Literature 120 SMSU
January 24, 2017
Course Description and Objectives
The Literature course is a semester course designed for college-bound seniors and
involves the close reading and critical analysis of poetry, short stories, dramas, and novels from
American, British, and other classic authors. Study and application of various literary theories
will help students see these literary works in a new light.
Writing assignments will utilize in-class discussion with peers and help from the
instructor, with time provided to work on revisions. Instruction of grammar, sound sentence
structure, development of transitional phrases, etc., will be given as needed.
Major Concepts/Content
Literature is designed to be a college/university level course. This course will provide
students with the intellectual challenges and workload consistent with a typical undergraduate
university English Literature course.
Course Goals
1. To carefully read and critically analyze imaginative literature.
2. To understand the way writers use language to provide meaning and pleasure.
3. To consider a work’s structure, style, and themes as well as such smaller scale
elements as the use of figurative language, imagery, symbolism, tone, etc.
4. To study representative works from various genres and periods (from the sixteenth to
the twentieth century) and to know a few works extremely well.
5. To understand a work’s complexity, to absorb richness of meaning, and to analyze how
meaning is embodied in literary form.
6. To consider the social and historical values a work reflects and embodies.
7. To become aware of the many elements of language, including: connotation, metaphor,
irony, syntax, and tone.
Course Syllabus
Writing Expectations
Students will be expected to use every assignment that involves writing and rewriting to practice
their best composition skills.
Composition assignments will include: statements, paragraphs, essay tests, and formal essays
(personal, expository, and argumentative). No matter the kind of writing assigned, best
composition skills should be practiced. When an assignment calls for a “paragraph,” students
must check their work against the paragraph criteria below:
1. Many times students will be asked for their opinion or idea about an aspect of a work
of literature. Students must use complete sentences with clear support for their ideas, and
be ready to share and discuss in class.
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2. All assignments for formal papers will include a specific grading rubric. Students will
be expected to consult each rubric carefully before submitting their work.
Students will be expected to rewrite larger papers and literary analyses after receiving
feedback.
3. Essay tests will need to be typed and uploaded directly into the student Moodle
accounts, emailed, or printed and handed in per instructor’s direction. Students will be
expected to rewrite larger papers and literary analyses after receiving feedback.
4. Grammar and usage: Students should have a good command of Standard Written
English. There will be mini-lessons throughout the course dealing with complex grammar
and usage issues, sentence constructions, and diction. Occasionally students may need
some additional help with this, and lessons will be incorporated as necessary.
5. Students will focus all compositions in clear, competent paragraphs using topic
sentences, support sentences, transitions, lines and quotes from works they have read, and
language appropriate for a college-level course.
There are many good online guides to grammar. The link below is one such guide.
http://grammar.ccc.commnet.edu/grammar/index.htm
Students may consult this guide or a writing handbook for grammar problems.
Course Content
Introduction to the course: Thinking about literature. What makes an effective reader? How do we approach
literature? Experience, Analysis and Extension
The Foundation – Elements of Style: Diction, Figurative Language, Imagery, Syntax, Rhyme, Meter, Form, Tone
and Mood.
Explanation will be given of the nature of writing assignments in Literature 120, as well as how to use annotation
in close reading, and developing a thesis statement.
Timed in-class writing: critical analysis of poem and short story (reader-response theory)
 Poetry: In this unit students will demonstrate the ability to:
-Read a poem critically, with attention to the poem’s theme and the poet’s techniques,
-Analyze the dramatic situation, structure, line, diction, connotation, sound devices,
syntax, mood, purpose, persona, tone and theme of a poem,
-Identify different forms of the sonnet,
-Identify figurative language and syntactical patterns,
-Discuss the theme and technique used in a poem,
-Use the language of the criticism of poetry, and
-Write at least one well-supported analytical essay of a poem using at least three specific
poetic devices, along with support and examples of each.
Selections: “Introduction to Poetry” (Collins), “Learning to Read” (Wright), “Out, Out – “ (Frost),
“How to write the great American Indian novel” (Alexie), “Death Be Not Proud” (Donne), “Do not go
gentle into that good night” (Thomas), “Because I could not stop for death” (Dickinson), “Tell all the
truth but tell it slant” (Dickinson), “The Sacred” (Dunn), “To an Athlete Dying Young” (Housman),
“Vegetarian Physics” (Clewell), “The Cold Within” (Kinney), “Scorn not the sonnet”
(Wordsworth)“When my love swears that she is made of truth” (Shakespeare 138), “Shall I compare
thee to a summer’s day” (Shakespeare 18), and other selections as time allows.
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Drama: TBD (Shakespeare) Students will demonstrate ability to:
-Read a play critically, with attention to plot, genre, tone, conflict, historical
significance, foil, metaphor, allusion, etc. Macbeth 2017
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Novels: Students will select one novel from a British author: Tess of the D’Urbervilles
(Hardy), Pride and Prejudice (Austen), 1984 (Orwell), or Lord of the Flies (Golding)
Students will write an essay in which they use critical analysis to write an original and
complete evaluation of the story’s artistry, quality, and social and cultural values of the
time in which each their novel of choice was written. (Novels are subject to change)
Students will also select one novel from an American author: The Adventures of
Huckleberry Finn (Twain) The Awakening (Chopin), or The Scarlet Letter (Hawthorne).
Students will write an essay in which they use critical analysis to write an original and
complete evaluation of the story’s artistry, quality, and social and cultural values of the
time in which their novel of choice was written. (Novels are subject to change)
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Short Stories: “The Story of an Hour” (Chopin), “An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge”
(Bierce), “A Logic Named Joe” (Jenkins), etc.
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Miscellaneous works: current event articles (as they pertain to selected readings) for
further analysis
Methodology
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During this course lecture, class discussion, small group discussions, student
presentations and audio/video materials will be used. Homework is assigned daily,
especially in reading. Tests and quizzes on literary works along with required
terminology are to be expected, with or without prior notice.
Students are required to have all necessary materials in class daily. Assignments are
expected to be completed and handed in on time. Having the required reading finished
before class will allow for deeper class discussion. Students are to take notes as they
read, keep a reading and vocabulary journal, and take notes on lectures and class
discussions.
As per SMSU Rubric: This course will deepen students' understanding and appreciation
of literature as an art form as well as to strengthen students' ability to read short stories,
poems, novels and drama for meaning.
Students will understand the importance of plot as the preliminary starting point for
literary analysis. Students will understand the drawbacks of plot-centered literature and
“adventure literature” compared to enduring, classic literature.
Students will understand the social and historical aspects that influence literature. setting
Students will understand the “moral” or meaning of literature. They will learn to move
beyond a plot-discussion to a deeper analysis of meaning. theme
Students will understand the central importance of character development in enduring
literature. characterization
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Students will learn that how a work is organized helps to create meaning. Techniques
such as flashback and fore-shadowing, parallel characters and parallel situations will be
discussed and analyzed. structure
Students will learn the literary and stylistic devices and tropes often used in enduring
literature. language
Students will learn the difference between first- and third-person narration and what are
the relative strengths and weaknesses of each method. narration
Grading
At this point in their educational career, students will understand that unfinished or late
assignments are unacceptable and will cause a grade reduction for those assignments. Students
will also understand that being in class daily is necessary for a full understanding of the material
discussed. Extra credit work is not an option. The District Grading For Learning Policy does not
apply to this course – student grades will stand for each assignment. There will be no ‘retakes’
on quizzes or tests; essays may be re-written for a better score ONLY if the student starts over
with a different topic and writes another paper. Edits made to corrected papers do not qualify for
a higher score. Efforts need to be focused on daily class work and long range assignments
required for this course.
Plagiarism will not be tolerated. Students caught plagiarizing will receive a zero. They
will be encouraged to submit an alternate, related assignment which must meet all requirements
of the previous essay in order to qualify for a passing score. Students who do not comply fail the
assignment. Repeated plagiarism will result in loss of credit for the course.
The following assignments will be utilized in grading:
Daily work
Note Checks and Quizzes
Unit Tests and Projects
Essays
Date (week of)
Jan 24 (3 days)
Jan 30 (4days)
Reading assignment
Ch. I “Thinking About
Literature” from
Literature and
Composition text
Ch. 2 “Close Reading:
Analyzing Poetry and
Passages of Fiction”
“Because I Could Not
Stop for Death”
Dickenson; “Death Be
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Objective
Log into SMSU and
register for College
Now Course
Discuss class
expectations
Hand out syllabus (on
Moodle) SMSU
guidelines
Understanding how to
read and analyze poetry
-critical reading of
poems
Historical significance
Author biographies
Assessment
Class discussion – Why study
literature?
Class discussion – key
elements of poetry listed and
discussed
Class discussion of 3 poems,
notes in class, samples of
annotations
Not Proud” Donne; “Do
Not go Gentle Into that
Good Night” Thomas
Feb 6 (3 ½ days)
Feb 13 (3 ½ days)
Feb 21 (3 days)
Feb 27 (3 days)
Mar 6 (4 days)
Poetry Packet: “An
Author to Her Book”
Bradstreet; “How to
write the perfect
American Indian novel”
Alexie; “If” Kipling
Poem: TBD
Class assignment:
research biographies of
assigned author(s); not
significant life events
that may have affected
the author’s work
Canterbury Tales –
Introduction
Canterbury Tales –
Prologue
The Pardoner’s Tale,
The Wife of Bath’s
Tale,
The Clerk’s Tale
Chaucer - continued
Introduce Thomas
Hardy
Tess of the
D’Urbervilles –Phase
the First
Ch 3 “The Big Picture:
Analyzing Fiction and
Drama” in Lit text
Mar 13 (4 days)
Tess of the
D’Urbervilles –Phase
the Second
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Identifying elements of
poetry
Understanding how to
annotate readings
Using a graphic
organizer (pp 38, 39)
Taking notes for CC
essay (p 50)
Using sample CC notes
and essays – introduce
reader response samples
and CC samples t model
effective writing
Continue with close
reading and analysis of
poetry
Students will understand
why using historical
significance will help
them to understand
poetry (bio on William
Ernest Henley)
Analyze poem and
create a visual
representation to present
in class; include all
relevant elements of
poetry, reader response,
author biography, etc.
Presentations will be a
minimum of 10 minutes
Understanding Chaucer
Historical significance
Setting up the tales
Gender roles
Societal values/norms
Reading classic
literature
-historical significance
-gender roles
-Hardy’s purpose in
writing Tess
Elements of Fiction:
Plot, character, setting,
point of view, symbol,
theme, etc.
Identifying elements of
fiction
Class quiz – ‘identify the
author’ – student will use
class notes/discussion to
identify one work from each
author studied this week
Write a reader response to
“Invictus” – William Ernest
Henley – due Monday
Class discussion
Quiz to assess student
understanding of poems and
poetic elements
“The Cold Within” Kinney
Groups will present their
assigned poems on Thursday
and Friday
Grading rubric will address
whether students have
correctly identified elements
of poetry, historical
significance, societal
significance, etc.
Students will perform one of
the assigned tales; groups will
be randomly selected
-group grade; individual
grade; overall effectiveness in
story re-tell
Presentations
Class discussion
Reader response essay
Class discussion
Reader response essay
Characterization: static
vs. dynamic
Short quizzes to assess
understanding of plot
Identifying gender roles
in Hardy’s time
Tess of the
D’Urbervilles –Phase
the Third
Mar 20 (3 days)
Recognizing Tess as a
victim
Tess of the
D’Urbervilles –Phase
the Fourth
Class discussion
Reader response essay
Short quizzes to assess
understanding of plot
Mar 28 (3 days)
Tess of the
D’Urbervilles –Phase
the Fifth
Apr 3 (4 days)
Tess of the
D’Urbervilles –Phase
the Sixth
Exam - Tess of the
D’Urbervilles
Tess of the
D’Urbervilles –Phase
the Seventh
Reader response essay
Apr 10 (3 days)
Apr 18 (3 days)
Apr 24 (4 days)
May 1 (3 days)
May 8 (4 days)
May 15 (4 days)
May 22 (3 days)
Short Stories “The Yellow
Wallpaper” Gilman
“The Story of an Hour”
Chopin
Applying the elements
of plot
Applying the elements
of plot
Reader response essay
“An Occurrence at Owl
Creek Bridge” Bierce
Presentation – expectations,
rubric
“A Summer’s Reading”
Malamud
Presentations
Shakespeare
Macbeth
Shakespeare
Macbeth
Shakespeare
Macbeth
Shakespeare
Macbeth
Shakespeare
Macbeth
Presentation – expectations,
rubric
Presentations
May 30 (2 days)
Presentations
Final Exam
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