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ENGLISH 220: Introduction to Writing About Literature
Hunter College, Fall 2016
Mondays and Thursday 2:45pm-4:00pm
Thomas Hunter 502
Instructor: Charles Rowe
Email: [email protected]
Course Blog: www.cwrowe.com
Office: 1238 HW (Hunter West Building, Room 1238 – 12th Floor)
Office Hours: Thursdays 1pm-2pm, or by appointment
Required Texts
Shakespeare, William. A Midsummer Night’s Dream. New York: Simon and Schuster, 2004. Print.
(ISBN 9780743482813) Approximately $5.95 (Available for purchase across the street at Shakespeare
and Company Booksellers, 939 Lexington Ave. between 69th and 70th).
All other texts will be provided.
Course Description
With an emphasis on close reading and analytical writing, English 220 is intended to develop in
students the analytical and interpretive skills necessary for both written and verbal critical response
to literature that is firmly grounded in the text. It also establishes a common knowledge base,
however minimal, in literature in English, and it equips students with the vocabulary and techniques
for describing and analyzing literary works, with an emphasis on developing critical writing skills
specific to literary analysis. In addition, the course develops in students an appreciation and
understanding of the aesthetic qualities of literature, as well as an awareness that literature is part of a
larger ongoing cultural, social, and historical dialogue that informs, influences, and inspires our
experiences.
By the end of the semester, students should be able to:
1. Write thesis-driven analytical essays of 3-5 pages on all three genres (poetry, fiction, drama) that
incorporate evidence from the literary texts and demonstrate close reading skills.
2. Write an analytical research paper of at least 5-7 pages that demonstrates close reading skills and
the appropriate use of evidence from literary texts; the ability to create a clear thesis statement; and
the ability to incorporate and engage scholarly critical sources as part of a well-organized, thesisdriven argument.
3. Discuss fiction, poetry, and Shakespearean drama verbally through the use of close reading skills
and, where appropriate, basic literary terminology.
4. Demonstrate some familiarity with literary criticism in class discussion or writing, or both.
5. Demonstrate the ability to compare and/or contrast two literary works.
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Course Requirements and Rules
Attendance: Woody Allen said “80 percent of life is showing up.” Showing up to every class will go
a long way in guaranteeing your success in this course. In-class work counts for 40% of your grade
(see criteria for grading below). If you miss more than three days of class (excused or not), your final
grade for the course is lowered by one half step (an A- becomes a B+). I will only excuse absences if
you have official documentation (doctor’s note or legal documentation). Any student who misses
more than six class sessions will most likely receive an “F” in the course. If you miss class, you are
expected to turn in assignments on time. You should always let me know in advance (with a reason)
if you are going to miss class.
Lateness: Just as important as showing up is showing up on time. Frequent (late more than two
times) and/or excessive lateness (more than 15 minutes late) will be counted as absences.
Participation and Reading: Your engaged participation will help us create a successful learning
environment. You must complete reading and writing assignments before class so you are always
prepared to participate in discussions and complete in-class work. Your class participation grade is
based on both the quantity and quality of participation.
Blog: Our syllabus, copies of all the poems, and articles I hand out in class will be posted on the
course blog. The blog will also have an up-to-date schedule with important announcements. Please
check it regularly.
In-Class Work and Readings Responses: In addition to the major assignments, there will also be
frequent short writing assignments, both outside and during class, that give you a place to respond
to readings and class discussions. Use these to your advantage; they will help you develop your
writing voice and come up with ideas that you may very well use in your formal assignments.
Research Paper and Essays: Paper topics will be distributed well in advance of the due date. You
will have two short essays and one longer research paper. The basic criteria for these assignments are
below.
Essay One: A short (2-3 page) formal essay in which you will analyze one of the poems that we read
in class. It does not entail outside research.
Essay Two: A short (3-4 page) formal essay in which you analyze a soliloquy from A Midsummer
Night’s Dream. It does not entail outside research.
Research Paper: This longer paper (5-7 pages) builds on the skills from essays one and two, but adds
research. It must be on A Midsummer Night’s Dream and must incorporate two outside (secondary
sources). You must present a proposal and a rough draft for this project.
In-Class Essay and Final Exam: Around halfway through the semester, you will write an in-class
essay on one of the texts we have discussed in class. The final exam will be a one-hour essay that
responds to our fiction unit. This will be an “open-book” test—you will have all of the material in
front of you when you take it.
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Writing Assignments
Formatting and Word Count: Your papers must always include your name, my name, the name of the
course, and the date (all left justified), as well as a title that should be centered. All of this should be
in plain text (no bold, no underline, no italics). All essays must be typed and double-spaced in Times
New Roman 12 point, with 1-inch margins all around. This produces an average of 300 words per
page, which means a 5-page paper should be about 1500 words.
MLA Style: All essays must follow the formal guidelines of the Modern Language Association
(MLA). We will go over these guidelines in detail in class. For more information, please see:
http://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/747/01.
Turning in Formal Assignments: Formal writing assignments (except the final essay, which is due at
9PM on 12/12) must be uploaded in PDF format to the course Dropbox folder by 9PM on the due
date. For every day that any assignment is late, I will deduct 1 full letter grade from the assignment.
If it is more than 1 week late, I will not accept the assignment and you will get a 0. It will be nearly
impossible for you to pass this course if you get a 0 any of the three major essay assignments.
Approximate Criteria for Evaluation
30% Two Essays
40% Research Paper
10% In-Class Essay and Final Exam
20% Participation, reading responses, in-class writing, attendance
Grading
Below is the 100% grading scale I use to assess individual assignments and your final course grade.
If at any time you have a question about your grade in the class, please bring it to my attention
immediately. You must have a D or higher to pass this class.
A 93-100
A- 90-92
B+ 87-89
B 83-86
B- 80-82
C+ 77-79
C 73-76
C- 70-72
D+ 67-69
D 60-66
Email and Classroom Etiquette
I will post to our course blog frequently to remind you about impending assignments and other
news about our course. Please check it often. Email me anytime with questions or concerns but do
not email me about what you missed if you were absent. I will respond to your emails as quickly as
possible.
No electronic devices are allowed in class.
The Reading/Writing Center
This is a free resource that can help you when you are writing papers. I encourage you to visit the
website http://rwc.hunter.cuny.edu and to make use of this important resource.
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Academic Integrity
Plagiarism and cheating will not be tolerated. Plagiarism is defined as word-for-word copying,
paraphrasing, or summarizing, without explaining that the language or ideas have come from
another writer. No passage of writing, no matter how short, can be copied, paraphrased, or
summarized without acknowledge its original source. Hunter College regards acts of academic
dishonesty (e.g., plagiarism, cheating on examinations, obtaining unfair advantage, and falsification
of records and official documents) as serious offenses against the values of intellectual honesty. The
college is committed to enforcing the CUNY Policy on Academic Integrity and will pursue cases of
academic dishonesty according to the Hunter College Academic Integrity Procedures.
Academic Accommodation
In compliance with the American Disability Act of 1990 (ADA) and with Section 504 of the
Rehabilitation Act of 1973, Hunter College is committed to ensuring educational parity and
accommodations for all students with documented disabilities and/or medical conditions. It is
recommended that all students with documented disabilities (Emotional, Medical, Physical and/ or
Learning) consult the Office of AccessABILITY located in Room E1124 to secure necessary
academic accommodations. For further information and assistance please call (212-772- 4857)/TTY
(212- 650- 3230).
Schedule
This is a tentative schedule. Please see the blog for the must accurate schedule.
8/25 TH
Introduction, syllabus review, and diagnostic essay
Readings for next meeting: “What Makes Poetry Poetry and Why Are We So
Afraid of It?” by Susan Holbrook “The long love that in my thought doth
harbour” by Sir Thomas Wyatt and “Sonnet 73” by William Shakespeare
8/30 MON
Poetry
Sonnets
Readings for next meeting: “The Example of the Sonnet” by Paul Fussell, “On
First Looking into Chapman’s Homer” by John Keats and “Sudden Shower” by
John Clare
9/1 TH
Sonnets Continued
Readings for next meeting: Excerpts from “Ode on the Death of My Favorite
Cat” by Christopher Smart and “Song of Myself” by Walt Whitman
9/5 MON
Free Verse
Readings for next meeting: Emily Dickinson’s “320,” “423,” “446” and “465”
9/8 TH
Readings for next meeting: Excerpts from Langston Hughes’s Montage of
a Dream Deferred
9/13 MON
Readings for next meeting: “Dear John Wayne” by Louise Erdich and “One
Art” by Elizabeth Bishop
9/15 TH
Poetry Summary
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First Essay Due Next Meeting
9/20 MON
Poetry Readings
First Essay Due Today by 9PM
Reading for next meeting: Introduction to A Midsummer Night’s Dream
9/22 TH
Drama
Introduction to Shakespeare, Comedy and A Midsummer Night’s Dream
Reading for next meeting: A Midsummer Night’s Dream Act 1
9/27 MON
Discuss Act 1
Readings for next meeting: A Midsummer Night’s Dream Act 2
and “The Course of True Love” by Rene Girard
9/29 TH
Act 1-2 Discussion
Reading for next meeting: A Midsummer Night’s Dream Act 3-4
and Michael Slote’s “How Rational are Love and Trust?”
10/3 MON
No Class
10/6 TH
Acts 2-3 Discussion
Reading for next meeting: Finish A Midsummer Night’s Dream
10/10 MON
No Class
10/13 TH
Acts 3-4 Discussion
Reading for next meeting: “Why A Midsummer Night’s Dream?” by
Kenneth Burke
10/17 MON
Acts 4-5 Discussion and Writing About Shakespeare
Reading for next meeting: “Entering the Conversation” and “The Art
Of Quoting” from They Say/I Say
10/20 TH
No Class
10/24 MON
Writing about Shakespeare Continued
Second Essay Due Next Meeting
10/27 TH
Conclude A Midsummer Night’s Dream
Second Essay Due Today by 9PM
Reading for next meeting: “The Masque of Red Death” by Edgar Allan Poe
10/31 MON
Fiction
Introduction to fiction
Reading for next meeting: “The Story of an Hour” by Kate Chopin
11/3 TH
Discuss Chopin/Brainstorm Research Topics
Reading for next meeting: “The Odour of Chrysanthemums” by D.H.
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Lawrence
11/7 MON
Discuss Lawrence and Research Strategies
Preliminary research proposal and research question due next meeting
11/10 TH
Library Session (Location TBD)
Research Essay Proposal and Précis due next meeting
11/14 MON
Continue Lawrence Discussion/Research
Research Proposal and Précis due today
Reading for next meeting: “Flying Home” by Ralph Ellison
11/17 TH
Discuss Ralph Ellison
11/21 MON
In-Class Writing on Lawrence/Ellison.
Complete Rough Draft of Research Essay due next meeting
Reading for next meeting: “Good Country People” by Flannery O’Connor
11/24 TH
No Class
11/29 MON
Discuss Flannery O’Connor and prepare for peer review
Peer Review Form Due Next Meeting
12/1 TH
Peer Review and Writing Reflection
Reading for next meeting: “One Out of Many” By V.S. Naipaul
12/5 MON
Discuss Naipaul and Writing Process
12/8 TH
Continue Naipaul and Writing Process Discussion
Final Essay Due by 9pm on 12/12 (next meeting)
12/12 MON
End of Semester Summary
Last Day of Class
Final Essay Due Today by 9 PM
12/19 MON
Final Exam 1:45-3:45pm
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