English 4397: Senior Seminar (Fall 2012)
Emily Dickinson
Registration Syllabus
Dr. Ann Beebe
BUS 250
Office: 565-5827
Home & Cell given on 1st day
Office Hours:
MWF 9:00-10:00am & M 5:00-6:00pm
and by Appointment
Email: abeebe@uttyler.edu
Welcome to English 4397: Senior Seminar. This semester you will be given the opportunity to study one
author, Emily Dickinson. You will, of course, read her poems and write a few explications. You will hear
many of her poems set to music by 20th-century composers. You will also be reading her letters.
Dickinson, like many 19th-century authors, was a devoted and skilled correspondent. Some critics argue
that her letters also deserve a place in the American literary canon.
This course relies heavily on class discussion. I will not ask you to spit back at me my personal
interpretations of these poems. I expect you to read for each class period with the goal of developing your
own critical understanding of these poets. Come to class with questions. In the classroom my job is to
spark and propel the discussion of this literature. To that end, I will list below a series of areas that I think
are worth investigating as we go through the poems. This list is not exhaustive. You may elect to write
your seminar paper on one of these topics.
Topics for Discussion – Emily Dickinson’s poems &:
 Music
 Colors (purple, gold, green, etc.)
 “Master”
 Religion (God, church, beliefs, the Bible, the soul, prayer, etc.)
 Animals (birds, bees, butterflies, etc.)
 Domestic Images (houses, cooking, sewing, cleaning, etc.)
 Death (dying, eternal life)
 Women (wives, mothers, sisters)
 Men (husbands, fathers, lovers, brothers)
 Poetry, Prose, Publication
 Style (dashes, exclamation points, italics, etc.)
 Volcanoes, Mountains
 Pain, grief
 Children, childhood
 Friendship
 Social customs
 Seasons, weather
 Dancing
 Moon, Sun, Sea
 Marriage
 Military language and references (Civil War)
 Wealth, Poverty
 Desire
 Loneliness, Exile
1












Freedom, Confinement
Silence, Words
Shakespeare
Other countries (Brazil, Brussels, etc.)
Medicine, Doctors
Language of Royalty, Aristocracy
Food, Drink
Science, Technology
Joy, Happiness
Visual Arts
Definition poems
Fascicles
Required Texts:
1. The Poems of Emily Dickinson: Reading Edition (ed. R. W. Franklin) ISBN: 9780674018242
2. Selected Letters of Emily Dickinson (ed. T. Johnson) ISBN: 9780674250703
3. Reading Emily Dickinson’s Letters (ed. Jane Eberwein) ISBN: 9781558499010
4. My Wars are Laid Away in Books: The Life of Emily Dickinson (Albert Habegger) ISBN:
97808129660015
5. They Say, I Say with Readings (2nd ed, Gerald Graff) ISBN: 9780393912753
6. Bloom’s How to Write about Emily Dickinson (Anna Priddy) ISBN: 9780791094921
Daily Schedule:
The daily schedule will appear on the full syllabus to be given to students on the first day of
class.
Grading:
Explications (3) with multimedia components
Midterm Exam
Abstract
3 Summaries of Potential Sources (1+ page each)
Seminar Paper
Participation (Substantial Class & Blackboard Discussion, Peer
Review, Paper Presentations)
30%
20%
5%
10%
25%
10%
Student Learning Outcomes:
By the end of this senior seminar, students should be able to:
 Appreciate this especially rich period – American Renaissance -- of the American literary
tradition (genres, topics, themes, stylistic innovations, geography, class, race, and gender) and
Emily Dickinson’s place in this literary period
 Recognize how historical, political, and social events shape our analysis and appreciation of
Emily Dickinson’s poems and letters
 Argue independent interpretations (explications) of assigned texts
 Use the terms related to literary study and literary theory appropriately in discussion and in
writing
 Write persuasive exam essays and explications on assigned texts
 Research and write an original essay on some aspect of Emily Dickinson’s poetry
2
Explications:
You will turn in three (3) explications of Dickinson poems this semester. They will all be due before your
midterm exam. You should select a poem from that day’s assigned section of Dickinson’s poetry and
write a 3-page explication of a poem. You will submit your explication by 10am on the day of class over
Blackboard (Written Assignments Discussion Board). Please bring a copy of your explication to class for
personal reference during discussion. All of you should have completed 3308 (or its equivalent). You
should know how to write a standard explication. But, to review, your explication should explain or
interpret the poem. It should identify the poem’s meter, rhyme, images, figures of speech, etc. It should
offer an interpretation of the thematic significance of these elements. Your explications should consist of
4-6 paragraphs. Each explication should have a thesis in which you make your overall claim about the
poem. Please endeavor to use poetic terms appropriately. You may want to consult a handbook of literary
terms or your 3308 text to review these terms and process of explication. You may write strictly New
Critical explications. You may also use the explication tools of New Criticism to support a thesis from
another critical approach (Feminist, Psychoanalytical, etc.) You will be expected to share your ideas with
the class during discussion.
You will also include a multimedia component for each explication. [Powerpoint – with images and
audio, video, hypertext, etc.] These multimedia supplements should be creative and well-developed. They
should be posted on BB for your classmates to view. The text portion of your explication will be worth
80%; the multimedia portion will be worth 20%. Be creative. Your multimedia supplement should help
the university-level reader of your explication better understand the poem and your interpretation.
Three Potential Sources:
After you have selected an essay topic and drafted a working thesis, you must gather research. You will
select three essays (published between 1985-2012) for this assignment. These articles must come from
scholarly journals or book collections. You may not use encyclopedia entries, entries from Cliff Notes or
Spark Notes, or more than one short article from The Explicator or ANQ. These essays might be quoted in
your final paper, but you may decide that one or two of them are interesting, but unnecessary for your
final project. For each source you will write:
1. One full paragraph that summarizes the author’s thesis and main points. You do not provide
your own thesis for these short writings. Your task is to summarize each author’s claims.
2. One full paragraph that indicates how you might use this source in your final paper. Why is
this source useful? Why is this source the best one for the purpose?
Seminar Paper:
Your seminar paper (10-12 pages) should offer a unique contribution to the study of Emily Dickinson’s
poetry. The paper should include significant scholarly research from credible books and journals cited in
MLA format. One of the topic areas listed on the syllabus may provide a starting point for your seminar
paper. Please stop by the office (or arrange for a telephone conference) to discuss your seminar paper.
There will be a required peer review. If you have any citation questions, SEE ME. Once a paper has been
turned in for a grade, I take potential plagiarism very seriously. The seminar paper is worth 25% of your
final grade.
Abstract:
You will turn in a 350-500 word abstract of your seminar paper. These abstracts should get the reader
interested in your general topic, give a sense of your critical approach, establish your credibility as a
scholar, and provide a working thesis.
Midterm Exam:
You will have only a midterm exam in this class. It will consist of explications and essay questions. As
with class discussions, I am not looking for a paraphrase of what I have said in class. Answer the
3
questions being asked with your own reasoned, well-supported, and developed essays. It is worth 20% of
your final grade.
Participation:
This is senior seminar. Translation: Active and scholarly participation is expected every class period. We
also have a Blackboard class set up for this course. I want you to get into the habit of sharing your ideas
and responses to the readings through the entire week. Try to post lengthy notes and responses to
Blackboard at least twice a week. Each student will be expected to make 8 or more substantial
contributions to the Blackboard this semester for a C in Blackboard participation. If you do not participate
regularly in class discussion, 16 BB postings are needed for a C in participation. For an A in participation,
you should post 16 (with regular class contributions) or 32 (without substantial classroom contributions.)
Attendance:
Your attendance is expected. I understand that life can be unpredictable. If you must miss class due to an
excused absence, please try to contact me before class. [Stop by the office, email, or call me at home or at
the office.]
6 excused / unexcused absences = Final grade drops by one
8 excused / unexcused absences = Failure of course
Late Work:
Late work will not be accepted.
The Writing Center:
Located in BUS 202, the UT-Tyler Writing Center provides professional writing tutoring for all students
in all disciplines. If you wish to use the Writing Center, you should plan for a minimum of two hour-long
tutorials per assignment: the first to provide an initial consultation and drafting plan, and the second to
follow up. Be prepared to take an active role in your learning--you will be expected write and/or discuss
your work during your tutorial. While Writing Center tutors are happy to provide constructive criticism
and teach effective writing techniques, under no circumstances will they fix your paper for you.
Appointments: 903-565-5995. More information: www.uttyler.edu/writingcenter.
Academic Dishonesty and Plagiarism:
This definition of plagiarism comes from the 2000-2001 University of Maine at Farmington catalog:
“Students plagiarize when they make use of the work of others and claim such work as their own.
The phrase “make use of” refers to such actions as the following:
(a) copying words, phrases, or sentences verbatim;
(b) paraphrasing or summarizing sentences or paragraphs;
(c) appropriating ideas, facts, arguments, or concepts that are not common knowledge.
Plagiarism is a serious violation of academic integrity” (305). Please make sure you understand this
definition. Plagiarism of any paper (draft or final version) in this class will result in failure of the course.
Beepers and Cell Phones:
Please turn off the audible portion of beepers and cell phones when you are in the classroom. No text
messaging will be permitted in class.
Refreshments:
Feel free to bring beverages (non-alcoholic) to class. If you bring food, bring enough for the entire class.
No tobacco in any form will be allowed.
4
Students Rights and Responsibilities
To know and understand the policies that affect your rights and responsibilities as a student at UT Tyler,
please follow this link: http://www.uttyler.edu/wellness/StudentRightsandResponsibilities.html
Grade Replacement/Forgiveness
If you are repeating this course for a grade replacement, you must file an intent to receive grade
forgiveness with the registrar by the 12th day of class. Failure to do so will result in both the original and
repeated grade being used to calculate your overall grade point average. Undergraduates will receive
grade forgiveness (grade replacement) for only three course repeats; graduates, for two course repeats
during his/her career at UT Tyler.
State-Mandated Course Drop Policy
Texas law prohibits a student who began college for the first time in Fall 2007 or thereafter from dropping
more than six courses during their entire undergraduate career. This includes courses dropped at another
2-year or 4-year Texas public college or university. For purposes of this rule, a dropped course is any
course that is dropped after the 12th day of class (See Schedule of Classes for the specific date).
Exceptions to the 6-drop rule may be found in the catalog. Petitions for exemptions must be submitted to
the Registrar's Office and must be accompanied by documentation of the extenuating circumstance.
Please contact the Registrar's Office if you have any questions.
Disability Services
In accordance with federal law, a student requesting accommodation must provide documentation of
his/her disability to the Disability Support Services counselor. If you have a disability, including a
learning disability, for which you request an accommodation, please contact Donna Khalic in the
Disability Support Services office in UC 282, or call (903) 566-7079.
Student Absence due to Religious Observance
Students who anticipate being absent from class due to a religious observance are requested to inform the
instructor of such absences by the second class meeting of the semester.
Student Absence for University-Sponsored Events and Activities
If you intend to be absent for a university-sponsored event or activity, you (or the event sponsor) must
notify the instructor at least two weeks prior to the date of the planned absence. At that time the instructor
will set a date and time when make-up assignments will be completed.
Social Security and FERPA Statement:
It is the policy of The University of Texas at Tyler to protect the confidential nature of social security
numbers. The University has changed its computer programming so that all students have an
identification number. The electronic transmission of grades (e.g., via e-mail) risks violation of the
Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act; grades will not be transmitted electronically.
Emergency Exits and Evacuation:
Everyone is required to exit the building when a fire alarm goes off. Follow your instructor’s directions
regarding the appropriate exit. If you require assistance during an evacuation, inform your instructor in
the first week of class. Do not re-enter the building unless given permission by University Police, Fire
department, or Fire Prevention Services.
5