INTRODUCTION TO LITERATURE
INSTRUCTOR: ILDIKÓ LIMPÁR; EMAIL: [email protected]
Date
Sept 16
2
Sept 23
3
Sept 30
4
Oct. 7
5
Oct 14
6
Oct. 21.
7
Oct. 28.
8
Nov. 4.
9
Nov. 11
10
Nov. 18
11
Nov. 25
12
Dec. 02
13
Dec. 9.
14
Dec. 16
Texts to be read
Introduction
Poetry: Figurative Language
Sylvia Plath: “Metaphors”;
Emily Dickinson: “Because I could not stop
for Death”;
Adrienne Rich: “Aunt Jennifer’s Tigers”
The Drama:
Plot, Character, Setting, Symbol, Theme
Susan Glaspell: Trifles
The Short Story:
Plot vs. Syuzhet, Character, Setting,
Theme
Katherine Mansfield: “Miss Brill”
The Short Story:
Point of View, Theme, Style, Setting
Edgar Allen Poe: “The Cask of
Amontillado”
Speaking of Issues; Structure
Daniel Orozco: “Orientation”
Jamaica Kincaid: “Girl”
Homework assignments
Written homework: Choose two lines from Dickinson's or
Rich's poem. Write cc. 200 words about them. (What is their
meaning? What significance do they have in the poem?)
Written homework: What is the significance of the dead
bird in the drama? Write an essay of cc. 200 words about it.
Written homework: Explain the importance of two chosen
objects that suggest important features of the character that
owns or uses it. Write an essay of cc. 200 words about it.
Written homework: Much of the story takes place in a
catacomb. What is the significance of this place in the story?
What is its role / function? How does it support the content /
theme of the story? Write an essay of cc. 200 words about it.
Preparation for class: Observe how one piece of
information follows the other in the texts. Think about the
order of the narrator’s statements in one of the texts. What
effect does it have? What else is important in the syuzhet?
(This is not a writing exercise to be handed in.)
MID-TERM TEST IN CLASS
Autumn break
The Short Story: Point of View, Plot vs. Written homework: Find two examples (of one or several
Syuzhet, Character, Setting, Theme
sentences) that show the relationship between Emily and the
William Faulkner: “A Rose for Emily”
townspeople. Write down the quotes and explain briefly (ca.
100-100 words) what they show.
Poetry: Form
Preparation for class: Check the definition of the sonnet in
Shakespearean Sonnets
a lexicon of literary terms and take notes for classroom use.
Edna St. Vincent Millay: “Love Is Not All:
Note the difference between the Petrarchan and the
It Is Not Meat nor Drink”
Shakespearean sonnets.
William Butler Yeats: “Leda and the Swan” Written homework: 1. Write down the rhyme scheme of
Langston Hughes: “Harlem”
Millay's sonnet and Yeat's sonnet. Decide what kind of
sonnets they are and explain briefly why. 2. Choose one
metaphor from any of the poems and explain its meaning.
The Historical Sense
Written homework: Hand in a short (one-page-long)
T.S. Eliot: “Tradition and the Individual
outline of T.S. Eliot’s “Tradition and the Individual Talent.”
Talent” (essay); excerpt from “The Waste
Highlight (or underline) in your outline what you identify as
Land” (on handout); “The Love Song of J.
the most important points. (An outline, in this case, is not a
Alfred Prufock”;
summary of the essay with complete sentences but an
William Butler Yeats: “Leda and the Swan” arrangements of the main points of the essay, showing the
structure of the essay, too.)
Miscellaneous activities in class related to
Preparation for class: To be announced on week 11 the
literature
latest (as the material to be discussed depends on our
progress).
End-term Test in class
Evaluation
THE AIMS AND OBJECTIVES:
 This seminar aims to increase the students’ understanding and appreciation of literature by
introducing them to the typical devices, or elements, that comprise a story, a poem and a
play and to the way in which these elements relate to one another and to the work as a
whole. Each seminar will consist of debating literary texts using the literary elements or
tools discussed at the course.
ASSIGNMENTS:
 Reading the assigned texts at home, get prepared for discussion;
 Coming to class with the texts and your notes; (Please note that no smart phones are
allowed to be used in class for checking text.)
 Active participation in class;
 Writing occasional quizzes at the beginning of the classes;
 Handing in all the homework at the beginning of the classes they are due. If you may not
be present in the class where we discuss the piece you have written about, you may hand in
your written homework the next time you turn up, without any negative consequences. Not
writing a homework assignment results in obtaining a “0” for that assignment (that is, worse
than “1”). You needn’t use secondary sources for your homework; but if you use any, cite
them properly or else you will be penalized for plagiarism.
 Writing two in-class tests. (Not writing the mid-term test results in obtaining a “1” for a
test.)
INFORMATION ON HOMEWORK ASSIGNMENTS:
 You need to hand in 5 written homework assignments of your choice.
 If you may not be present in the class where we discuss the piece you have written about,
you may hand in your written homework the next time you turn up, without any negative
consequences – but only if you email the homework to me on the day it is actually due,
before the class would begin.
 You need to write at least 2 homework assignments in order to have the chance to pass the
course. Not writing a homework assignment out of the 5 minimum results in obtaining a “0”
for that assignment (that is, worse than “1”).
 You needn’t use secondary sources for your homework; but if you use any, cite them
properly or else you will be penalized for plagiarism. (I am aware that you may not have
learned proper referencing. If you use a source, indicate in a footnote the author and the title
and the edition of the publication; if you use an internet source, indicate author and title and
the exact link. Do NOT use sources that have no identifiable author.)
 All homework exercises are to be handed in as a typed and printed document. I do not
accept handwritten homework. (Do not leave printing matters to the last minute – there can
always emerge a technical problem... Do not arrive late for class because of your last minute
efforts to print something.)
THE STUDENT AUTOMATICALLY FAILS THE COURSE IN THE FOLLOWING CASES:
 not writing the end-term test
 not writing at least two of the homework assignments
 if plagiarism is detected in your homework
 missing the class more than three times
THE FINAL MARK DEPENDS ON:
Average of the midterm and end term tests: ca. 40%
Average of the homework essays: ca. 40%
Active class participation: ca. 20%
If you have any questions or problems, feel free to talk to me personally or to contact me via email.
I wish all of you a pleasant and useful semester.