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UNIVERSITY OF BRITISH COLUMBIA-OKANAGAN
FACULTY OF CREATIVE & CRITICAL STUDIES
Kelowna, British Columbia
2010-11 Winter Term 1
ENGLISH 150 003
READINGS IN POETRY & DRAMA
Tuesday/Thursday 11:00-12:30 ARTS118
Dr. Jodey Castricano
Office: ARTS 176
Office Hours: THURSDAYS 1:00-2:00 OR BY APPOINTMENT
Email: [email protected]
Calendar: Readings in Poetry and Drama
Introduces students to the literary genres of poetry and drama.
Students will critically examine a variety of poems and two or more
plays drawn from a range of styles and periods. These works will be
studied in relation to the conventions of the two genres, using a
variety of critical approaches.
We live in a world that appears to need and value the Humanities less and less. If
this is the case, why study literature at all? What about drama? Has it any place
in our minds next to television series such as True Blood, CSI or Criminal Minds?
And what about poetry? Why write poems? Why read them? For that matter,
why would Plato want to ban dramatic poets from the Republic? Are poems
dangerous? In this course these and other questions will be explored through a
representative sampling of poetry and drama and discussions of the relevance of
literary study in a digital world. Attention will also be given to some earlier
poems and plays so that we can make some comparisons. In lectures, discussions
and assignments, we will not only consider the vexing question of what a poem
or a play means, but also how it means—and how that meaning is influenced by
the always changing contexts in which the poems and plays appear. Lectures
will move between detailed readings of individual poems and plays and
seminars will provide the opportunity to probe the social and intellectual
contexts out of which these genres have emerged and to explore their relevance
in contemporary culture.
As one of its more important aims, this course will encourage students to
develop methods of reading and writing that respect the complex—and often
difficult—language structures of poetic texts as well as to learn critical
approaches (feminist, historical) to reading and writing drama . Of importance
will be learning how to think critically about literature—to analyze, critique and
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synthesize evidence objectively before arriving at any conclusions. This could
involve asking technical questions such as how does point of view shape a
narrative? Or it could mean examining what a literary text has to say about the
world within which we live. These are not simple concerns, in part because what
is salient in a literary text can vary widely from reader to reader, and depend
significantly on the context in which we interpret a given text. What we will
endeavour to cultivate, then, is a practice of slow reading, that attends to the
specificity of literary work and how it is situated in social and historical terms.
This idea of patient reading also refers to a process of composing critical analyses
of literary genre. Thus, another objective of this course is to develop your ability
to communicate, in writing, a critical position on a question or topic concerning a
particular work of poetry or drama. It is important to read the works we study
mindfully and more than once. Our aim is not to consume and appreciate what
has been ordained as “good” or “worthwhile” or even “edifying” literature. In
the place of reverence, we will endeavor to read critically and carefully, and in a
manner that is creative, reasoned, and thoughtful. Such an approach means
having reasoned and increasingly sophisticated reasons for “liking” or “not
liking” the texts at hand and being able to articulate those reasons for others,
especially in writing. What this also means is that we’ll learn to pay attention to
our own acts of interpretation and to reflect upon them. In order to improve your
understanding, you need to develop your ability to read closely, a skill which is
fundamental for interpreting literary/cultural texts. Learning this skill is a
primary aim in this course and will help to improve your writing and integrate
your learning. Be prepared to read slowly…
Required Texts:
1. The Broadview Anthology of Poetry (2nd Edition) Eds. Rosengarten &
Goldrick-Jones
2. Drama: A Pocket Anthology (Canadian Edition) Eds. Gwynn & Campbell
3. Using Modern Language Association (MLA) Documentation. Print and
use this guide found at:
http://www.library.ubc.ca/ubco/citations.html
Evaluation & Important Dates
Essay 1
10%:
September 30th, (500 WORDS)
Essay 1 (Revised) 15%:
October 28th (750 WORDS)
Midterm Exam
20%:
October 14th in class
FINAL Essay 2
20%:
November 25th in class
Final Exam
25%:
Date: TBA (students must write exam to pass
course)
Participation
10%
(includes preparation, in class assignments &
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possible quizzes. Note, if missed these cannot be retaken)
Also note: Attendance in this class is mandatory in order to pass the course.
READING SCHEDULE:
Week 1
Sept 7: No class/Create for Students
September 9
Introduction to Course/Evaluation/Planning & Why Study Literature?
What to expect.
Week 2
September 14: Intro to Drama
“Still Stands the House” (Gwen Pharis Ringwood) p. 286 Drama Anthology
September 16:
“Still Stands the House” (Gwen Pharis Ringwood) p. 286 Drama Anthology
Week 3:
September 21:
“A Doll’s House” (Henrik Ibsen) p. 210 Drama Anthology
September 23:
Library Research Instruction Seminar: attendance mandatory
Week 4
September 28:
“A Doll’s House” (Henrik Ibsen) p. 210 Drama Anthology
September 30:
Essay #1 on “Still Stands the House” DUE in class
“A Doll’s House” (Henrik Ibsen) p. 210 Drama Anthology
Week 5
October 5
“A Doll’s House” (Garland, 96 min.)
October 7
“A Doll’s House” (Garland, 96 min.)
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Week 6
October 12 Introduction to
“The Tragedy of Othello, The Moor of Venice” (William Shakespeare) p. 90
October 14::
Mid-term Exam in class/Essay #1 returned with commentary
Week 7
October 19
“The Tragedy of Othello, The Moor of Venice” (William Shakespeare) p. 90
October 21
Week 8
October 26
Othello, (Oliver Parker, Director)
October 28: ESSAY #1 REVISED DUE IN CLASS
“The Tragedy of Othello, The Moor of Venice” (William Shakespeare) p. 90
Week 9
November 2:
Othello, (Oliver Parker, Director)
November 4: : Introduction to Poetry: “Is that a real poem or did you
make it up?” (Robert Creeley)
“Reading Poetry” (1037-1059)
Speakers: James Dickey, “The Leap” (handout)
Gwendolyn MacEwen, “Dark Pines Under Water” (828)
Ishmael Reed, “Beware: Do Not Read This Poem”
http://www.tnellen.com/cybereng/poetry/beware.html
Week 10
November 9:
Margaret Atwood, “This Is a Photograph of Me” (788), “Journey to the
Interior” (789), “Tricks with Mirrors”
http://webcache.googleusercontent.com/search?q=cache:4YDrI1Q8T4UJ:www.phil.mu
ni.cz/angl/englishdigit/don/canad_women/1-atwoodtricks.rtf+tricks+with+mirrors+atwood&cd=2&hl=en&ct=clnk&gl=ca&client=safari
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November 11: Remembrance Day/No Class
Term 1 reading break begins (November 11-12 inclusive). Lectures and
laboratories cancelled. Library and some other facilities open.
Week 11
November 16
William Carlos Williams, “This is Just to Say” (403), “The Red Wheelbarrow”
(402)
Helen Chasin, “The Word Plum”:
https://wiki.geneseo.edu:8443/display/littexts/The+Word+Plum
Hilda Doolittle (HD), “Oread” (424)
Read: Ezra Pound, “In a Station of the Metro” (416)
November 18
Sylvia Plath, “Black Rook in Rainy Weather” (735)
John Keats, “Ode to a Nightingale” (194)
Recommended: Edgar Allan Poe, “The Raven” (225), William Butler Yeats,
“The Second Coming” (370), Wallace Stevens, “Thirteen Ways of Looking at
a Blackbird” (390)
Note: Well-known Canadian poet, George Bowering will be reading tonight @
7pm in the evening, @ Streaming Café in Downtown Kelowna: 596 Leon Ave,
Kelowna, BC V1Y 6J6
Week 12
November 23
D.H. Lawrence, “Snake” (407), Irving Layton, “The Bull Calf” (564), William
Stafford, “Traveling Through the Dark” (574)
Recommended: Alden Nowlan, “The Bull Moose” (741)
November 25: FINAL Essay 2 Due in class: no exceptions
Sharon Thesen, “Hello Goodbye” (895), “Doubletalk” (896), “Biography of a
Woman” (897)
Lindsay Diehl, “Kewpie Doll” (handout), “Cool Moon Winter” (handout)
Poets Sharon Thesen & Lindsday Diehl will be visiting this class to give a
reading. Please come prepared to ask questions about the writing process.
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Week 13
November 30: Poetry/Painting
W.H. Auden, “Musée des Beaux Arts” (514), George Bowering, “The Swing”
(763), William Carlos Williams, “The Dance” (405)
See also: Landscapes with the Fall of Icarus:
http://www.littlereview.com/gallery/icarus.htm
December 2 Class ends: Course/Exam Review
Essay 1 (September 30th ) & Essay 1 REVISED (October 28th ):
For the first essay you will be asked to write a 500 word critical essay (worth
10%). The essay must be original and must present a critical argument as well as
employ terminology appropriate to the study of drama. Outside sources are not
required, nor are they expected. A specific topic on a particular work will be
circulated at the end of Week 2. A significant challenge of this assignment is the
brevity of the essay you will write, which is designed to sharpen and condense
your writing so that it becomes direct and concise. You will be required to
submit your essay to Turnitin.Com and will be supplied with logon information
for the course.
For Essay #1 you will receive a mark and written commentary and will then be
required to revise and resubmit the essay for an additional mark of 15% (note,
it’s expected your revised essay will show marked signs of improvement). This
requirement is designed to encourage you to take constructive criticism in order
to refine and improve your written work.
Essay #1A REVISED (worth 15%): 750-1000 WORDS. You must also submit
1) your original, marked essay with the revised version,
2) signed form from Writing Centre to confirm your attendance
3) revised essay to Turnitin.com.
All three requirements must be completed by due dates or essay will not be
graded.
AGAIN: Essay 1 Due: September 30th / Revised Essay 1A Due: October 28th
TurnItIn Guidelines for Students
http://www.vpacademic.ubc.ca/integrity/turnitin/students.htm
NOTE: Direct On-line Submission to TurnItIn: We will be using this option
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Visit the TurnItIn site at www.turnitin.com. You will be asked to create a unique
"user profile", consisting of an ID (e-mail address) and password. If you are
concerned about submitting your own personal information and have privacy
concerns, you have the option of creating an alias or pseudonym when creating
your Turnitin login. If you choose to use an alias, your will need to inform your
instructor that you will not be submitting your work under your own name.
Also, you will have to create a new email address for the alias. From here, you
can set up your alias user profile. Once this ID is created, you will be able to add
courses to your profile. To add a course, you will need the "course ID" and
"course password" -- your instructor will provide you with this information.
Once added to a course, you will be able to submit assignments for that course to
the service. Please ensure that there is no identifying information included in the
text of any assignment that your submit to Turnitin. This includes your name
and student number!
You can submit a paper in two ways:
by file upload (used to submit a paper as a computer file; TurnItIn currently
accepts submissions in Microsoft Word, WordPerfect, RTF, PDF,
PostScript, plain text, and HTML formats)
by cut and paste (used to submit a paper by cutting and pasting the text into a
text box)
If you upload your file onto TurnItIn, remember to delete any identifying
information from the original document prior to uploading it. If you use the cut
and paste option, you will be asked to cut and paste (text only) the abstract (if
you have one), the body of your assignment, and the bibliography into separate
fields within the Web site. Simply confirm the submission, and TurnItIn will
issue a receipt (via e-mail).
Please note that it will still be necessary to provide your instructor with a hard
copy of your assignment.
After Submission
Assignments are not accessible to the public once submitted to TurnItIn, and
you, as the author, retain ownership of your original material. Your work will be
added to TurnItIn's archive for comparison against subsequently submitted
material, thus ensuring that your work is not plagiarized. Should a match be
found between subsequently submitted material and your earlier submitted
material, TurnItIn will inform the instructor that a match has been found with an
archived document, and provide contact information for your instructor. Your
material will not be released to other TurnItIn subscribers even if such a match is
found. The two instructors will have the option of collaborating to ascertain
whether your work has been plagiarized.
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Avoiding Plagiarism
Students should refer to the current UBC Calendar for policies on plagiarizing.
As well you should refer to material on the Faculty of Arts site as an aid to
writing effectively and avoiding plagiarism.
TERM Essay 2: November 25th
For the second essay you will write a 1000-1250 word critical essay on an
assigned topic. The essay must be original and must present a critical argument
as well as employ terminology appropriate to the study of poetry or drama. At
least one outside source (library or internet) will be required (exclusion:
Wikipedia). You must use MLA style documentation. A specific topic on a
particular work will be circulated in Week 8.
Please note: papers arriving late will NOT receive comments and those arriving
TWO or more days late, except in noteworthy circumstances, will not be graded
at all. Essays must be submitted in class. Do not email your essay, in other
words.