English 170, The Practice of Criticism
Spring 2004
Edward Gillin
Welles 232 B
245-5268; home phone 346-5898
gillin@geneseo.edu
Office hours:
Mondays, 9:00 -10:00;
Tuesdays, 9:50-10:50;
Thursdays, 3:20-4:20;
other times by arrangement
English 170 provides an introduction to the interpretation and analysis of literature. It is designed
to make you a more consciously critical reader, appreciative of literary craft and also aware of
factors that can lead to different responses to the same text. You will acquire a critical
vocabulary of basic terms and gain familiarity with conventions connected to several literary
forms (poetry, short and longer fiction, and film). In addition, you will learn some basic
strategies for conducting research related to these forms. You will also examine the theory and
methodology of several influential critical approaches to literature.
Texts
An Introduction to Fiction (Longman, 8th edition, eds. Kennedy and Gioia)
Poetry: A Pocket Anthology (Penguin Academics, 3rd edition, ed. Gwynn)
James, The Turn of the Screw (Bedford/St. Martin’s, ed. Beidler)
A Glossary of Literary Terms (Heinle & Heinle, 7th edition, ed. Abrams)
Film handouts (to be distributed later in the semester)
Requirements and Grading
Quizzes
Three critical essays
Group oral presentation
class participation
20%
60%
5%
15%
[Class participation grade is based on demonstrated knowledge of assigned readings and active
participation in classroom discussion. All students must attend a scheduled library orientation
during the semester in order to obtain credit for class participation]
Written work should be submitted by assigned deadlines to avoid grading penalties. Only a
legitimate absence (such as an illness verified by the infirmary or a family emergency confirmed
by the Dean’s office) will excuse you from in-class writing or quizzes on scheduled dates. Some
important dates to keep in mind this term include:
February 17—poetry paper
February 19—quiz on poetry terms
March 18—short fiction paper
April 29—quiz on terms from fiction/film/theory ; film paper
In addition, everyone in the class will serve on a 5-member panel discussing one significant
critical approach to James’ short novel The Turn of the Screw. These panels will be scheduled
from March 16 through April 1.
Plagiarism (using the words or ideas of another person without assigning proper credit to the
original source) will be treated as a serious offense. It would most likely result in a failing grade
for the course, as well as possible administrative action by the college. Please talk with me if you
have any questions about the legitimate use and proper citation of source material.
Schedule of readings, discussions and examinations*
[*Please note that various concepts defined in M.H. Abrams’ Glossary of Literary Terms will be
referred to in classroom lectures throughout the semester. Students should follow up the lecture
presentations by consulting the Glossary on specified topics not listed below.]
1/13
1/15
course introduction / reading poems
the poetic speaker and situation: Poetry 1-11; “Western Wind”; “Idea: Sonnet 61”;
“Up-Hill”; “The Eagle”; “A narrow Fellow in the Grass”; “The Red Wheelbarrow”;
“Body and Soul”; [Glossary: lyric]
1/20
the language of poetry / imagery: Poetry 12-18; “Sonnet 73” (Shakespeare); “On My
First Son”; “Elegy Written in a Country Churchyard”; “The Ruined Maid”; “In a Station
of the Metro”; “Incident”; “Those Winter Sundays”; “The Fish” (Bishop); [Glossary:
imagery; imagism]
figurative language: Poetry 18-22; “A Valediction: Forbidding Mourning”; “To His Coy
Mistress”; “A Red, Red Rose”; “Because I could not stop for Death—”; “A Martian
Sends a Postcard Home”; [Glossary: metaphor, theories of]
1/22
1/27
1/29
2/3
2/5
2/10
2/12
allegory and symbol: Poetry 22-25; “The Burning Babe”; “A Noiseless, Patient Spider”;
“The Second Coming”; “Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening”; “One Perfect Rose”;
[Glossary: allegory; symbol]
tone in poetry: Poetry 25-27; “The Chimney Sweeper”; “Ozymandias”; “Dover Beach”;
“Résumé”; “My Papa’s Waltz”; [Glossary: persona, tone, and voice]
sound effects: Poetry 27-29; “To the Virgins, to Make Much of Time”; “I heard a Fly
buzz—when I died—I”; “God’s Grandeur”; “The Death of the Ball Turret Gunner”; “We
Real Cool”; [Glossary: alliteration; rhyme]
rhythm and meter: Poetry 29-35; “Virtue”; “La Belle Dame Sans Merci”; “When I
Heard the Learn’d Astronomer”; “After Apple-Picking”; “Do Not Go Gentle into That
Good Night”; [Glossary: meter]
“Song” (Waller); “The Tyger”; “Song of Myself” (6); “Leda and the Swan”; “The Snow
Man” ; “Yet Do I Marvel”; “Theme for English B”
poetic forms / poetic conventions and literary history: Poetry 35-44; “They Flee From
Me”; “Easter Wings”; “Ode on a Grecian Urn”; “Design”; “Aunt Jennifer’s Tigers”;
“Bilingual Sestina”; [Glossary: sonnet]
2/17
2/19
conducting literary research
***first paper due***
reading fiction / formalist criticism / plot: Fiction 3-21 and 782-784; “The Necklace”;
“An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge”; “A Rose for Emily”; [Glossary: fiction and truth;
formalism; plot]
***quiz***
2/24
point of view: Fiction 22-27 and 75; “The Tell-Tale Heart”; “The Open Boat”; “The
Ones Who Walk Away from Omelas”; [Glossary: narrative and narratology; point of
view]
character / setting: Fiction 77-80; 107-11 and 152-153; “Young Goodman Brown”;
“Araby”; “The Lottery”; “Cathedral” [Glossary: character and characterization; setting]
2/26
3/2
3/4
tone / style: Fiction 154-158 and 175-176; “The Yellow Wallpaper”; “A Clean WellLighted Place”; “The Things They Carried”; [Glossary: irony; negative capability]
theme / symbol: Fiction 195-197 and 241; “On the Road”; “Babylon Revisited”
spring break
3/16
3/18
3/23
3/25
3/30
4/1
reading longer fiction / biographical & historical criticism: Fiction 298-303; 786-787;
791; The Turn of the Screw 3-116; [Glossary: author and authorship; theories of
criticism]
psychological criticism: Fiction 795-799; Turn of the Screw 207-241; [Glossary:
psychological and psychoanalytic criticism]
***second paper due***
reader-response criticism: Fiction 809-812; The Turn of the Screw 152-178; [Glossary:
reader-response criticism]
feminist criticism: Fiction 806-809; The Turn of the Screw 242-267; [Glossary: feminist
criticism]
sociological criticism: Fiction 803-804; The Turn of the Screw 268-296; [Glossary:
sociology of literature, Marxist criticism, new historicism]
deconstructionism & post-structuralism: Fiction 812-818; The Turn of the Screw 179206; [Glossary: deconstruction, poststructuralism]
4/6
4/8
film theory / reading and criticizing film
reading and criticizing film (continued)
4/13
4/15
reading and criticizing film (continued)
reading and criticizing film (continued)
4/20
4/22
film viewing 1
film viewing 2
4/29 (12-3 p.m.)
*** quiz; third paper***