ENGL 5313 Studies in Twentieth-Century British Literature

Examining a range of poets, while emphasizing major modernists W. B. Yeats, H. D, and T. S. Eliot, this class will trace developments in 20th Century British poetry from Romantic roots to postmodern derivations. Much of our readings will cover the rapid changes in English poetry from about 1910 to World War II, when poets were working to revise the English poetic tradition into deliberately "modern" forms. We will read a broad variety of poems, but we will also read deeply: this is a class on how to read and read into poems, as much as anything else. Given this range and depth, this class serves as a detailed study of modernism, a study of poetry as a genre, and a practical lesson in the teaching of poetry. Written requirements are a close reading of a single poem, and a final 15 page essay that employs research and interpretation. Each student will present a 10-15 minute oral report on a given poet or topic, and lead a discussion on a poem. Our text will be a substantial anthology, supplemented with all sorts of goodies made available on Blackboard.

Requirements Fulfilled: British Literature; Period: Later; Genre: Poetry

ENGL 5323 Studies in Nineteenth-Century American Literature: Making and Un-Making the Poetic Canon

When students think about nineteenth-century poetry (if they think about it at all), they might remember Walt Whitman, Emily Dickinson, maybe Henry Wadsworth Longfellow. In this class, we will examine canonical figures, the literary history that has made them canonical figures, and, just as important, the figures who were left out of the so-called “American Renaissance.” Nineteenth-century American poetry has experienced a resurgence of critical interest over the last twenty years, and we will attend to the varied, recent approaches to this body of work. In our exploration, we will find that canon formation's inclusionary and exclusionary practices reveal longstanding social, political, and even economic forces that got their start in the nineteenth-century and continue to exert their influence today. But we will also study the ways that poetry functioned as a dynamic force that responded to institutional powers, historical crises, and social injustice. This course will provide a solid overview of nineteenth-century poems and authors, combined with current critical discussions/debates. Each week will focus on a single poet. Requirements for the class include in-class presentations, weekly Blackboard posts, a research proposal, and a final written assignment. The syllabus is designed to introduce students to a broad range of authors, texts, and critical methodologies.

Requirements Fulfilled: American Literature, Period: Early; Genre: Poetry

ENGL 5380 Special Topics: Religion's Encounter with Colonialism, Nationalism, and Social Movements in the 20th Century

Culture is the fundamental means through which humans make sense of the world, and within culture, religion has often played an oversized role in helping humans understand their sense of self, their relations to other people, the various communities they belong to, and their place within the cosmos. Furthermore, religion has also played an extremely important role in conjunction with various political and social movements such as colonialism, nationalism, and civil rights. At times, these movements have used religion to empower or oppress people. At other times, people have used religion to challenge or question them. This course uses literature to examine religion's constrictive or liberatory stance in three broad contexts: a) the role of Christianity in the colonization of Nigeria, b) “weak” (postmodern) religious practices as a response to late 20th century nationalism in South Asia and c) the tense relationship between “strong” Christianity and race in 1950s-1960s United States.

Tentative Texts:
Nigeria: Things Fall Apart by Chinua Achebe; Death and the King's Horseman by Wole Soyinka or Purple Hibiscus by Chimamanda Ngozi Adiche

South Asia: The Hungry Tide by Amitav Ghosh (India); Anil's Ghost by Michael Ondaatje (Sri Lanka)

United States: selected short stories by Flannery O'Connor; Gilead by Marilynne Robinson

Selected theoretical readings will supplement each literary text

Requirements Fulfilled: Comparative Literature (CLGT), Period: Later; Genre: Fiction