English 421: Shelley and his Age
Fall Semester 1998
Instructor: Darby Lewes, Associate Professor of English (Office D-318)
Tel. 321-4114 O; 546-7521 H; <lewes@lycoming.edu>
I. Course Information
A. Description: A reading-intensive study of the works, times, and contemporaries of Percy
Bysshe Shelley. Grades will be determined by class participation (including two seminar
presentations), and four 3-5 page essays. Readings will include works and letters written by
William Godwin, Mary Shelley, Byron, and Keats. Consent of instructor required. Meeting
time to be determined by participants and instructor.
B. Requirements:
In order to pass this course, you must
1. Attend class regularly. Each missed class will lower the final grade by a full letter grade.
2. Turn in four 3-5 page position papers. Each late or missing paper will lower the final grade by
a full letter grade. Extensions may be arranged, IN ADVANCE, if the situation warrants.
3. Give two seminar presentations. Each missed seminar paper will lower the final grade by a
full letter grade.
C. Required Textbooks:
1. Shelley’s Poetry and Prose (Norton)
2. MLA Handbook (Every English major should own this; non majors will find a copy available
in library)
4. Mary Shelley, The Last Man
5. A good Romantic anthology. Suggested: Romanticism (Blackwell, Wu) or The Norton
Anthology of English Literature (vol.2)
6. William Godwin, Caleb Williams. Norton
7. Godwin, William. The Anarchist Writings of William Godwin
8. Shelley, Percy. Political Writings.
E. Recommended Books:
1. A decent hardcover “college” dictionary for home use (easily the best investment you will
ever make).
2. A good thesaurus.
III. Course outline and Assignments
Week #1
Monday 5 January: Course introduction
Week #2
Monday 12 January: Seminar presentations: Biography
Week #3
Monday 19 January: Seminar presentations: History
Week #4
Monday 26 January William Godwin, Caleb Williams.
Week #5
Monday 2 February Mary Shelley, The Last Man
Week #6
Monday 9 February The Shelley Circle (by this date you must have viewed the films on
reserve at the library: "Haunted Summer" and "Gothic")
Week #7
Monday 16 February Shelley the Critic
Week #8 MID-SEMESTER BREAK: No classes
Week #9
Monday 2 March Political Shelley: Godwin, The Anarchist Writings of
William Godwin; Shelley, Political Writings.
Week #10
Monday 9 March
Philosophical Shelley
Week #11
Monday 16 March Romantic Shelley
Week #12
Monday 23 March: Shelley the Playwright
Week #13
Monday 30 March Shelley the Correspondent
Week #14
Monday 7 April
Week #15
Monday 14 April
Shelley the Literary Theorist
Retrospective: Shelley and his Age