. 19 The Canterbury Tales: The Pardoner's Prologue and Tale
Sept. 24 Sir Thomas Malory's Morte Darthur
Sept. 26 EXAMINATION #1
Oct. 1 Anne Askew's Testimony, Queen Elizabeth I's "The Doubt of Future Foes" and "On Monsieur"s Departure"; Edmund Spenser's The Fairie Queene. Book 1. Cantos 1-3
Oct. 3 The Fairie Queene. Book 1. Cantos 4-8
Oct. 8 The Fairie Queene. Book 1. Cantos 9-12
Oct. 10 Christopher Marlowe's Dr. Faustus: Acts 1-2
Oct. 15 Dr. Faustus: Acts 3-5
Oct. 17 William Shakespeare's King Lear: Act 1
Oct. 22 King Lear: Acts 2-3
Oct. 24 King Lear: Act 4
Oct. 29 King Lear: Act 5
Oct. 31 EXAMINATION #2
Nov. 5 John Donne's "The Good-Morrow," "The Sun Rising," "The Indifferent," "The Flea," "A Valediction: Forbidding Mourning," "Holy Sonnet 10," and "Meditation 17"
Nov. 7 Lady Anne Halkett's Diary; John Milton Paradise Lost: Book 1
Nov. 12 Paradise Lost: Book 2-3
Nov. 14 Paradise Lost: Books 3-4
Nov. 19 Paradise Lost: Books 8 & 12
Nov. 21 NO CLASS
Nov. 26 Jonathan Swift's Gulliver's Travels: Part 1
Nov. 28 Gulliver's Travels: Parts 2 & 3
Dec. 3 Gulliver's Travels: Part 4
Dec. 5 Conclusion
Dec. 11 FINAL EXAMINATION: 3:30-5:30 p. m.