ENGLISH 211

 

Prof. Baker                                                                           Office hrs: TR 1-2 and by appt.

132 McIver, 334-5311                                                                      dnbaker@uncg.edu

 

Texts:

Norton Anthology of English Literature, 7th ed., vol. 1

Shakespeare, Othello (Pelican)

Shakespeare, Much Ado About Nothing (Pelican)

 

Student Learning Goals:

1.  To read and analyze important texts of early British literature, medieval through 18th century.

2.  To recognize the characteristic techniques, genres, and themes of this literature.

3.  To write clearly and coherently about this literature. 

 

Attendance Policy:  You are expected to attend every class meeting.  If you miss three classes by March 1 without giving me a note from a professional (doctor, lawyer, etc.) verifying a serious illness or problem, YOU MAY BE DROPPED FROM THE COURSE.  You will only be allowed to make up late papers or take missed exams if I have excused your absence beforehand or if you have a note from a professional.

 

Final Grade:

2 1-page papers                                                20%

Midterm exam                                                   25%

Essay (3-5 pages)                                              25%

Final exam                                                         25%

Class partcipation                                                5%

 

CLASS PARTICIPATION IS VERY IMPORTANT.  You should read the assignments carefully and be prepared to discuss them.  Mark significant passages in your text and jot down any questions you may have.  Try to make connections among the different assignments.  You can earn up to five points added to your final average for the quality and quantity of your class discussion.

 

To enrich your experience of the literature we will study in this course, please log on to www.wwnorton.com/nael (available through Pipeline links for this course) as we work on each period.  Do as much exploring as you wish on this site and others linked to it as Web Resources.  Each student must evaluate one website for the class in a paragraph giving the address, describing what the site includes and how it contributes to your study of a particular literary text. This assignment counts as part of your class partcipation and should be posted to the Pipeline message board.

Please subscribe to the English Departments listserve to receive information about events and opportunities that will be of interest to you as an English major.  Send an e-mail message to listproc@uncg.edu with this message: subscribe English-l yourfirstname yourlastname. 


Jan.   17   "Medieval English," pp. 14-18; Chaucer, Canterbury Tales, General Prologue to line 446 (pp. 215-26)

         22   Chaucer, General Prologue to end; discussion of assignment for first paper:  Which of the Canterbury pilgrims should win the prize for telling the tale of "best sentence and most solas"? (1 typed page)

         24   Chaucer, Miller's Prologue and Tale (pp. 235-52)

         29   Chaucer, Wife of Bath's Prologue (pp. 253-72)

         31   Chaucer, Wife of Baths Tale (pp. 272-81)

Feb.    5   Chaucer, Nun's Priest's Tale, Parson's Introduction, Chaucer's Retraction (pp. 296-313)

           7   Selection from Book of Margery Kempe (pp. 366-79); bring first essay to class

         12   "Figurative Language," pp. 2950-53; Spenser, Amoretti 1, 34, 64, 68, 75, 79 (pp. 863-68); first paper due

         14   Sidney, Astrophil and Stella, 1, 5, 6, 9, 10, 18, 21 (pp. 917-21)

         19   Sidney, 31, 39, 52, 71 (pp. 922-26); Wroth, Pamphilia to Amphilanthus 1, 16, 40, 68, 77 (pp. 1428-31)

         21   Shakespeare sonnets 3, 12, 18, 20, 55, 60, 65, 116 (pp. 1029-39); discussion of second paper assignment:  Analyze the figurative language of Shakespeare's sonnet 73 (1 typed page)

         26   Shakespeare 128, 129, 130, 138, 144, 146 (pp. 1040-42)

         28   Shakespeare, Much Ado About Nothing, Acts 1-2

Mar    5   Shakespeare, Much Ado, Acts 3-5;

           7   Midterm exam

         19   Shakespeare, Othello, Act 1-2

         21   Shakespeare, Othello, Acts 3-5

         26   John Donne poems:  The Flea, The Good Morrow, Song, The Sun Rising, The Indifferent, The Canonization, A Valediction: Forbidding Mourning (pp. 1236-49); second paper due

         28   Donne, Holy Sonnets 5, 10 14; Good Friday, 1613. Riding Westward; A Hymn to Christ, at the Author's Last Going into Germany; A Hymn to God My God, in My Sickness (pp. 1268-75)

Apr     2   Milton, Paradise Lost, Book 1 to line 375, Book 2, line 629 to end (pp. 1818-58)

           4   Paradise Lost, Book 3 to line 371, Book 4 to line 204 (pp. 1858-78)

           9   Paradise Lost, Book 9 (pp. 1961-86), Lanyer, Eve's Apology in Defense of Women (from Salve Deus Rex Judaeorum, pp. 1285-87)

         11   Aphra Behn, Oroonoko to penultimate paragraph of  p. 2191

         16   Oroonoko to end; thesis for final essay

         18   Swift, A Modest Proposal (pp. 2473-79)

         23   Pope, The Rape of the Lock (pp. 2525-44); revisions (pp. 2892-93)

         25   Pope, An Essay on Man (1224-62)

         30   Swift, The Ladys Dressing Room and Montagu, The Reasons That Induced Dr. Swift to Write a Poem Called the Ladys Dressing Room (pp. 2584-90)

May    2   Review; third paper due paper due

         14   Final exam, 3:30-6:30