ENGL 260-01 and 260-02, Survey of English Literature I, Fall 2004

Abstract

This course has two main goals: First, it aims to introduce you to the history of literature written in English, from Beowulf to the eighteenth century. As we read several important works from medieval and early modern literature, we will often focus particularly on this literature’s genres (like epic, romance, and tragedy) in order to learn about the different uses that writers made of literary conventions, and about the expectations and interests of medieval and early modern readers. This course is also intended to give you practice in doing close analyses of literature, paying attention not only to the content of a text but also to the texture of its language and its figures of speech. Ideally, in this course you will learn not only about the broad expanse of the history of literature, but you will also develop your ability to read closely and carefully.