UNITED STATES NAVAL ACADEMY
DEPARTMENT OF ENGLISH
HE 218: Anglo-American Literature
Instructor:
Office:
Office Phone:
Cell Phone:
E-mail:
Web Page:
LCDR Jason A. Salinas
Sampson Hall 255
x3-6223
(619) 675-3004
salinas@usna.edu
www.nadn.navy.mil/Users/english/salinas/SalinasHome.html
Course Overview:
HE218 is the second of two gateway courses into the English major, designed to give students a
broad understanding of the literary periods of English and American literature from the Renaissance until
now. As you can imagine, a course that covers such a broad swath of literary history can only do so by
giving the briefest treatment to only the most major authors and works. Indeed, while this is a survey
course, the notion of “coverage,” is a mirage. Reading, considering, and discussing everything of value in
even one period of literary history requires a lifetime, not merely a semester, of work.
Of course, if the goal of the course isn’t coverage, what is it? The main goal is to provide you a
strong understanding of the literary periods which define English and American literature. The way we’ll
do this is by first reading works of critical theory written by major authors in the period we’re studying.
This theoretical perspective will provide us with a sense of how each period viewed the purpose, content,
and aesthetics of literature it produced. Then, we’ll look at some of the literature that the critics
themselves produced, and consider how their work embodies, challenges, even contradicts the
theoretical model of literature they have constructed. Finally, we’ll look at one or more additional authors
in the period, and ask to what extent their works conform to or challenge the theoretical model we’ve
studied. As we move from period to period, our discussion will also broaden to consider the differences
between theories. Thus, the class discussions will always occur on at least three levels: the work itself, (for
instance, Wordsworth’s “Lines Composed a Few Miles Above Tintern Abbey”), its place within the period
we’re studying (in this case, Romanticism), and its relationship to the other periods we’ve studied (for
instance, the Restoration and 18th Century). Such an approach is intellectual challenging, and will
demand much time and reflection: of course, it also promises to be quite rewarding.
Reading Assignments:
The central focus of the course is reading; I have selected the assignments to help provide you
with a strong background in Anglo-American literature, establishing a foundation for your continued
studies. Every time we move to a new period or author, I’ll expect you to read the introductory material
found in the Norton Anthologies. While the assignments vary considerably in length, most are fairly
lengthy and all are challenging, so be sure to budget enough time to complete the reading, and do it
when you’re awake and alert.
Response Paragraphs:
These will generally be due at the beginning of every Friday’s class (see syllabus for particulars).
You are required to write a 200 word paragraph that responds to the reading you’ve done that week in
some way. You may articulate one or more questions you have about the reading, or a response,
objection, or any other kind of reaction you had to what you read. The point of these response
paragraphs will be to help you reflect on the reading you do.
Formal Papers:
You will be assigned four formal papers this semester. I will outline the requirements of each
assignment separately.
Mid-Term and Final Exams:
There will be no mid-term exam. The final exam will cover the entire course. More information to
follow.
Grades:
Your grade will be computed as follows:
Formal Papers:
Response Paragraphs:
Class participation:
Final Exam:
60%
10%
10%
20%
Extra Instruction:
I am available and happy to discuss texts and papers with you outside of class. Just send me an email, talk to me after class, or drop by to schedule a time that is mutually convenient. I encourage you to
see me prior to submitting a paper, especially one you’re struggling with.
Plagiarism:
Never forget that midshipmen are persons of integrity. If you have any questions about
plagiarism, I will be happy to answer them for you. Your integrity is too valuable to risk on any
assignment; if you are struggling, please ask someone you trust and respect for help. If you resort to
plagiarism, the consequences will be dire.
Course Syllabus
Required Texts:
Title
Bedford Glossary of Critical and Literary Terms, 2nd Edition
Norton Anthology of English Literature: Major Authors, Vol. A
Norton Anthology of English Literature: Major Authors, Vol. A
Norton Anthology of American Literature: Shorter 7th Edition, Vol. I
Norton Anthology of American Literature: Shorter 7th Edition, Vol. II
Wed
Date
20 Aug
Abbreviation
Bedford
NAEL Vol. A
NAEL Vol. B
NAAL Vol. I
NAAL Vol. II
In Class
Course Intro
Part I: The 16th Century (1485-1603)
NAEL Vol. A, pg. 319-347
Sidney, “The Apology for Poesy” (Handout)
Fri
22 Aug
Mon
Wed
Fri
25 Aug
27 Aug
29 Aug
Sidney, “Astrophil and Stella” (NAEL Vol. A, pg. 449-455)
Spenser, The Faerie Queene (NAEL Vol. A, pg. 365-389)
Spenser, The Faerie Queene (NAEL Vol. A, pg. 389-423)
**Response Paragraph #1 Due**
Mon
Wed
Fri
01 Sep
03 Sep
05 Sep
**No Class — Labor Day**
Marlowe, Dr. Faustus (NAEL Vol. A, pg. 458-493)
Marlowe, Dr. Faustus (NAEL Vol. A, pg. 458-493)
**Response Paragraph #2 Due**
Mon
08 Sep
Wed
10 Sep
Part II: The Early 17th Century (1603-1660)
NAEL Vol A, pg. 575-599
Paper Writing Day
Donne, “The Flea,” “The Good Morrow,” “Song,” “The Undertaking,” “The Sun
Rising,” “The Indifferent,” “The Canonization,” “Air and Angels,” Break of Day,”
“A Valediction: Of Weeping,” “Love’s Alchemy,” “A Valediction: Forbidding
Mourning,” “The Ecstasy,” “The Funeral,” “The Relic,” “Elegy 16. On His
Mistress,” “Elegy 19. To His Mistress Going to Bed” ( NAEL Vol. A, pg. 600-619)
Donne, “Satire 3” “from Holy Sonnets,” “Good Friday, 1613. Riding
Westward,” “Hymn to God My God, in My Sickness,” “A Hymn to God the
Father,” “from Devotions upon Emergent Occasions” ( NAEL Vol. A, pg.619629)
**Paper #1 Due**
Fri
12 Sep
Mon
Wed
Fri
15 Sep
17 Sep
19 Sep
Milton, Paradise Lost (NAEL Vol. A, pg. 693-696; pg. 723-765)
Milton, Paradise Lost (NAEL Vol. A, pg. 765-801)
Milton, Paradise Lost (NAEL Vol. A pg. 801-852)
**Response Paragraph #3 Due**
Mon
Wed
Fri
22 Sep
24 Sep
26 Sep
NAEL Vol. A, pg. 853-877
Mon
Tue
Wed
Fri
29 Sep
30 Sep
01 Oct
03 Oct
Gulliver’s Travels (NAEL Vol. A, pg. 971-1016)
Part III: The Restoration and 18th Century (1660-1785)
Pope, “An Essay on Criticism” (NAEL Vol. A, pg. 1120-1136)
Pope, “The Rape of the Lock” (NAEL Vol. A, pg. 1137-1155)
**Response Paragraph #4 Due**
**Grades Due**
Gulliver’s Travels (NAEL Vol. A, pg. 1016-1056)
Gulliver’s Travels (NAEL Vol. A, pg. 1069-1113)
**Response Paragraph #5 Due**
Part IV: The Romantic Period (1785-1830)
NAEL Vol B, pg. 1363-1387
Mon
06 Oct
Wed
08 Oct
Fri
10 Oct
Mon
Wed
Fri
13 Oct
15 Oct
17 Oct
**No Class — Columbus Day**
Wordsworth, “The Prelude” (NAEL Vol. B, pg. 1551-1593)
Shelley, “To Wordsworth,” “Prometheus Unbound” ( NAEL Vol. B, pg. 17311734; pg. 1745-1767)
**Response Paragraph #6 Due**
Mon
20 Oct
Wed
Fri
22 Oct
24 Oct
NAAL Vol I, pg. 431-452
Emerson, “The Poet” (NAAL Vol. I, pg. 488-492; pg. 550-565)
Melville, Benito Cereno (NAAL Vol. I, pg. 1089-1092; pg. 1118-1163)
Melville, Benito Cereno (NAAL Vol. I, pg. 1163-1174)
Wordsworth, “Preface to the Lyrical Ballads” (NAEL Vol. B, pg. 1484-1487; pg.
1495-1507)
Wordsworth, “We Are Seven,” “Lines Written in Early Spring,” “Exposulation
and Reply,” “The Tables Turned,” “Lines Composed a Few MIles above Tintern
Abbey” (NAEL Vol. B, pg. 1487-1495)
Wordsworth, “Strange fits of passion have I known,” “She dwelt among the
untrodden ways,” “Three years she grew,” “A slumber did my spirit seal,” “I
traveled among unknown men,” “Nutting,” “The Ruined Cottage,” “Michael,”
“Resolution and Independence,” “I wandered lonely as a cloud,” “My heart
leaps up,” “Ode: Intimations of Immortality,” “Ode to Duty,” “The Solitary
Reaper,” “Elegiac Stanzas,” ”Sonnets” (NAEL Vol. B, pg. 1507-1551)
**Paper #2 Due**
Part V: Early American Literature (1603-1860)
**Response Paragraph #7 Due**
Mon
27 Oct
Whitman, “Preface to Leaves of Grass” NAAL Vol. I, pg. 991-1010
Wed
Fri
29 Oct
31 Oct
Whitman, “Song of Myself” (NAAL Vol. I, pg. 1011-1055)
Whitman, “Out of the Cradle, Endlessly Rocking,” “Beat! Beat! Drums!” (NAAL
Vol. I, pg. 1062-1068)
**Response Paragraph #8 Due**
Mon
03 Nov
NAAL Vol. II, pg. 1-16
Part VI: American Realism and Naturalism (1860-1914)
Tue
Wed
Fri
04 Nov
05 Nov
07 Nov
Mon
10 Nov
Wed
Fri
12 Nov
14 Nov
Mon
17 Nov
“Realism and Naturalism;” Howells, “Novel-Writing and Novel-Reading: An
Impersonal Explanation;” James: “The Art of Fiction;” Norris, “A Plea for
Romantic Fiction;” Dreiser, “True Art Speaks Plainly;” London, “What Life
Means to Me” (NAAL Vol. II, pg. 569-585)
**Grades Due**
James, Daisy Miller (NAAL Vol. II, pg. 315-336)
James, Daisy Miller (NAAL Vol. II 336-356)
**Paper #3 Due**
Twain, The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn (NAAL Vol. II, pg. 93-97; pg. 101153)
Twain, The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn (NAAL Vol. II, pg. 154-242)
Twain, The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn (NAAL Vol. II, pg. 242-287)
**Response Paragraph #9 Due**
Part VII: The Victorian Age (1830-1901)
NAEL Vol. B, pg. 1885-1907
Arnold, “The Function of Criticism at the Present Time,” “Culture and Anarchy,
“The Study of Poetry” (NAEL Vol. B, pg. 2091-2095; pg. 2112-2138)
Arnold, “Dover Beach” (NAEL Vol. B, pg. 2105-2106)
Tennyson, “The Lotos-Eaters,” “Ulysses” (NAEL Vol. B, pg. 1958-1964)
**Response Paragraph #10 Due**
Wed
Fri
19 Nov
21 Nov
Mon
Wed
24 Nov
26 Nov
Fri
28 Nov
Tennyson, “The Passing of Arthur” (NAEL Vol. B, pg. 2024-2035)
Tennyson, “In Memoriam” (NAEL Vol. B, pg. 1972-2021)
**Response Paragraph #11 Due**
**No Class — Thanksgiving**
Mon
01 Dec
NAAL Vol. II, pg. 705-720
Wed
Fri
03 Dec
05 Dec
Eliot, “Tradition and Individual Talent” (Handout)
Eliot, “The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock” (NAAL Vol. II, pg. 861-866)
Eliot, “The Wasteland” (NAAL Vol. II, pg. 869-881)
Mon
08 Dec
NAAL Vol. II, pg. 1129-1142
Part VIII: The Twentieth Century (1901-2001)
Ginsberg, “Howl,” “Footnote to Howl” (NAAL Vol. II, pg. 1414-1424)
**Paper #4 Due**
TBD
Final Exam