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Course
Description
This course serves as an
introduction to university-level studies in English and as a gateway to the
major. It will expose you to the critical methods, research avenues, and
documentation styles common to the discipline. We will examine three major
literary modes—fiction, poetry, drama--asking what are its characteristic
forms and components, how does it produce the effects that it does, and why
should we or anyone else care about such questions. Along the way, we will
review the various “schools” of literary criticism, emphasizing how
and why we read as much as what. We shall also explore the
various areas that constitute the major: rhetoric, linguistics, creative
writing, and cultural studies. I hope you come away from the course with an
understanding of the extraordinary breadth of the discipline and an
appreciation of the rigor with which it is practiced.
Texts:
The Norton Introduction to Literature (shorter 11th edition)
A handbook with MLA style (most recent 7th)
Policies and Workload
Attendance --
Excessive
absences will severely affect your ability to complete this course
satisfactorily. If you miss two weeks of class, your grade will be lowered
one letter and you might consider withdrawing. If you miss three weeks
(whatever the excuse), you will have missed so much of the course material
and instruction, you will unconditionally fail the course.
Participation
/ Preparation / Roundtable – Part of your grade will be based on your preparedness for class;
your active participation in class and group discussions; and the
professional, collegial, and productive manner in which you conduct yourself
in the classroom (no cell phones, lateness, disruptive behavior). You may
also use our class’s electronic roundtable to post comments, raise questions, and debate matters
that will be hard to include in the allotted class time. Preparation and participation, accounting for 20% of your
course grade, may include written responses to study questions (in class and
out of class), definitions of literary terms, quizzes on the readings and
terms, as needed, annotations of poems, and research annotations for upcoming
papers. Each quiz or writing assignment will be announced and specified in
class and graded on a 10-point scale. At the end of the term, I will total
your score, and the average will determine your preparation grade. The 20%
assignment grade is designed to reward solid, consistent effort and
preparation, probably securing you a “B” or higher. Quizzes can only be taken
on the day they are announced. Late work will be penalized.
Electronics – Please turn
off your phone and place it in your pocket or backpack before class. When they are out, they become a distraction to
you, to your classmates, and to your instructor. Before class while you are
seated and waiting, review your reading or talk to your classmates (rather
than look at your phone). There may be some days we will want to use laptops
to post discussions or work on assignments, so bringing them is OK. I will
let you know in advance if you need one. Texting in class or looking at your
phone (unless approved in advanced) will impact your participation grade.
Papers -- You will write four papers: a self-reflective essay, a close
reading, annotations to two poems, and a final researched paper exploring the
historical, gender or critical context of a work. Specific guidelines for the
essays will be discussed in class and will available on the web site.
Peer Review
— Some
class periods will be devoted to reviewing and critiquing rough drafts of
assignments (the 2nd paper, the close reading, and the last). Writers seldom
work completely in isolation all the time; therefore, it is important, at
different stages of the writing and revising process, to share information,
discuss strategies, and receive feedback. A paper that does not receive an
in-class peer review will be penalized when submitted as a final draft
(papers that are only half written or that don't exhibit a solid first try
don't benefit from the intensive scrutiny and revision suggestions of peer
review. These, too, will be frowned on and can affect the final grade.
Your participation in these groups is vital to your growth as a writer and
the success of the course, so read your peers’ drafts thoroughly and provide
the kinds of feedback you yourself would like to receive.
Grading
- Participation (including roundtable) and Preparation (study
questions, quizzes, in-class writing, etc.) 20%
- Self-Reflective Essay 10%
- Close Reading 20%
- Poem Annotations 20%
- Historical/Gender/Critical Context 30%
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