Intro to Lit
Introduction to Literature ENG 1063 Sec. 2
School of Arts and Humanities
Instructor: Anderson M. Rearick III, PhD.
Mount Vernon Nazarene University
January, 2013. CAMP 243
Credit: 3 Hours
Time: 11:30 am - 02:00 pm: Mondays through Fridays
Contact Info:
Dr. Rearick's Office: RH 138 – I (Within School of Arts and Humanities Suit in Regents Hall 138)
Office Hours: Daily 8:00-11:30 & 2:00-3:00 or by appointment (there are meetings sometimes at 10:20)
Office (740) 392-6868 Ext. 3508
Home Phone (740) 392-3738 (please no calls after 8:00)
Email: anderson.rearick@mvnu.edu
Course Description:
The purpose of ENG1063, Introduction to Literature, as described by the Online Catalogue: is to be a
"study of literary genres through representative readings. Prerequisite: ENG1083G." This class will meet
five times a week for three and a half weeks to discuss the nature of literature using as raw material the
readings listed as well as a series of handouts to be dispersed during the semester. Discussions will center
on some of the common themes that have haunted the human mind and heart throughout western history.
Class Procedure:
ENG1063 Introduction to Literature will, as noted above, meet daily for three and a half weeks to discuss
the nature of literature using the below reading list as raw material drawn from textbooks as well as a series
of handouts to be purchased either in the bookstore or accessed via the web. The class’ core is organized
around— rather than divisions by literary types or a chronological review—discussions centering on some
of the common themes which have haunted the human mind and heart throughout western history. The
material will be grouped thematically: isolation through self centeredness, isolation by gender difference,
isolation by “cultureral” forces, isolation by death, and isolation by war. In each case authors have
suggested responses which include forgiveness, love, community reconciliation and peace.
The following reading list is not exclusive and, in fact, many important works (probably including your
favorites) have been excluded. This class can only function as an introduction, not an exhaustive study. I
encourage you to think of the texts for this class not as a single resource but a series of inexhaustible
treasure chests, capable of refreshment and inspiration time and time again.
Students will be evaluated by a series of six tests, class participation, a short paper and a final. Also the
option for extra credit will made available for those who are willing to do extra work.
The purpose of this course is. . .
1. to expose the student to a wide range of literary genres: poetry, drama, novel and short story
2. to introduce the student to a wide ranger of authors of different cultures, genders and ages.
3. to encourage the student to consider what makes a work of literature worthy--how should the cannon be
formed?
4. to introduce some of the important common issues which authors--in spite of their different backgrounds,
cultures, and mediums--often examine.
Actual Reading Texts
The purpose of this course is to broaden the student's understanding of the human condition, to widen his or
her understanding of how people think, and develop their own sense of what is worthwhile and beautiful.
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Intro to Lit
Thus these texts have value long after the student completes this class and should be looked upon as the
beginning of what may become a treasure trove of future reading. One final note, readings listed on a day
in a syllabus are expected to be completed by that day.
Criticism
The Novella
Some chapters from An Experiment in Criticism
by C.S. Lewis
Cambridge University Press; Rep edition
(January 31, 1992)
ISBN: 0521422817
Note Required (Readings are online)
A Christmas Carol in Prose by Charles Dickens
Dover Binding Paper
Copyright 91ISBN 0-486-26865-9
Required
“The Internet Literary Vocabulary Page”
accessed from Dr. Rearick's Reading Corner and
Moodle.
Required
Othello by William Shakespeare
Taming of the Shrew by William Shakespeare
Pygmalion by George Bernard Shaw
Shadowlands by William Nicholson
Henry V by William Shakespeare
Plays:
The Anthology:
Please note that except for Othello which is in
The Perrine's Anthology all the others are on
web sites. Also we will not be reading all of
these texts. For example Henry V will be only
referenced.
Perrine's Literature: Structure, Sound and Sense
Tenth (10th) Edition © 2009
Edited by Thomas Arp and Greg Johnson.
Perrine's Literature: Structure, Sound and Sense
ISBN-10: 1-4130-3308-3
ISBN-13: 978-1-4130-3308-3
1744 pages
Required
Hand outs:
Unless specified by Dr. Rearick, such hand-outs
should be considered required reading like any of
the assigned texts. These are available either at
the Cougar’s Bookstore or online / Required
Grading:
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Six (6) Tests = 40% -- (plus one “try out” quiz which does not count)
Literary Response Paper = 10%
Class Participation = 20% (Online Forums and Class Attendence)
Final Exam = 30%
Grading Scale:
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100 - 93 = A Exceptional! A cut above--unusually good.
92 - 90 = A - Very, Very Well Done! -- above expectations.
89 - 87 = B + Well Done! A fine Job!
86 - 84 = B Really Good
83 - 80 = B - Pretty Good
79 - 77 = C + Solidly in there
76 - 74 = C Clearly a concrete understanding of the subject
73 - 70 = C - Understanding of subject is workable
69 - 60 = D Passing but weak
59 and below is an "F" Fell short of required understanding of material (see below on attendance).
Class Participation: Lecture will only play a part in this class' activities. Literature is meant to be talked
about. Students are encouraged to express their opinions and share their unique insights. Each of us brings
something special to a text that is ours alone. Thus, your comments are very important to me. I learn
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Intro to Lit
things from students all the time. Your online class home on Moodle will have ongoing discussion
questions. Students should interact online at least once a week. Including this week that is a total of four.
This amount of activity earns a 89% which is a B+; Going beyond this number of entries earns an A- and
on and is described in the Extra Credit section later.
Attendance: Also important for your “class participation grade.” Every class we meet is actually two
classes in a standard term. Since we are functioning on an intensive schedule, it is vital that you be in class
throughout the semester--even on days when a play is being shown in class. Therefore attendance will
factor into your class participation grade. Three absences will be allowed and then five points will be
taken from the student's "participation" score starting at 85 (90 - 5) and continuing. Students who are
involved in a recognized activity for the school (Mandate weekends, traveling musical groups, athletes)
need to see the instructor ahead of time so arrangements can be made. Students are not required to attend
the extra viewing sessions, these are meant to assist.
Tests: Six tests based on the readings and class discussion will be given throughout the semester. Plan for
these to be given on Wednesdays and Fridays. They will be given in class and maybe online. Students
should keep copies of the graded exam as study guides since they will form the backbone of the final. They
will be held on the 4th9th, 11th16th, 18th. and the 23rd
A Lit Paper You will submit in MLA form a short paper (3-5 pages) on of the works covered during the
semester. It should draw from one primary text (the work itself) and at least one secondary text (a critical
comment). This will be due Friday Jan, 18th Further guidelines will be made available at a later date.
The final exam, which is scheduled for the last half of the last day of class, Thursday Jan.24th, is
accumulative and based strongly on the tests given throughout the semester. Do not be surprised if part of
the day is used to cover NEW material. This class is so cramped I may need some time for some final
readings. The exam itself will not take more than an hour.
Extra Credit: A student can add extra credit to his or her grade by writing an extra paper or papers using
MLA format on outside reading concerning any of the works or authors covered in class. Furthermore,
another option for extra credit is to view or listen to and then write a review about tapes or video films on
reserve in the library. Credit will vary according to the assignment. Also remember the online discussion
can be expanded beyond the required entries is optional, but an “A” student takes advantage of options.
A Cautionary Comment About “Extra Credit:” Many students take advantage of the option of extra credit
and I am pleased to offer the opportunity. However, students should understand that extra credit does not
make up for the overall performance in class. Extra Credit is a boost. If pursued to its fullest it can add up
to about five points on your over-all numerical score. That pushes a “B+” to an “A-” or an “A-” to an “A”.
Do not expect a solid “B” [85] to be changed to an “A” [93] by extra credit. There have been cases when a
high “B” [87] has been kicked up to an A- [90] but students in such cases were close to a B+ from the start.
Extra Credit works, but don’t expect more from it than it can give.
Literature on the Web: As we make our way through the readings you may wish to visit my web page, Dr.
Rearick's Reading Corner, located at:
http://nzr.mvnu.edu/faculty/trearick/english/rearick/readings/re_intro.htm
This address is reachable both on and off campus. Those of you who are local and do not have a computer
should remember that the Knox Public Library offers web access for a limited time, and--of course--the
labs of the campus library and computer labs are available to you.
Other web pages relating to works of literature which might be of interest to the student can be accessed
from this index page by title, author, genre, sub-genre, time period, or nationality. I have tried to place
some ideas and even sometimes some test questions connected with our class readings within these files.
Also in several cases there are links to study guides, e texts, and even connections to relevant web pages on
the net. Furthermore you will find similar links within your Moodle class home.
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Intro to Lit
Disability Services Access: Students who qualify for and desire accommodations in this course due to a
disability, as defined by the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990, must follow the Disability Services
Policies and Procedures as put forth by the office of Academic Support. The guidelines can be accessed in
electronic form at the web address http://www.mvnu.edu/academics/services/dservices.html and in a
hard copy at the Academic Support office. Call extension 4540 for further information.
On a personal note, I am disabled because of eyesight; my son is disabled by breathing complications, and
so I am especially sensitive to the needs and challenges faced by otherwise qualified students. I "toughed"
it out when I was at ENC, but the world has changed for the better and there are many resources available
to you I wish I had, resources I in fact presently use in my office such as a close circuit TV attached to the
screen of my computer as well as speaking programs which allow text to be read to me. Pursue these
things and see me if you have any such needs.
Class Schedule
Week One: Jan. 3-4
I. THEME: The Nature of Literature and its depiction of Isolation: The readings within our first week will
define literature and examine its concern with humanity’s basic state of isolation in general.
Terms: Here are some terms which you should know by the end of this section.
Look up the literary meaning for. . .
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allegory
genre
sub-genre
short story vs. novella
verisimilitude
canon
willing suspension of disbelief
cultural text
Note: this is not an option; it is expected: Remember to look at the Glossary available at Dr. Rearick's
Reading Corner under the heading: "Resources." A link is also available in Moodle in the assignment
folder.
Thursday: Jan 3 First Day of Class
Try to take the online Practice Quiz tonight on Moodle
Introduction: The Natures of Literature: “Welcome to the Wide World of Books!”
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Lecture on Pleasure: the Cornerstone of Literature—defining what we study.
Lecture on Isolation: Literature’s natural antithesis—why isolated people write.
Readings listed on a day are being covered that day and should be read. The only exception is the first day
but even this should be ready by the next time. If pages numbers are included the work can be found in the
Perrine’s text.
Readings:
Poems:
"There is No Frigate Like a Book" by Emily Dickinson 758
"This is My Letter to the World" by Emily Dickinson (Handout)
Essay
"Literature; Now What the Heck. . .?" (Handout)
Longer Works:
A Christmas Carol in Prose by Charles Dickens Stave One 1-28 (these pages refer to the Scholastic Classics edition)
Othello by William Shakespeare 1273-1293 (Act I)
Possible Discussion Topics:
What should be the requirements that guide a professor to include a work in an Introduction to Literature Class?
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Intro to Lit
Does Dr. Rearick's definition of literature change your original concept of the material to be covered?
Few of us have had a dead albatross hung about our neck. What aspect of the Mariner's experience from "Rime" is true to all
readers? How is it true to yours?
Othello's isolation is complex. Considering the different forces working against him, which do you think is the most profound?
Friday: Jan 4
 My Lecture on The Changing Canon
 My Lecture on Dickens' "Christian" Carol--Dickens’ Christian examination of isolation and its
cure.
Readings
Short Story
"The Most Dangerous Game"by Richard Connell (67-86)
Poems
"Rime of the Ancient Mariner" [online text] by Samuel Taylor. Coleridge (Handout) Parts 1-3
"The Daffodils" or "I Wandered Lonely as a Cloud" by William Wordsworth (1015)
Longer Works
A Christmas Carol in Prose [online text] by Charles Dickens Stave Two 29-54
An Experiment in Criticism by C. S. Lewis: Chap. One: "The Literary Reader" In the “Course Document” section of
Moodle(1-4)
Othello [online text] by William Shakespeare 1293-1312 (Act Two)
Possible Discussion Topics:
Few of us have had a dead albatross hung about our neck. What aspect of the Mariner's experience from "Rime" is true to
all readers? How is it true to yours?
Othello's isolation is complex. Considering the different forces working against him, which do you think is the most
profound?
What makes a work of Literature Profane? How much should the Christian reader rely upon his or her own awareness of
being offended?
Do you the reader find Wordsworth's claim that nature gives bounty to those who take time to look at her (which is
especially useful when facing isolation or the faults of human society) makes sense or do you think he is projecting
something into nature which is not there?
According to Lewis' definition of readers are you a part of the majority (of nonliterary readers) or part of few (literary
readers)? What do you think about his categories?
Test # 1 Is located within the assignment folder within Moodle of the weeks covered and will be available
for about forty eight (48) hours.
Week Two: Jan. 7-11
Monday Jan. 7
 A Lecture on The Romantics: Two Young Men Who Turned the World of Poetry Upside down!
What they thought of poetry and how it worked against the forces of isolation.
 A Lecture on What is Going On in “Kubla Khan?” Are Visionaries, Poets and Prophets Doomed
to Isolation?
Readings:
Poems
"Rime of the Ancient Mariner" by S.T. Coleridge (Handout) Parts 4-7
"Tinturn Abbey" by William Wordsworth (Handout)
"Kubla Khan" by Samuel T. Coleridge 951
Longer Works
A Christmas Carol in Prose by Charles Dickens Stave Three (55-88)
Othello [online text] by William Shakespeare 1312-1334 (Act Three)
Possible Discussion Topics:
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Intro to Lit
What makes a work of Literature Profane? How much should the Christian reader rely upon his or her own awareness of being
offended?
Do you the reader find Wordsworth's claim that nature gives bounty to those who take time to look at her (which is especially
useful when facing isolation or the faults of human society) makes sense or do you think he is projecting something into nature
which is not there?
According to Lewis' definition of readers are you a part of the majority (of nonliterary readers) or part of few (literary readers)?
What do you think about his categories?
Do you the reader find Wordsworth's claim that nature gives bounty to those who take time to look at her (which is especially
useful when facing isolation r the faults of human society) makes sense or do you think he is projecting something into nature
which is not there?
Tuesday: Jan. 8
Readings:
Shorts Stories
"Young Goodman Brown" Nathanial Hawthorne(309-320)
“Paul's Case” by Willa Cather(245-262)
Poems
"I'm Nobody" by Emily Dickinson (Handout)
"The Lady of Shalott" by Tennyson (Handout)
Longer Works
An Experiment in Criticism Chap. Two: "False Characterizations” by C.S. Lewis (5-13)
Othello by William Shakespeare (Act Four and Act Five)(1336-1368)
A Christmas Carol in Prose by Charles Dickens Stave Four 89-112 and Stave Five (113-122)
Possible Discussion Topics:
Do you think Othello has a "tragic flaw?"
Have you ever felt isolated because of a talent God has given you? Your the only one who thinks the choir could sound better.
The poem you wrote for the missionary society is not easily understood by everyone in the congregation. What have you done
about it?
Should Christian artists accept isolation as just the price to pay for being aesthetically developed?
Did the Lady of Shalott make the right choice? Is it better to love and lose than to never love at all?
Wednesday: Jan 9
 A Lecture on How Literature Portrays the Isolating Affect of Gender Differences
 A Lecture on Shakespeare’s Theater
THEME II. Gender Difference as Isolating Factors
Learn the literary meaning for. . .
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themes
motifs
symbols
patriarchy
Remember that there is a Glossary available at
Dr. Rearick's Reading Room under the heading: "Resources."
Readings:
Poems
"If" by Rudyard Kipling (Handout)
"The Wife" by Emily Dickinson (Handout)
Short Stories
"A Rose for Emily" by William Faulkner (526-534)
"A Jury by Her Peers" by Susan Gadspell(534-553)
Longer Works
The Wife of Bath’s "Prologue" by Geoffrey Chaucer (Handout)
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negative capability
marginalized
antifeminist literature
misogynist
Intro to Lit
The Taming of the Shrew by William Shakespeare (Online and in class)
Test # 2
Thursday Jan. 10

A Lecture on Shakespeare's Bad/Good Woman & Good/Bad Woman: How the Bard Rebelled
Against the His Age’s Isolating View of Gender Relations
Readings:
Short Story:
“The Wife of Bath’s Tale" by Geoffrey Chaucer (Handout)
"Roman Fever" by Edith Wharton (373384)
Longer Works
The Taming of the Shrew by William Shakespeare (Online and In Class)
An Experiment in Criticism Chap. Three: "How the Few and the Many use Pictures and Music" (14-26) by C.S. Lewis
Friday Jan. 11
Test # 3
Terms you should learn about Lit and Love:
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Poetry
Lyrical Poetry
Metaphor
Dramatic Monologue
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Lecture on Literature and Love and the Power to Overcome Isolation within Gender Differences
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Carpe Diem
Courtly Love
Readings:
Poem
"To His Coy Mistress" by Andrew Marvell (721)
"My Last Duchess" by Robert Browning (768-780)
The River Merchant's Wife" translated by Ezra Pound (Handout)
Short Story
"The Gilded Six-Bits" by Zora Neale Hurston (553-563)
Longer Work
Pygmalion, by George Bernard Shaw (Online and In Class)
Possible Discussion Topics:
Does the accent portrayed in “The Gilded Six Bits” help make the narrative more alive or does it get in your way?
Andrew Marvell’s Coy Mistress is putting him off; is he telling her the truth?
Week Three Jan. 14-18
Monday Jan. 14
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A Lecture About (Gasp!) Dickens In Love
THEME III. Cultural Expectations as Isolating Factors
Terms you should learn about Lit and Culture:
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Bildungsroman
Romance
Marginalized
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Culture
Drama
Intro to Lit
Remember that there is a Glossary available at Dr. Rearick's Reading Room
Note: this is not an Option: it is strongly recommended. Web pages have been created with further
information, study guides and sometimes even sample questions at Dr. Rearick's Reading Room
Readings:
Poem
"Sonnet to a Friend" by Samuel Coleridge (Handout)
"We Outgrow Love" by Emily Dickenson (Handout)
Longer Work
Pygmalion by George Bernard Shaw (online and in class)
Tuesday: Jan 15

A Lecture on Culture: The Cement that Binds and the Wall That Separates
Readings:
Poem
"The White Man's Burden" Rudyard Kipling (Handout)
"The Whipping" by Robert Hayden(642)
"Those Winter Sundays" by Robert Hayden (690)
Short story
"Everyday Use" by Alice Walker (166-174)
"The Bride Comes to Yellow Sky" Stephen Crane (Online)
Longer Works
An Experiment in Criticism by C.S. Lewis: Chap. Four: "The Reading of the Unliterary" (27-39)
Pygmalion by George Bernard Shaw (online and in class)
Possible Discussion Topics:
Very likely you found "The White Man's Burden" problematic. However, within that mind-set was the great missionary
works of the time (like David Livingston). Since Christendom (countries where Christianity was strongest) was populated
by mostly white people, did it suggest a burden? Has the missionary movement changed since then?
How Does Society Treat and Perceive its Young and its Old?
How Does Society Treat Other Societies?
Various works within this section examine the family and the relationships between parents and children. What do you see
as being of special concern among our authors?
In "The Bride Comes to Yellow Sky" what is the significance of the sheriff getting married? What kind of society will be
replaced in Yellow Sky?
Wednesday: Jan 16
Test # 4

A Lecture about How Charles Dickens Revolutionaries the Novel and Made a Pretty Penny for
Himself at the Same Time Overcoming the Obstacles of Culture, Money, and Class
Readings:
Poems
"The World is Too Much with Us: Later and Soon" by William Wordsworth (682
"Cross" by Langston Hughes (682)
"My Son, My Executioner" Donald Hall (Online)
“My Papa’s Waltz” Theodore Roethke (1000)
Short Story
"The Drunk" by Frank O'Conner (339-347)
"The Lottery" by Shirley Jackson (261-269)
Longer Work
Pygmalion by George Bernard Shaw (Online and In class)
Possible Discussion Topics:
How Does Society Treat Those Who Support it entirely?
What is it like to be “Marginalized” by Society? Have you ever been “marginalized?”
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Intro to Lit
Thursday: Jan 17

Lecture “Those Poor Saps on the Edge of Culture: ‘The Ransom of Red Chief” and “A Bride
Comes to Yellow Sky’
Readings
Poems
"Frost at Midnight" by Samuel Taylor Coleridge (Online and Handout)
"Resolution and Independence" by William Wordsworth (Online and Handout)
Short Story
"The Ransom of "Red Chief" by O. Henry (Online and Handout)
Longer Work
Pygmalion, by George Bernard Shaw (Online and In class)
Friday: Jan 18
Test # 5
Literary Response Paper due
Poems
"We Are Seven" by William Wordsworth (Outline and Handout)
"Anecdote for Fathers" by William Wordsworth (Outline and Handout)
"My Heart Leaps Up When I Behold" or "The Rainbow" by William Wordsworth (Handout)
Longer Works
Shadowlands by William Nicholson (in class viewing – study notes available)
A Grief Observed by C.S. Lewis
THEME IV. Death, the Ultimate Isolation, and Consolation
Learn the literary meaning for. . .
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Eulogy or Elegy
Biography
Autobiography
Be sure to look up definitions for these terms in the Glossary provided by Prof. Rearick and linked and
from his Readers' Corner.
Week Four Jan. 21-24
Monday: Jan 21
 Lecture “Weeping Privately and Publicly: How Poets Have Portrayed the Ultimate Separation”
Poems
"On My First Son" by Ben Jonson (online and handout)
"The Lost Baby Poem" by Lucille Clifton (online)
"Oh Captain! My Captain! " by Walt Whitman (online)
"Thanatopsis" by William Cullen Bryant (online and handout)
"Elegy Written in a Country Churchyard by Thomas Gray (online and handout)
Longer Works
Shadowlands by William Nicholson (in class viewing – study notes available)
A Grief Observed by C.S. Lewis
Tuesday, Jan. 22

Lecture “What Poets Say About Death’s Realities”
Readings:
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Intro to Lit
Poems
"On the Death of a Fair Infant Dying of a Cough" by John Milton (online and handout)
"On His Deceased Wife" by John Milton (handout and online)
"When Lilacs Last in the Doorway Bloom'd" by Walt Whitman (online and handout)
"Crossing the Bar " by Alfred Lord Tennyson (807 and online)
"Do Not Go Gentle Into that Good Night" by Dylan Thomas (887 and online)
"Dover Beach" by Matthew Arnold (813 and online)
Longer Works
In Memoriam by Alfred Tennyson (Selections covered in class)
Shadowlands by William Nicholson
A Grief Observed by C.S. Lewis
Possible Discussion Topics:
What is the difference between Tennyson’s and Thomas’ view of the Approach of Death?
Do you find truth in William Cullen Bryant’s "Thanatopsis"? Does it comfort you?
Wednesday, Jan. 23
Test # 6
Poems
"There's Been a Death in the Opposite House" Emily Dickenson (665)
"Death be Not Proud" by John Donne (online)
"Because I Would Not Stop for Death" by Emily Dickinson 742
"Hope" by Emily Dickinson (online)
"I Never Saw A Moor" by Emily Dickenson (online)
"Bereft" by Robert Frost 706
"Is My Team Plowing?" by A.E. Housman (662)
Longer Works
A Grief Observed by C.S. Lewis
In Memoriam by Alfred Tennyson (Selections covered in class)
Shadowlands by William Nicholson
Possible Discussion Topics:
What does Emily Dickinson see as the nature of Death?
Would you make fun of Death as Donne seems to in “Death Be Not Proud”?
THEME V. Chivalry and War
Learn the literary meaning for. . .
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Romance (review)
Heroic
Chivalry
Realistic
Be sure to look up definitions for these terms in the Glossary provided by Prof. Rearick and linked and
from his Readers' Corner.
Readings:
Poems
"The Battlefield" by Emily Dickinson (online)
"The Charge of the Light Brigade" by Tennyson (handout and online)
"Gunga Din" by Rudyard Kipling (handout and online)
"Boots" by Rudyard Kipling (handout and online)
"The Man He Killed" by Thomas Hardy (757)
"Dulce et Decorum Est" by Wilfred Own (637)
"Anthem for Doomed Youth" Wilfred Owen (873)
Short Story
"Four Days in Dixie" by Ambrose Bierce (Online)
Thursday, Jan. 24
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
Lecture on Isolating Nature of War and the Brotherhood of Chivalry
Lecture Shakespeare’s Multiple Presentation of the Nature of War
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Intro to Lit
Possible Discussion Topics:
Do the great works from the past glorify war? If they do should they be avoided in required readings?
Since war is never so simple as good against evil, should it be used by artists like Tolkien and Lewis as a metaphor for
spiritual battles?
What is the difference between Tennyson’s and Thomas’ view of the Approach of Death?
Readings:
Poems
"Drum Taps" from Leaves of Grass by Walt Whitman (Handout and online)
Short Story
"The War Prayer" by Mark Twain (Handout and online)
Longer Works
Henry V William Shakespeare (Clips)
Possible Discussion Topics:
Do the great works from the past glorify war? If they do should they be avoided in required readings?
Since war is never so simple as good against evil, should it be used by artists like Tolkien and Lewis as a metaphor for
spiritual battles?
What is the difference between Tennyson’s and Thomas’ view of the Approach of Death?
Final: Students should remember that each day in a January class is like two sessions in a standard
semester. We cannot afford to lose a day, so come to class expecting to cover the last material about War
and Chivalry. Do not ask to leave class early.
Thanks so much for your participation this January: More than knowing the definition of a metaphor, I
hope you have come to appreciate just a little the beauty and wonder entwined within the ongoing
questioning that fills the world of literature introduced to you by this class.
PS: I’d still like you to know the definition of a “metaphor” too. 
Your Fellow Reader for Life,
AMR3
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