Instructor:
Office:
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Office Hours:
St. Jerome’s University in the University of Waterloo
Department of English
ENGL 200A: Survey of British Literature 1
MW 11:30-12:50
SJU Room 3016
Dr. Alysia Kolentsis
STJ 3006
519-884-8111, ext. 28280 amkolentsis@uwaterloo.ca
Wednesday 4:00-5:00, and by appointment
Calendar Description:
An historical survey of major figures, types, and trends in British literature from the medieval period to the late 18th century.
Course Objectives:
Over 13 weeks, we will explore nearly 1500 years of English literature. Our broad aims reflect the wide scope of the course: to sample interesting and representative literary works from each period that we study, from medieval to Restoration and beyond; to develop an understanding of the benefits and drawbacks of
“periodization” in the discipline of English; to generate ideas about how certain works attain canonical status; to acquaint ourselves with a wide array of genres; to hone our critical vocabulary; to practice thinking, speaking, and writing about literature.
Required Texts:
ENGL 200A Course Pack (custom courseware from Broadview Press), ISBN 9781554590827
(available at the UW Bookstore)
Austen, Jane. Pride and Prejudice (available at the UW Bookstore)
Additional material will be made available on LEARN
Recommended Texts:
A Glossary of Literary Terms . 9 th ed. Ed. M. H. Abrams and Geoffrey Galt Harpham. Boston: Wadsworth
Cengage, 2009
MLA Handbook for Writers of Research Papers . 7 th ed. MLA, 2009
Class Schedule:
Week 1 September 9
I NTRODUCTION AND O VERVIEW
I
September 11
NTRODUCTION AND O VERVIEW
Bede, from Ecclesiastical History of the
English People

Week 2
Week 3
Week 4
Week 5
Week 6
Week 7
Week 8
Week 9
September 16
E
Exeter Book Elegies
September 23
E
ARLY
ARLY
M
M
Beowulf
EDIEVAL
EDIEVAL
September 30
E ARLY M ODERN P
P
P
ERIOD
ERIOD
ERIOD : S ONNETS
Sonnets: Petrarch, Wyatt, Surrey, Sidney
Week 10 November 11
E ARLY M ODERN P ERIOD : E PIC
Milton, Paradise Lost
September 18
E ARLY M EDIEVAL P ERIOD
Beowulf
September 25
L ATE M EDIEVAL P ERIOD
Excerpts from The Book of Margery Kempe and A Revelation of Love
October 2
E ARLY M ODERN P ERIOD : S ONNETS
Sonnets: Sidney
Quiz#1
October 9
E ARLY M ODERN P ERIOD : S ONNETS
Sonnets: Shakespeare
October 7
E ARLY M ODERN P ERIOD : S ONNETS
Sonnets: Shakespeare
October 14
Thanksgiving
University closed
October 21
E ARLY M
Webster,
ODERN P ERIOD : D RAMA
The Duchess of Malfi
October 28
E ARLY M ODERN P ERIOD : L YRIC P OETRY
Donne
November 4
E ARLY M ODERN P ERIOD : L YRIC P OETRY
Herbert
October 16
E ARLY M ODERN P ERIOD : D RAMA
Webster, The Duchess of Malfi
Close reading exercise due
October 23
E ARLY M ODERN P ERIOD : D RAMA
Webster, The Duchess of Malfi
Performance of scenes
October 30
E ARLY M ODERN P ERIOD : L YRIC P OETRY
Donne/Herbert
Quiz #2
November 6
E ARLY M ODERN P ERIOD : E PIC
Milton, Paradise Lost
November 13
E ARLY M ODERN P ERIOD : E PIC
Milton, Paradise Lost
Dramatic readings

Week 11
Week 12
November 18
R ESTORATION AND 18 TH C ENTURY
Dryden, “A Song for St. Cecilia’s Day”
November 25
R ESTORATION AND 18 TH C ENTURY
Austen, Pride and Prejudice
November 20
R ESTORATION AND 18 TH C ENTURY
Austen, Pride and Prejudice
November 27
R ESTORATION AND 18 TH C ENTURY
Austen, Pride and Prejudice
Quiz #3
Week 13 December 2
W RAP UP AND R EVIEW
Essay due
Course requirements:
Participation: 15%
Quizzes (best two of three: Oct 2, Oct 30, Nov 27): 30%
Close reading exercise: 20% (due Oct 16)
Essay: 35% (due Dec 2, last day of class)
Participation 15%
Your mark is based on attendance in class, thoughtful preparation of the assigned texts, regular and active involvement in discussion (in class and/or on the discussion forums on LEARN), and the completion of several in-class writing exercises. Extra Credit: In groups of up to three, the performance of a scene from
The Duchess of Malfi (October 23); or dramatic reading, singly or in pairs, of an excerpt of Milton’s
Paradise Lost (November 13). You will be required to sign up two weeks in advance if you would like to participate. This option can boost your participation mark by up to 5% (more information about this extra credit option will be made available in class and on LEARN).
Note about missed classes: Attendance is crucial to success in this class. After two or three absences, your participation grade will be affected. Please note that it is your responsibility to obtain class notes and material from other class members in the event of missed classes; the instructor cannot provide notes.
In-class quizzes (best 2 of 3: Oct 2, Oct 30, and Nov 27)
Each quiz will feature the following components:
30%
Part A) identify author and work; Part B) two short responses to questions dealing with the themes of the works under consideration; Part C) one longer response involving analysis and close reading.
Note : there will be no make-up quizzes. If you miss a quiz for any reason, your mark will be derived from the remaining two quizzes. If you miss two or more quizzes, you will lose the marks unless you produce a doctor’s note or other form of official documentation within one week of the absence.
Close reading exercise (due Oct 16) 20%
This is a short paper (approx. 800 words) which focuses on the style, language, and form of a selected work (or excerpt from a work). The exercise is meant to encourage careful and critical reading practices.
Further information about this assignment will be provided in class.
Essay (due Dec 2) 35%
Essay should be approximately 2500 words on a topic provided by the instructor. Feedback and assistance is available at several stages of the planning and writing process, both in class and through individual meetings with the instructor. Essay details and topics will be made available in class in October. Please use

MLA documentation style (details about MLA formatting will be available on LEARN).
UW POLICY REGARDING ILLNESS AND MISSED TESTS
The University of Waterloo Examination Regulations ( www.registrar.uwaterloo.ca/exams/ExamRegs.pdf
) state that:

A medical certificate presented in support of an official petition for relief from normal academic requirements must provide all of the information requested on the “University of Waterloo
Verification of Illness” form or it will not be accepted. This form can be obtained from Health
Services or at uwaterloo.ca/health-services/student-medical-clinic/services/verification-illness .

If a student has a test/examination deferred due to acceptable medical evidence, he/she normally will write the test/examination at a mutually convenient time, to be determined by the course instructor.

The University acknowledges that, due to the pluralistic nature of the University community, some students may on religious grounds require alternative times to write tests and examinations.

Elective arrangements (such as travel plans) are not considered acceptable grounds for granting an alternative examination time.
PROFESSOR’S POLICY ON LATE ASSIGNMENTS/ESSAYS AND MAKE-UP TESTS
Late assignments will be penalized 1% per day late (including weekends) for up to seven days following the due date. After seven days, assignments will not be accepted . In case of extenuating circumstances such as illness, students must notify the professor in advance of the due date , and provide official documentation.
Missed in-class assignments are subject to a grade of zero. Please see the regulations regarding missed tests, above. A make-up assignment will be made available only if the student provides acceptable proof of absence, such as a medical note.
OTHER INFORMATION
Academic Integrity: In order to maintain a culture of academic integrity, members of the University of
Waterloo and its Federated University and Affiliated Colleges are expected to promote honesty, trust, fairness, respect and responsibility.
Discipline: A student is expected to know what constitutes academic integrity, to avoid committing academic offences, and to take responsibility for his/her actions. A student who is unsure whether an action constitutes an offence, or who needs help in learning how to avoid offences (e.g., plagiarism, cheating) or about “rules” for group work/collaboration should seek guidance from the course professor, academic advisor, or the Associate Dean. When misconduct has been found to have occurred, disciplinary penalties will be imposed under St. Jerome’s University Academic Discipline Policy and UW Policy 71 – Student
Discipline. For information on categories of offenses and types of penalties, students should refer to Policy
71 - Student Discipline, http://uwaterloo.ca/secretariat/policies-procedures-guidelines/policy-71 .
Grievance: A student who believes that a decision affecting some aspect of his/her university life has been unfair or unreasonable may have grounds for initiating a grievance. In such a case, contact Dr. Scott Kline
( scott.kline@uwaterloo.ca
), Associate Dean of St. Jerome’s University.
Appeals: A student may appeal the finding and/or penalty in a decision made under Policy 71 – Student
Discipline or Policy 70 – Student Petitions and Grievances if a ground for an appeal can be established. In such a case, contact Dr. John Rempel ( jrempel@uwaterloo.ca
), Appeals Officer of St. Jerome’s University.
Academic Integrity website (Arts): http://arts.uwaterloo.ca/arts/ugrad/academic_responsibility.html
Academic Integrity Office (UW): http://uwaterloo.ca/academic-integrity/
Note for students with disabilities: The AccessAbility Services (AS) Office, located in Needles Hall, Room
1132, collaborates with all academic departments to arrange appropriate accommodations for students with disabilities without compromising the academic integrity of the curriculum. If you require academic accommodations to lessen the impact of your disability, please register with the AS Office at the beginning of each academic term.