ENGLISH DEPARTMENT BULLETIN
400-LEVEL COURSE OFFERINGS FOR FALL 2015
Including Summer 2015 Offerings
401-01 Special Studies in British Literature
“Milton and the Seventeenth Century”
Dr. Debi Belt
MWF 11:00-11:50
A study of this seminal writer in the context of his age. Immensely learned,
controversial from his own time to ours, Milton is said to have transformed every
genre that he undertook – among them ode, pastoral elegy, masque, sonnet, epic,
prose tract, and closet drama. Our task will be to try to understand both why this
complex figure is controversial and why he is justly considered one of the major
literary authors of the earlier seventeenth century. Readings will depend upon the
backgrounds and wishes of the class as a whole. They have in the past included “On
the Morning of Christ’s Nativity,” “Lycidas,” “Comus,” selected sonnets, Areopagitica,
Of Education, Paradise Lost, and Samson Agonistes. If there is sufficient time and
interest, we could also consider the very different epic Paradise Regained.
Course requirements: Midterm, Final, 15-20-page research paper, and at least one
seminar report.
401-02 Special Studies in British Literature
“Wordsworth and Keats”
Dr. Dutton Kearney
MWF 10:00-10:50
Prerequisite: English 330 or Permission of Instructor
British Romanticism is usually divided into an early period and a late period;
William Wordsworth is the best poet of the former, and John Keats of the latter. The
Romantics reacted against the formalism, rationalism, and urbanism of the poets of
the long eighteenth century, turning toward emotion, imagination, and nature. After
rejecting the heroic couplet of the Augustans as too one-dimensional, the Romantics
discover that a variety of poetic forms already exists within the tradition.
Wordsworth renews the blank verse of John Milton, breathes new life into the
almost forgotten form of the sonnet, and invents the verse autobiography. Keats,
too, writes sonnets, as well as narrative poems in blank verse, and—in a return to
the seventeenth century’s return to the origins of lyric—odes. In addition to
renewing the tradition, Wordsworth and Keats are responsible for recovering the
essential role of imagination in poetry, a restoration that remains with us today.
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Without it, Wallace Stevens would not have been able to say the following about
poetry: “[imagination] has the strength of reality or none at all.”
We will read Wordsworth’s major narrative poems. We will also read The
Prelude, the autobiography of his soul, paying closest attention to the 1805 version,
while noting some of the differences in the 1799 and 1850 versions. His sonnets
deserve careful attention, as do his letters and prose—he often writes about
aesthetics and poetics. We will read Keats’ narrative poetry, namely, his Endymion
and the two versions of his unfinished poem, Hyperion. However, it is through his
lyric poetry that Keats endures. Like Shakespeare before him, and Stevens after,
Keats creates an entirely new paradigm for lyric, and his sequence of odes is
perhaps the greatest sequence in all of literature. Finally, we will read much of the
prose of these two poets—Wordsworth’s prefaces; Keats’ extraordinary letters—as
well as their standard biographies.
Readings
Poetry
William Wordsworth: The Major Works, Oxford UP
John Keats: The Major Works, Oxford UP
Biographies
Wordsworth: A Life, Juliet Barker (2006)
John Keats, Walter Jackson Bate (1963)
Recommended: The Keats Brothers: The Life of John and George, Denise
Gigante (2011)
Course Requirements
Seminar participation
Short analyses of individual poems
23+ page seminar paper
Final exam
401-03 Special Studies in British Literature
“Tradition and the Individual Talent: The Waste Land and Four Quartets in Light of
Eliot’s Life and Influences”
Dr. Pat Bart
W 6:00-9:00
Prerequisites: ENG 340 OR one of my seminars on Arthurian literature, Chaucer,
History of the English Language or Gardens in Literature OR any seminar equivalent
(in my sole judgment) to one of these in content and/or level of interdisciplinary OR
permission of the instructor.
The syllabus for this course is both simple and extensive. We will read The Waste
Land and Four Quartets in light of what we can know of Eliot’s life and influences.
Starting with an understanding of his essay, “Tradition and the Individual Talent,”
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we will examine how Eliot’s allusions to his family history and his own historical
experience enliven and enrich his experience of and relationship to his literary
forebears. This method of study can enrich our understanding of these two very
complex poems—the one a wounded collection of profane, lyric and epic moments,
struggling on the surface to stay alive while roaring beneath with rejuvenative fires,
reaching boldly to the far ends of the Indo-European horizon.1 The other, the work
of more mature years, is nothing less than a magnificent rebirth of the epic voice of
the West, dressed in the swaddling clothes of a humble, peaceful, lyrical mode—
“quartets” rather than “symphonies” or “grand operas.”
In addition to arriving in class having read both poems intently many times,
students will re-read them in conjunction with primary documents of literary
history such as Eliot’s letters, publication records of Faber and Faber, and
documentation of World Wars I and II and the inter-war period as Eliot experienced
them; works of literature such as selections from Proust’s Remembrance of Things
Past, passages from the work of Virgil, Dante, and a draft of The Waste Land
containing comments by Ezra Pound; Eliot’s own philosophy dissertation; elements
of the material culture behind the poems, including but not limited to pub culture,
Fin de Siècle German and Austrian aristocratic culture, the history of eugenics and
birth control, the grounds of Burnt Norton and Little Gidding; the Dry Salvages off
the coast of Massachusetts together with their sailing lore; the music of Beethoven
and Richard Wagner; Arthurian legend, Tristan, Percival, Nietzsche, Schopenhauer
and . . .
The Grail.2
This list is meant to
be suggestive but by no means exhaustive.
Requirements: The class will require a final
paper of the usual
length,3 together with a comprehensive final
(prepared outside
of class but responded to during the regular
finals session as is usual in my regular literary seminars).
401-04 Special Studies in British Literature
“Later Shakespeare”
Dr. Stephen Smith
MWF 3:00-3:50
The class will make an intensive study of Shakespeare’s later plays, with attention to
Shakespeare’s understanding of nature, the virtues, Christianity, education, evil and
freedom. Requirements include: weekly writing assignments (1-2 pages); weekly
1
Datta. Dayadhvam. Damyata. Shantih shantih shantih
Image public domain. Detail from Dante Gabriel Rossetti, “The Damsel of the Sanct Grael,” 1874. Now in
the private collection of Lord Andrew Lloyd-Weber.
3 20-35 pages
2
4
reading quizzes; two examinations; and one 20-25 page seminar paper with
annotated bibliography.
Plays and Poems
Shakespeare’s Sonnets
Hamlet, Prince of Denmark
Othello, Moor of Venice
All’s Well that Ends Well
Measure for Measure
King Lear
Coriolanus
Macbeth
Antony and Cleopatra
The Winter’s Tale
Cymbeline, King of Britain
The Tempest
402-01 Special Studies in American Literature
“The Agrarian Dream in Modern American Literature”
Dr. Christopher Busch
MWF 11:00-11:50
Since our nation’s founding, Americans have embraced a kind of “agrarian myth”
that idealizes the life of the subsistence farmer who cultivates virtue while
cultivating the soil. In this course, I would like to examine briefly the roots of that
myth in the writings of Jefferson and Crevecoeur, and then consider its portrayal in
American fiction and nonfiction in the century following the close of the frontier
(1890-1990). Our list of readings is likely to include:
Jefferson, Notes on the State of Virginia (selections)
Crevecoeur, Letters from an American Farmer (Letter III in particular)
Hamlin Garland, Main-Travelled Roads
Willa Cather, O Pioneers!, My Antonia, selected short fiction
John Steinbeck, Of Mice and Men, The Grapes of Wrath
Curtis Stadtfeld, From the Land and Back (if available)
Ronald Jager, Eighty Acres (if available)
Wendell Berry, The Unsettling of America
Gene Logsdon, Farming and the American Dream
Students will complete a seminar paper and prepare/lead at least two seminar
sessions. There will also be a final exam.
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403-01 Special Studies in Western Literature
“Dostoevsky: The Madman and the Prophet“
Dr. J. A. Jackson
Wednesday: 6:00-9:00
Prerequisites: at least 3 English classes beyond 104/105; a sturdy soul.
“He is the Shakespeare of the lunatic asylum—” Viscount Melchior de Vogue. In this
seminar, students will investigate several of the major works of Fyodor Dostoevsky.
Though the literature will not be taught in a strict chronological fashion, we will
work through some of his early writings to illustrate the seeds of his spiritual and
psychological insights which give way to the fruits of Dostoevsky’s prophetic vision.
We will begin our reading with The Double (1948), an early work panned by critics
but which Dostoevsky recognized as crucial to his poetic and psychological vision.
From here, we will turn to his major literary breakthrough (though not fully
appreciated in its own time), the first of his fruits as it were, Notes from
Underground. From here, we will move out from the Dostoevskyan “underground”
(though one never really leaves it) to his vision of suffering and redemption—
indeed, of paradise itself. Of his major novels we will read Crime and Punishment,
The Idiot, and The Brothers Karamazov. We will pair each novel with one of his
shorter works and investigate the way in which he crafts his poetic, psychological,
and/or theological vision. We will also read various writings from two important
literary theorists, Mikhail Bakhtin and René Girard, both of whom have shaped the
way other critics and even translators have understood Dostoevsky.
Requirements: on the first night of class, students will be given an exam covering
The Double, Notes from Underground, Crime and Punishment, The Idiot, and The
Brothers Karamazov; students will participate regularly on a message board;
seminar paper of 23+ pages; final exam.
English 404-01 Special Studies in Genre, Literary Criticism and Writing
“Bibliography, Bibliophilia, and Bibliomania: A History of the Book from Gutenberg
to the Digital Age”
Mark Maier
T-Th 2:30-3:45
The printed book as we know it today has a long and surprisingly complicated
history. This course studies the history of printed books beginning with those
produced by the first Gutenberg hand press (1450s) and continuing through the
digital revolution of the 21st century, with an emphasis on the development of the
book in England. Using illustrative examples from important books, we will
examine the changing nature of the physical book, the intellectual impact of changes
on authors and readers, and current and future trends in book publishing. In
addition to these theoretical concerns, the course will also offer opportunities for
students to handle rare books from Mossey Library’s special collections.
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Some students might wonder what a course in book production or the book as
artifact has to offer them. Indeed, some critics claim that books are simply
containers for ideas and that all that matters are the words, words that could just as
easily be read on a screen as in a printed book. Others, however, argue that the
physical characteristics or “bookness” of books matter, that paper, ink, bindings,
even the smell impact the reading experience in a meaningful way. Given the fact
that current technological advancements make it possible to conceive of a quite
possibly bookless future, the examination of book as artifact can help modern
readers understand and respond to modern trends from a broader historical
context.
Specific topics discussed will include the following:
• The Gutenberg Bible and the English Bibles of the 16th and 17th century
• The Book of Common Prayer
• The publishing history of Shakespeare (particularly the story of The First
Folio)
• Samuel Johnson’s Dictionary of the English Language
• William Blake’s Songs of Innocence and Experience
• Serialization and the Victorian novel
• James Joyce’s Ulysses
• The Fine Press Movement
• Paperback books and their impact on book culture in the 20th century
• The effects of the digital age on reading, book ownership, scholarship, etc.
404-02 Special Studies in Genre, Literary Criticism, and Writing
“Restoration and 18th Century British Drama”
Dr. David Whalen
TTh 2:30-3:45
This course is described by H. Scriblerius Secundus*:
THE [College] hath seldom been more divided in its opinion than concerning the
merit of the following [course]. While some publickly affirmed that no [professor]
could produce so fine a piece but Mr P----, others have with as much vehemence
insisted that no one could [teach] anything so bad but Mr F----. . . . For though most
of the universities in Europe have honoured it with the name of “Egregium et
maximi pretii opus, [pergulis] tam antiquis quam novis longe anteponendum;” . . . .
there have not been wanting some who have represented these [lectures] in a
ludicrous light; and Mr D---- hath been heard to say, with some concern, that he
wondered a tragical and Christian [College] would permit a representation on its
[curriculum] so visibly designed to ridicule and extirpate everything that is great
and solemn among us.
I shall waive at present what hath caused such feuds in the learned world, but let us
now proceed to a regular examination of the [course] before us, in which I shall treat
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separately of the Fable, the Moral, the Characters, the Sentiments, and the Diction of
the several plays, seeking to ascertain whether each play is “one, regular, and
uniform, not charged with a multiplicity of incidents, and yet affording several
revolutions of fortune, by which the passions may be excited, varied, and driven to
their full tumult of emotion.” The course teaches two instructive lessons, viz., that
human happiness is exceeding transient; and that death is the certain end of all men.
The greatest perfection of a course is, that it is not to be understood; which granted
(as I think it must be), it will necessarily follow that this course will achieve the
highest perfection.
[With apologies to Henry Fielding]
*The course could also be described, though with less gravity and precision,
as a study of British drama and its developments over the period, including its
various forms of tragedy, comedy, and satire. Relevant historical and philosophical
contexts are explored, as are some of the controversies and disputes surrounding
the stage. Dramatists include Wycherley, Behn, Dryden, Addison, Gay, Congreve,
Sheridan, Goldsmith and others. We will use the Broadview Anthology of Restoration
and Early Eighteenth-Century Drama (while lamenting the tragic loss of Nettleton
and Case) and the Norton Critical Edition of Restoration and Eighteenth-Century
Comedy. Course requirements include a mid-term and a final exam, regular
quizzes, an annotated bibliography, and a 20-25 page term paper.
404-03 Special Studies in Genre, Literary Criticism, and Writing (Cross-listed as
EDU 393-02)
“Plato and Socratic Dialogue: Dialectical Journeys, Socratic Guides”
Dr. Jeffrey Lehman
TTh 1:00-2:15
This course will explore Plato’s Socratic dialogues and the influence of “Socratic
conversation” on teaching and learning in the Western tradition of liberal education.
Central to these dialogues is a vision of philosophy and the philosophical way of life,
a vision embodied by Plato’s character, Socrates. Along the way, we will entertain
such questions as the following:
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Within the context of each Socratic dialogue, how, if at all, does Socrates
attempt to guide his interlocutors? How successful is he at doing so? What is the goal of Socratic conversation? Does Plato’s Socrates think the
attainment of truth is possible? Is there a discernible teaching in the Socratic dialogues? Since Plato never
speaks on his own behalf as an interlocutor, how, if at all, do we identify
Platonic “doctrines” in these dialogues? What is dialectic? And how does it relate to the literary form of dialogue? 8
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•
•
•
•
•
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What is the relation between mythos and logos in these dialogues? What response does Plato attempt to elicit from his readers? How do the
dialogues themselves “teach”? How does the literary form of philosophical dialogue relate to the content of
the Socratic dialogues? Is there an irreconcilable conflict between philosophy and oratory? What is
the place of rhetoric in these dialogues?
Among the dialogues we will
study are Plato’s Ion, Gorgias, Laches, Protagoras, Republic, Symposium, and
Phaedrus. From there, we will consider the legacy of Socratic conversation
in the Western tradition through the writings of some authors who were
influenced in one way or another by Plato and his Socratic dialogues,
including Cicero, Augustine, Boethius, Thomas More, and David Hume,
among others. While reading these authors, questions for discussion will
include: In this text, what evidence is there of Platonic inspiration? What images,
metaphors, modes of argument, etc. does the author use in fashioning this
work? How exactly does the work attempt to teach? How is the pedagogical
character of the work like and unlike Plato’s Socratic dialogues? How does this work contribute to the tradition of Socratic conversation?
How does it challenge that tradition? How does it refashion it or renew it?
We will conclude the course by considering the revival of Socratic
conversation as a method of teaching and learning in the twentieth century
and beyond. With rare exceptions, all class sessions will be conducted as
Socratic seminars. Students will be responsible for taking careful reading
notes and submitting questions for classroom discussion. In addition,
students will complete a term paper (20--‐‑ 25 pages) as well as midterm
and final examinations. 400-LEVEL SUMMER SCHOOL OFFERINGS
First Session: May 11-29
401-01 Special Studies in British Literature
“Realism and Romance in Jane Austen and the Bronte Sisters”
Dr. Lorraine Eadie
Daily 9:00-12:00
“[Miss Austen’s novels are] more real than true…” —Charlotte Brontë
Charlotte Brontë’s critique of Jane Austen affirms that the two share a concern with
narrative realism, yet Brontë detects a qualitative difference between her own work
and that of her illustrious predecessor. This course is an attempt to understand that
difference. Jane Austen, Charlotte Brontë, and Emily Brontë: each of these authors
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contributes to the formation of the novel at a vital moment in the genre’s history, as
the fantasies of Gothic romance contend with a realism that values the recognizable,
the plausible, and the ordinary. Our study will devote particular attention to the
aims and methods of narrative realism, but we will also discuss techniques
descended from romance and fairy tale—features that haunt the realist novel, like
Cathy’s ghost at Lockwood’s window, petitioning for re-admittance. As we examine
the structure and craft of these great novels, we will consider with Charlotte Brontë
whether it’s possible to distinguish the real from the true, and whether some truths
elude the methods of narrative realism.
Outline of Assignments: In addition to substantial reading, coursework includes
two exams and an essay.
403-01 Special Studies in Western Literature
“Augustinian Narrative and the Roots of Western Literature”
Dr. Dwight Lindley
Daily 1-4
When C.S. Lewis wrote that “Milton’s version of the Fall story is substantially
that of St Augustine,” he meant that Milton had borrowed a great deal from The City
of God in designing Paradise Lost. In fact, an attentive reading of Augustine’s
Confessions and City of God in light of the later literary tradition reveals that a great
many of our favorite works owe more to this Father of the Church and his narrative
imagination than is usually acknowledged. Not only Milton, but Dante, Shakespeare,
Austen, T.S. Eliot, and many others, owe a great deal to Augustine’s narratives,
whether directly or indirectly. His presentation of the falls, conversions, and
redemptions so common to human experience has colored subsequent storytelling
far more than is usually realized. With that premise in mind, we will spend our time
this summer term giving a close reading to the Confessions, as well as substantial
portions of the City of God, with an eye to their narrative logic, the interplay between
character, plot, voice, etc., and the theological foundations of Augustine’s
imagination. As we go, we will consider not only Augustine’s own way of thinking
and writing, but choice later works that were influenced by him.
Grades will consist of regular reading quizzes, a couple of analytical writing
assignments, and a final examination.
Books to Buy:
1. Augustine. The Confessions. Trans. Maria Boulding. 2nd Ed. Hyde Park, NY:
New City P, 2012. ISBN 978-1565484450.
2. ---. The City of God against the Pagans. Trans. R.W. Dyson. Cambridge:
Cambridge UP, 1998. ISBN 978-0521468435.
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403-02 Special Studies in Western Literature
“Reading Biblical Narrative”
Dr. J. Jackson
Daily 9:00-12:00
English 403
Reading Biblical Narrative
J. A. Jackson
This course is designed to give the student a solid literary foundation in a broad
range of texts from the Hebrew Bible and will provide the student with various
examples of Biblical exegesis—from New Testament sources, from early rabbinic
sources, and from sources from the early Christian Church. While the focus in the
course is primarily on biblical narrative, we will also focus on the art of biblical
poetry as well—since much of biblical narrative is comprised of biblical poetry.
Additionally, we will study the physical setting of the biblical narratives,
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cultural/historical settings, and important mythic and anti-mythic narrative
patterns throughout.
Course requirements: Daily participation; Final exam (both in-class and out-ofclass).
English 403-02 Special Studies in Western Literature
“The Fire and the Rose — Reading and Experiencing Dante’s Divine Comedy”
Dr. Stephen Smith
Daily 1:00-4:00
This summer class will be a seminar on Dante’s great poem. The focus will be on
careful reading of the text in translation and good conversation. Requirements:
Daily writing assignments and short presentations; one long essay; comprehensive
final examination.
Required texts: Dante, Vita Nuova (trans. Musa) and Dante, The Divine Comedy
(trans. Robert Durling)
English 404: Special Studies in Genre, Literary Criticism, and Writing
“Lyric Poetry”
Dr. David Whalen
Daily 1:00-4:00
This course, a study of English and American lyric poetry, will explore the
distinguishing characteristics of the genre, develop students’ capacity for close
reading, review prosody and versification, and study important historical,
philosophical and critical contexts of the poems. Not least, the course will consider
fundamental human themes, ideas, perplexities, and experiences through and with
this great genre. The poems studied will range from Anglo-Saxon and medieval
lyrics, through and into the 20th century. While more emphasis will be given to
British poems, American lyrics and some lyrics in translation will be covered as well.
Texts will likely include The Norton Anthology of Poetry, 5th edition, Rhyme’s Reason
by Paul Hollander, The Poem’s Heartbeat by Alfred Corn and Medieval English Verse,
Stone, Penguin Classics.
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Second Session: June 1-19
401-01 Special Studies in British Literature
“Realism and Romance in Jane Austen and the Bronte Sisters”
Dr. Lorraine Eadie
Daily 9:00-12:00
“[Miss Austen’s novels are] more real than true…” —Charlotte Brontë
Charlotte Brontë’s critique of Jane Austen affirms that the two share a concern with
narrative realism, yet Brontë detects a qualitative difference between her own work
and that of her illustrious predecessor. This course is an attempt to understand that
difference. Jane Austen, Charlotte Brontë, and Emily Brontë: each of these authors
contributes to the formation of the novel at a vital moment in the genre’s history, as
the fantasies of Gothic romance contend with a realism that values the recognizable,
the plausible, and the ordinary. Our study will devote particular attention to the
aims and methods of narrative realism, but we will also discuss techniques
descended from romance and fairy tale—features that haunt the realist novel, like
Cathy’s ghost at Lockwood’s window, petitioning for re-admittance. As we examine
the structure and craft of these great novels, we will consider with Charlotte Brontë
whether it’s possible to distinguish the real from the true, and whether some truths
elude the methods of narrative realism.
Outline of Assignments: In addition to substantial reading, coursework includes
two exams and an essay.