English 3365: Romantic Poetry
Fall, 2002
C. W. Spinks
Storch 110
email at cspinks@trinity.edu
Office: 999-7577 Home: 344-7472 FAX 999-7578
homepage:
Office Hours: 8:00-8:30; 9:50-11:20 TR;
www.trinity.edu/cspinks
2:30-3:30 MW or by appointment
Texts: David B. Pirie, The Romantic Period; Abrams' Norton Anthology of English Literature (Vol 7)
Aug 30 -- Introduction
Sept 02 -- Labor Day
Sept 04 -- RP 1, Blake's Poetical Sketches and All Religions are One
Sept 06 -- Book of Thel and the Visions of the Daughters of Albion
Sept 09 -- RP 4, Blake -- Marriage of Heven and Hell
Sept 11 -- MHH (cont'ed) Songs of Innocence,
Sept 13 -- Songs of Experience
Sept 16 -- RP 5, Wordsworth -- Simon Lee, We are Seven, Lines Written..., Thorn, Tables Turned
Sept 18 -- Expostulation and Reply, Tintern Abbey
Sept 20 -- Strange Fits, She Dwelt, Three Years, A Slumber, I Travelled, Lucy Gray, Two April
Mornings
Sept 23-- Nutting, and Ruined Cottage
Sept 25 -- Michael
Sept 27 -- Resolution & Independence, I wandered, My Heart Leaps Up, Intimations of
Immorality
Sept 30 -- RP 2, The world, Westminster..., Beauteous Evening, London, Mutability, Surprised
by Joy
Oct 02 -- RP 6, Coleridge -- Eolian Harp, Lime-Tree, Frost at Midnight,
Oct 04 -- Coleridge -- bio report -- Kubla Khan, Rhyme of the Ancient Mariner
Oct 07 -- RP 3, Coleridge -- Christabel
Oct 09 -- Coleridge -- Dejection, Epitaph, Biographia Literaria 13
Paper 1
Oct 11 -- RP 10, Shelly -- Indian Serendade, Lines, The Cloud, To Night, Ode to West Wind
Oct 14 -- No Class - SSA Meeting
Oct 16 -- No Class - SSA Meeting
Oct 18 -- No Class - SSA Meeting
Oct 21 -- Shelly bio -- Skylark. Dejection Stanzas, Ozymandias, England, A Dirge, To Jane
Oct 23 -- RP 8, Shelly -- Intellectual Beauty, Mont Blanc
Winter break
Oct 28 -- Shelly -- Alastor
Oct 30 -- RP 12, Shelly -- Adonais
Nov 01 -- Adonais (cont'd)
Nov 04 -- RP 7, Keats -- Chapman's Homer, Sleep & Poetry, Elgin Marbles, When I have Fears
.., Bright Star, Why did I laugh
Nov 06 -- Keats -- bio report -- Eve of St Agnes
Nov 08 -- Ode to nightingale, Grecian Urn, Psyche,
Nov 11 -- RP 11 -- Ode to Melancholy, Indolence, Autumn
Nov 13 -- Lamia
Nov 15 -- Lamia
Nov 18 -- Mary Shelley's Frankenstein
Nov 20 -- Mary Shelley's Frankenstein
Nov 12 -- Mary Shelley's Frankenstein
Nov 25 -- RP 9, Byron -- She Walks, Darkness, We'll go no more..., January 22. Missolonghi,
Nov 27 -- Manfred
Paper 2
Nov 29 -Thanksgiving
Dec 02 -- Byron -- bio report -- Don Juan
Dec 04 -- Byron -- Don Juan
Dec 06 -- Byron -- Don Juan
Dec 09 -- evaluations
Grades:
You will do two papers (50%), post a summary/study guide and lead a discussion on
two chaptesr of Pirie's The Romantic Period or do the same with a biographical report
(20%), and post a series of reading logs on Blackboard (30%).
POLICY SHEET:
c. w. spinks
Preparation: Since my concept of "homework" is more the stretching than the reinforcement
variety, your major duty is to read and process (i.e., probe, understand, articulate, and
evaluate) assigned materials. The texts are the data for this class, and I will encourage your
attentive reading by asking you to post daily reading logs on Blackboard. Other duties include
participation in workshops, writing assignments, discussions, email, and various aspects of
oral communication. Your attention to these will help me to assess your learning, level of
participation, and grade.
Discussion: In the long run, discussion is thought to be a more productive form of class time than
lecture; so you are urged to ask questions, make statements, argue your own viewpoints, and
make public the processing of the materials. Although I avoid Socratic questioning, I do wish
help in questioning style. Therefore, you may bring to class questions (on signed 3x5 Q
cards) that you wish to pursue. If left on the desk or sent to me by email, I will try to answer
them. I will generally lecture only on default when discussion lags. But do know that such
participation in class will be used as a factor in your final grade
Attendance: Since discussion and participation cannot occur in your absence and since the group
process is so important to this course, attendance is required. Absences will be noted and
deducted from your final grade as a surcharge. Regardless, if you have three weeks worth of
absences or more you will be dropped from the course or receive an F depending on the last
day to withdraw date. Those who are involved in University activities and expect such
absences to be waived will need to have letters from their sponsors indicating when those
absences will be delivered to me at least two weeks before the absences. Also, any work due
during those absences will be due before you leave.
Examinations: Although I prefer you deal with class materials by papers or projects assigned, I
do reserve the right to make in-class writing assignments (often called exams) as substitutes
at my discretion, other than during dead week. Thus, the final exam period may be used for
conferences, projects, reports, or in-class essays, and you should not make travel plans
without knowing what will be scheduled for the final period.
Papers: Your grade will be based primarily on the papers (or projects) listed on the syllabus. You
will be expected to deal with the material in a legitimate, interesting, and significant way. I
will not accept summaries nor reports unless such is the specific assignment, and I do not
want reviews. I will request and insist on a critical and interpretive approach, and you will
need to cite sources appropriately. Generally, the papers should establish a particular
viewpoint about the work(s) treated and give evidence from the text to support that
viewpoint. How and why are, thus, more important questions than who or what, but above all
attempts to articulate your own understanding will be urged and respected.
My paper assignments usually aren't overly specific, I prefer to give your imaginations and
interests as much latitude as possible. Originality of thought and insight, when worked with
clarity, are powerful aspects of a writer's ethos, and I look fondly on them. If you have
anxiety, please come talk to me.
HOUSEKEEPING INFORMATION:
Plagiarism (See the Student Handbook if in doubt) is cause for an academic hearing, a letter in
your academic file, an F on the paper or in the course, and/or dismissal from the University.
Documentation is necessary; consulted materials should be documented and quotes cited.
Please follow the Modern Language Association (MLA) or the American Psychological
Association (APA) Style Sheets.
Late work is discounted at the rate of one letter grade per day, starting at noon the day the
work is due. And no work will be accepted after the day of the final unless arranged in
advance. Work, which is not proofread, has excessive errors, or avoids the nature of the
assignment will be reduced in grade or returned as unacceptable. Papers must be done on a
word processor, but if necessary I will ask for a copy of the disk or by attachment.
Re-writing for credit is seldom allowed, but the fact that work has been redone will affect the
grading of the work. Nor will extra-credit work will be assigned in except in very rare
circumstances.
Tardies are not something I want to concern myself with, but repeated late arrivals to class are
disruptive and irritating. I will, therefore, begin to count them as absences if a pattern of
tardies is established.