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English 1108:13
Introduction to Literature
Poetry and Drama
Fall, 2016
Dr. Todd Pettigrew
office: CC 233
phone: 563-1616
email: [email protected] (note underscore)
facebook.com/cbu.english
hours: MTWR 3:45-5:00
twitter: @CapeEnglish
Course goals
English 1108 provides a genre-based introduction to literature, focussing on poetry and drama.
In particular, we will use these two modes of literary expression to explore the nature of
literature generally, the terms through which we can make sense of it, and the means by which
we can sharpen our appreciation of it.
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Course outcomes
"Books give not wisdome where none was before, / But where some is, there reading makes it more." – John Harrington
By the end of this course, students should be able to read and understand complex works of
verse and drama that they have not encountered before and describe precisely some of their
major themes, their rhetorical strategies, their structure, and the broad literary traditions in
which they participate. Further, successful students should be able to comment on such works
in an analytical way, attending not just to the elements of plot or topic, but to more profound
significations.
Still further, a student who excels in this course should be able to read and reread important
works of literature and gain an ever-increasing appreciation for the profound implications that
lie therein. Through this study, they should develop a sense of gravitas, an awareness that the
world presents all of us with deep and difficult challenges and that only a deep and
sophisticated mind can hope to rise to those challenges.
Finally, students successfully completing this course should be able to address texts of all kinds
in a critical, sceptical, imaginative, analytical way. They should understand that meanings are
almost always multiple, complex, and contestable, but that bold assertions may be possible
nevertheless. They should have developed the courage to read against texts when it is justified,
pointing out their troubling implications, even when those texts seem to have the authority of
power or prestige.
Students will demonstrate their skills and knowledge by writing a series of critical essays, each
of which will feature a clear, interpretive thesis supported by evidence internal to, and, in some
cases, external to the text. Students will also demonstrate their knowledge and skills in two
formal exams.
Required Texts and Schedule of Readings
“You are the same today that you are going to be in five years from now except for two things: the people with whom you
associate and the books you read.”
– Charles Jones
Ferguson et al (eds). The Norton Anthology of Poetry, Shorter Fifth Edition
Miller, Death of a Salesman, Viking.
Wilde, The Importance of Being Earnest, Broadview.
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Readings
Week
Texts (all poems in Norton Anthology)
1: The Study of Literature
2: Introduction to Poetry
-Wordsworth, “I Wandered Lonely as a Cloud”
Frost,” Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening”
Heany, “Digging”
C. Wright, “Quotations”
cummings, “anyone lived in a pretty how town”
3: The Elegy and The Ode
Gray, “Elegy Written in a Country Church-Yard”
Houseman,” To an Athlete, Dying Young”
Auden, “In Memory of WB Yeats
Shelley, “Ode to the West Wind”
Keats, “Ode on a Grecian Urn”
4: Fixed Forms
Roethke, “The Waking”
Thomas, “Do Not Go Gentle…”
Spenser, Sonnet 54
Shakespeare, Sonnets 73 and 130
Milton, “When I Consider How My Light…”
-----. “Methought I Saw”
Shelley, “Ozymandias”
St Vincent Millay, “I Being Born a Woman…”
From Beowulf
Chaucer, “G. Prologue” to The Canterbury Tales
Milton, from Paradise Lost
Pope, “The Rape of the Lock”
5: Narrative Poetry
6: Dramatic Monologue
7: Introduction to Drama
8: Tragedy
9: Tragedy
Browning,” My Last Duchess”
Tennyson, “Ulysses”
Arnold, “Dover Beach”
Eliot, “The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock”
J. Wright “Eve to Her Daughters”
Miller, Death of a Salesman
Miller, Death of a Salesman
Miller, Death of aSalesman
10: Comedy
Wilde, The Importance of Being Earnest
11: Comedy
Wilde, The Importance of Being Earnest
12: Review
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In the Classroom
“Knowledge is of the past, wisdom is of the future. “– Vernon Cooper
The Classroom Environment
A course such as this involves considerable work outside the classroom conducting research,
doing independent analysis, and so on. Nevertheless, the classroom is vital because it is the one
place where all members of the class come together.
As such, the classroom should be an environment in which all students feel free to raise
questions and offer contributions as the year progresses. Vigorous intellectual work will
inevitably sometimes make people uncomfortable and will sometimes offend. For the most
part, such difficulties are important and productive because they force us to reconsider our
perspectives and assumptions. But as scholars we must also practice respect for others.
Therefore, in the interest of creating a challenging yet respectful environment, I ask and I
expect that everyone will:
1. Attend class regularly. Generally, only illness or emergencies should keep you away from
class. Other commitments – including those sponsored by the University -- should be
scheduled around your class time.
2. Arrive at class on time and stay for the entire class; those who must come late or leave
early should do so as unobtrusively as possible.
3. Refrain from private conversations in class.
4. Refrain from working on material for other courses or projects in class.
5. Refrain from using phones, laptops, tablets or any other electronic devices. This
requirement is consistent with the CBU policy on electronic devices in class.
6. Be attentive to the lectures and discussions in class. Students should expect to take
notes during class to help them focus and to provide study material later.
7. Be reasonably respectful of the dignity and feelings of other members of the class,
particularly in matters of race, national origin, and gender.
8. Be open minded with regard to ideas that may be discomforting or offensive.
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9. Do all the required reading ahead of the class when those readings are to be discussed
and to come to class ready to participate in that discussion. That means having the
readings with you.
10. Ask questions.
11. Consult actively with the instructor regarding assignments to make sure they are on the
right track.
Students who disrupt class by failing to observe these guidelines, or who disrupt class in other
ways, may be asked to leave the classroom.
Attendance and Participation
Although no attendance grade will be given in this course, it is impossible to pass the course
without completing the readings, writing the assignments, attending regularly, taking careful
notes, and studying for the exams. In other words, you must attend and participate.
Students are expected to have read the texts under consideration by the time they are studied
in class. Students may find that the course progresses more quickly than they are used to from
previous studies and thus should work hard to keep up with the readings. Notice, too, that
works are of varying lengths; longer works such as non-fiction books,plays, and novels will have
to be started well in advance.
Generally, and unless otherwise indicated, this class will meet when the university is open.
Consult CBU’s policy on inclement weather for details about weather-related closings of
campus.
Office Hours and Communication
Writing good essays is difficult. For this reason, you should consult with the instructor during
office hours.
Office hours are for consultations regarding course materials and assignments in progress.
Questions about grades and extensions should be communicated by email.
All email communication should be done via your CBU email. Messages from other email
providers may not reliably find my inbox.
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Assignments and Tests
Grades in this course will be assigned as follows:
First paper (details in Appendix C – 20%)
Second paper (details in Appendix C – 30%)
Midterm test (20%) covers up to and including narrative poetry; held in class on October 25th
Final Exam (30%) covers dramatic monologue and drama; held during exam period
Secondary Sources
Assignments for this course may require you to use
secondary sources. In some cases, specific sources may
be called for; in others, you may have to find resources
on your own. In any event, all secondary sources should
be of reliable quality.
“if the Professor has a more nuanced
view that Wikipedia should not be cited
"as a source" by university students then
I agree completely! I think the same
thing about citing Britannica or any
other encyclopedia. Citing an
encyclopedia for an academic paper at
the University level is not appropriate -you aren't 12 years old any more, it's
time to step up your game and do
research in original sources.”
– Jimmy Wales, founder of Wikipedia.
Moreover, for this course, all sources must be accessible
from within CBU. That means they must be freely
available online, or via a database that CBU subscribes
to, or in the CBU library.
Reliable secondary sources include the following, all of
which you are encouraged to use as sources:
Articles from peer-reviewed literary journals, in
print or online
Books from university presses or high quality commercial presses
Articles from large specialized reference works (e.g. The Encyclopaedia of the
Renaissance)
Web sites maintained by scholarly associations and institutions of higher learning
Articles from high quality periodicals, in print or online
Unreliable secondary sources include the following and must not be used as sources:
Study guides or notes, in print or online (e.g. Coles Notes, Sparknotes)
General encyclopaedia in print or online (e.g. Wikipedia)
Web sites of general interest (e.g. answers.com)
Private web sites, even when focussed on specific authors or issues
Tracking Your Progress in the Course
It is vitally important for all students to keep track of their progress in the course. That is, you
should:
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1. Ensure that you received confirmation that your essays were received. If you haven’t
heard back within 1 full school day of sending, it, send a new message requesting
confirmation.
2. Save your assignments for future reference. This includes the graded version and
backup copies of your submissions.
3. Calculate and recalculate your provisional grade as the term goes on. Notice that there
is no portion of the grade that is discretionary or secret. The grade will be calculated
exactly as indicated. There are no points added or subtracted based on effort, overall
trend in performance, attitude, personality, or any other intangible factor.
4. Consult with the instructor and the Jennifer Keeping Centre if you have a documented
disability where special accommodations might be appropriate.
Format for written assignments
Assignments must be sent by email in Word format. Send file as an attachment, not as a link.
Send papers to the instructor’s CBU account, from your CBU account. Paper copies will not be
accepted and, if submitted, will neither be graded nor retained for future reference.
Use black type and double space. New paragraphs should be indicated with an indent, not with
an extra space. Use a 12 point sans-serif font such as Calibri, the font you see here (not a serif
font like Times New Roman). Pages must be numbered in the upper right corner. Do not use a
title page. Your name, student number, the instructor’s name, the course number, the essay
number, and the date must appear in the upper left corner of your first page (this material
should be single spaced, not double spaced as the rest of the text is). Citations must be done
according to MLA parenthetical style.
While these guidelines may seem detailed or intimidating, they can be mastered quickly with
due attention. Notice that these guidelines are more detailed than the checklist; nevertheless,
all these items are mandatory and will be part of your grade on the assignment.
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Late Policy for Assignments
Essay received
Bonus/Penalty (to assignment) Comments
Before or at the
+10%
Full
deadline
Up to one week late
0%
Partial
More than one week
-10%
Minimal or none
late
Essays are due at 11:59 pm on the due dates indicated (see Appendix C). Problems with
transmission, formatting and the like will not excuse lateness. No paper will be accepted
after 11:59 pm the day before the final exam. All times AT.
Final grades
Final grades will be calculated as indicated above. Except in the case of mathematical or clerical
errors, or in cases of documented exceptional circumstance, final grades, once submitted, will
not be changed.
Students should be aware that the instructor can only evaluate individual work according to the
standards of this particular course offering and the specific assignment in question. The
instructor will not respond to inquiries or complaints about grades that employ a comparison to
results in other courses or comparative results in this course.
Final grades may be appealed according to the policies outlined in the academic calendar.
Students should take note of the procedures and fees involved.
In keeping with department policy, supplemental exams will not be given for this course.
Requests for a grade of Incomplete will be considered on a case-by-case basis. Students should
be aware, that an Incomplete grade will not changed until required work has been completed,
and that an unmodified Incomplete eventually becomes an F.
Academic Honesty and Research Ethics
“Nothing is at last sacred but the integrity of your own mind.” – Ralph Waldo Emerson
Plagiarism
When you submit work for this or any other course, it is understood that the work is yours and
yours alone, except when you clearly indicate otherwise. Any words, ideas, data, or other
intellectual material that you draw from other sources, whatever they may be, must be
acknowledged in a way that makes it absolutely clear what you have taken, how you have
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adapted it, and from whom. To present the work of others without clearly indicating that it is
the work of others is plagiarism and constitutes serious academic misconduct.
Some important notes on plagiarism:
1.
Handing in an assignment that was wholly, or in part, written by someone else is
plagiarism. This provision does not include specific suggestions from the instructor
of this course which may be incorporated without citation. It does, however, include
making use of essay-writing or editing services if such services provide more than
general advice or proofreading for technical errors such as spelling and basic
grammar.
2.
Drawing passages from other sources and inserting them into your paper
without proper citation is plagiarism.
3.
Drawing passages, even short phrases, word-for-word from other sources, citing
the source, but without putting the quoted passages in quotation marks is
plagiarism. Doing so makes it appear as though you have paraphrased a passage
when you have not. Changing a few words does not constitute legitimate
paraphrase.
4.
Taking ideas, evidence, lines of arguments, or facts from other sources, even if
those sources are not print sources, and even if you have put it in your own words,
without indicating the source is plagiarism.
5.
If you are uncertain about how to cite sources, consult an appropriate reference
book, the Writing Centre, or your instructor. Do not rely on friends or other informal
advisors when it comes to proper citation.
6.
Unacknowledged parallel passages in existing sources, whether in print or online,
will normally be taken as proof of plagiarism.
7.
An extreme difference in capacity and style between in-class writing and formal
assignments will be taken as strong evidence of plagiarism. Pursuant to department
policy, students may be asked to write additional supervised assignments if concerns
about sourcing arise.
8.
Creating fake citations -- to make it appear as though material has a reliable
source when it does not, or to make it appear that you have conducted research
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that you have not -- is plagiarism. A large number of apparently bogus citations will
be treated as a case of plagiarism. If bogus citations are discovered, they may not be
changed for the sake of eliminating the plagiarism.
9.
Significant use of sources that are unavailable through CBU or not freely
available online will be taken as evidence of plagiarism.
It is absolutely imperative that you clearly understand what you must cite and how to cite it.
This material will be covered in class. It is also covered in detail in your textbook.
Students should be aware that the standards and principles of academic integrity and scholarly
quality apply to all sources, even sources made freely and publicly available.
Students should further note that the university policy on academic integrity defines plagiarism
as “the act of representing the intellectual work of others as one’s own” (see the section in the
Calendar called “Ethical Behaviour in Academic Matters”). It makes no allowance for the intent
or previous knowledge of the student, so carelessness and ignorance will not excuse misuse of
sources.
Statement of Originality (Please read carefully)
All assignments must include, at the end of the Works Cited list, the following statement,
worded exactly as it is here:
This paper constitutes my own original work. All words, ideas,
factual information, and other intellectual materials drawn from other
sources have been fully and accurately acknowledged.
This statement must appear over the student’s name which will stand in place of a signature,
and the statement must be dated. No essay will be accepted without it. Papers may be
resubmitted with the statement but will be considered late.
Research Involving Human Subjects
For this course, you should not undertake any research involving human subjects including
interviews, surveys or other similar activities. All such research must be cleared by the
university research ethics committee.
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Appendix A: Grades Explained
Range
Grades
Typical characteristics of essay
A+
90-100
Papers in this range present a striking, original thesis and provide elegant, creative, witty
arguments to support it. Evidence is ample and varied. Practically no technical errors. A joy to
read. Demonstrates elite work.
A
80-89
These papers have a clear, specific, significant thesis with cogent and articulate arguments. A
few, minor technical errors. A pleasure to read. Demonstrates excellent work.
B+
75-79
Papers in this range usually present a solid thesis, but that thesis may, nevertheless, lack
refinement orits significance may be incompletely established. Arguments are provided with
evidence but they may not be entirely convincing. Some technical errors, mostly minor. Easy to
read. Suggests excellent work.
B
70-74
Papers in this range present a workable thesis with serviceable, if not especially startling
arguments. Some relevant evidence is presented and the paper is not difficult to read. Some
technical errors, a few serious. Demonstrates good work.
C+
65-69
These papers may have a thesis, but it may be too broad, too unoriginal, or too vaguely stated to
be as interesting as it could be. Arguments are presented, but evidence could be more ample and
the paper may lack coherence. Some substantial or serious technical errors. An obligation to
read. Suggests good work.
C
60-64
Papers in this range have something like a thesis but it may be facile or leaden. Some relevant
evidence and plausible arguments are presented. Numerous technical errors, major and minor. A
duty to read. Demonstrates adequate work.
D+
55-59
Papers in this range may lack a thesis, or have a misguided or simplistic one, though there is
some argumentation supported by evidence. Technical errors abound. A chore to read. Suggests
adequate work.
D
50-54
These papers have serious deficiencies such as lack of needed evidence, inadequate detail, or
serious problems with argument. Frequent technical errors. Frustrating to read. Suggests
unacceptable work. Passes, but on the beneftit of the doubt.
F+
35-45
Papers in this range have numerous substantial problems with analysis, structure, grammar, and
usage. They may be significantly off-topic. Difficult to read. Demonstrates unacceptable work.
F
1-34
These papers have little redeeming value. They display a broad range of serious deficiencies and
do not present any sustained, coherent argument. They may be wildly off topic. Painful to read.
Demonstrates deeply inadequate work.
0
0
Papers receive a 0 if they seriously misuse sources or if they in no way meet the requirements of
the assignment.
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Appendix B: Sample Paper
Sample Student Writer
201012345
Dr. Todd Pettigrew
English 1108: 12
Essay 3
March 1, 2012
Death of a Cowboy: Brokeback Mountain as Tragedy
Writer Annie Proulx has resisted attempts to reduce Brokeback Mountain to a story of men and
not of surrounding cultural circumstances: “critics dubbed it a tale of two gay cowboys. No. It is
a story of destructive rural homophobia” (“Movied” 130). Screenwriter Larry McMurtry agrees
with this view, seeing Jack and Ennis, not as particular tragic protagonists, but rather hapless
victims in the “long American tradition of doomed young men” (“Adapting” 140, my emphasis).
These positions emphasize the social forces that work on Ennis and Jack—and not their specific
actions or characters—and suggest that if Ennis, in particular, is a tragic figure, he is tragic
because he is forced into a lifestyle that forces him to deny himself a satisfying relationship with
the man he loves. In this view, Ennis in particular is powerless against barely comprehensible
social obstacles. He is, as screenwriter Diana Ossana says “incapable of imagining a life different
than the one he had chosen for himself” (“Climbing” 144, my emphasis). Despite this emerging
critical consensus, a consensus especially formidable in that it includes the authors themselves,
I will argue that this reading, while attractive, is not sustained by the evidence of the screenplay
itself. In its place, I will propose a more nuanced interpretation that suggests that the essence
of Ennis’s tragedy does not reside in the social world in which he lives, but, more profoundly,
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inside himself. His tragedy is not the tragedy of a gay man living in a destructive homophobic
culture, but rather that of a man who has internalized the homophobia of his culture, and in so
doing has magnified and distorted it until it all but destroys him.
[The rest of the paper is omitted, here. The Works Cited list would start on a new page]
Works Cited
Brokeback Mountain. Dir. Ang Lee. Perf. Heath Ledger, Jake Gyllenhall. Focus Features,
2006. Print.
Ibsen, Henrick. The Complete Major Prose Plays. Trans. Rolf Fjelde. New York: Plume,
1965. Print.
Miller, Arthur. Death of a Salesman. 1949. Ed. Gerald Weales. New York: Penguin, 1977. Print.
Proulx, Annie, Larry McMurtry and Diana Ossana. Brokeback Mountain: Story to
Screenplay. New York: Scribner, 2005. Print.
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Appendix C: Essay topics
First Assignment (1000 words) Due October 30th
Read Ted Hughes’ poem “Daffodils” (included in the Norton Anthology) and write an essay in which you
discuss how that poem adapts any single poetic tradition that we have discussed in this course. You may
wish to compare it to a specific poem from the course. For instance, you might think of the poem as a
modern version of the Romantic lyric and compare it to Wordsworth’s “I Wandered Lonely as a Cloud”
(which sometimes is printed as “Daffodils”). Or you might see it as an elegy and compare it to Grey’s
“Elegy”. These are not the only options – you might fruitfully see the poem connected in a different way.
Notice that the point of the comparison is to generate a reading of the poem via the comparison. Do not
simply note similarities and differences. Notice too that the aim is to show your understanding of the form
or tradition in question through your analysis of the poem.
Secondary research is encouraged for this paper but not required.
Second Assignment (1250 words) Due November 30th.
Both The Importance of Being Earnest and Death of a Salesman, may be said to be plays about marriage.
For this assignment, you will research the institution of marriage in one of the relevant periods (late
Victorian England for Wilde or early Twentieth Century for Miller) and use that research to discuss how
one of these plays enters into a conversation about the nature of marriage in its time and place. Note:
do not simply assert that the play reflects the values of the period – instead, make a more bold assertion
about what the play does with the values of the surrounding era.
Secondary research is required for this paper. Primary research is encouraged.s