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Paradise Lost

SYLLABUS

To concerned students:

        This syllabus doesn't look much like my usual.  That's because I'm teaching this course for one semester while Dr. Atkinson  is on sabbatical.  I want to keep the course as much as possible the way he left it.  Please be assured that I know what I'm talking about.  Keep in mind that I was a senior at London High School when Geoffrey Chaucer was a Freshman.  

                                                                                                            Jeff Glauner

EN315 - EARLIER ENGLISH LITERATURE
 Fall 2002, Dr. Glauner
Office: Copley 310, Phone Ext. 6352
Email: jglauner@mail.park.edu
Website: captain.park.edu/jglauner
Office Hours
MF - 9:55-11:55 a.m.
W - 9:55-10:55 a.m.
TR - 10-10:30 a.m.
Or by appointment
Class meets: 9-9:50 a.m., MWF, Copley 1 North 

THE COURSE

Earlier English Literature examines the history of English literature from its beginning through the publication of Paradise Lost in 1667.  For the two-thirds of the course, we will follow the reading list and introductions compiled by last year’s students in this course, material collected as The Park Anthology of English Literature, Vol.1.  Our attention will not only be on the literature itself but on the anthology project as well: we will look critically at the work of last year’s students and at the professionally published anthologies available.  In the last third of the course, you will create the complete third edition of the anthology, working in teams to revise existing material on medieval literature in the first edition, rethinking some of its decisions, and creating additional material on early modern (renaissance) literature for future students in the course.

GOALS

This approach to EN315 will provide you with an “insider” perspective that is not available to students in traditional literature surveys, where the anthology is accepted uncritically both as a scholarly achievement and a teaching tool.

The course’s emphasis on your active participation will allow you the opportunity to learn critical skills at a more sophisticated level.  Among the areas we will highlight:

·        the nature of literary history and its relationship to political and social history 

·        “canon-formation” (i.e., how it’s determined what constitute the major works of a period)

·        recent trends in English studies and the range of current approaches to literary texts

·        designing and organizing far-reaching class presentations and understanding the varieties of reader response in class discussions

·        intense writing and editing experience, which will require engagement with such issues as

à        distinguishing different purposes for academic writing

à        gauging the needs of real audiences

à        understanding issues of  common knowledge and originality

à        organizing the work of a team of collaborators

à        meeting professional standards in content, style, and editing

SCHEDULE

Because the course is in a sense one long project, the schedule will need to be worked out cooperatively as the semester proceeds.  At this point, though, I see the large features of the next sixteen weeks this way.

Weeks 1-2.  We will make a preliminary examination of published anthologies—their shared conventions, their areas of difference, their strengths and weaknesses as teaching tools.

Weeks 3-4.  John Milton. (Yes!  There is a reason for putting Milton first.)

Weeks 5-7.  The PAEL treatment of the Old and Middle English periods.

Weeks 8-9.   The PAEL treatment of the 16th Century.

Week 10-11.  The 17th Century before Milton..

Weeks 12-16.  These weeks will be devoted to identifying teams to work on the third edition, creating the plan for revisions and new material, presenting the plan to the class—one class period for each team; and creating, editing, and polishing the material of the complete third edition, in close consultation with the executive editor (me).

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Textbooks

The Park Anthology of English Literature, Vol. 1, 2nd Ed.
The Longman Anthology of English Literature, Vol. 1, 2nd Ed.

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ATTENDANCE POLICY FOR ALL OF MY CLASSES
Revised:  August 21, 2002
Dr. Jeff Glauner

BE IN CLASS!!!

This is a major change from my previous attendance policy.  It's a carrot rather than a sword.

For perfect attendance, you get 50 points extra credit.  For each absence (whatever the reason) you lose 10 of those points.  I will allow makeup for two of those absences (a 500-word summary of materials you might have missed during the session) upon presentation of a reasonable written excuse.  Beyond two absences there will be no make-up unless we discuss your situation and I feel that it justifies make-up.  Such instances will be rare but will include necessary athletic trips, jury duty, hospitalization, etc.  

Weather-related absences will be handled as they occur.  You must use your own judgment as to whether travel to school during inclement weather is safe.  I must make the final decision on an individual basis whether absences due to weather may be made up.  In most cases, we will probably agree.  Do not endanger your life to avoid absence.  I do not, however, believe that a walk from the dormitory or from downtown Parkville will endanger one's life  in typical snowy weather.

Note:  Graded assignments missed because of absence may be made up only with my approval.  Assignments handed in late because of absence will lose one letter grade per class period.  Unannounced quizzes and  reader response essays may not be made up.

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IMPORTANT NOTE.  As you can tell from the plans outlined here, you need to make--and the class needs to expect from each of its members--a serious time commitment to the course.  Through week 11, you should budget at least 15 hours a week for reading alone.  After week 11 of the course, you will be part of a complex writing task, in which some pieces will be written by individuals, others may be written by teams.  Planning and drafting these pieces will demand not only productive time but punctuality.  In the final weeks, each group will be responsible for extensive rewriting and professional-quality editing--a meticulous and time-consuming process.

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  EVALUATION.

Because the course combines individual and collaborative effort, participants will be evaluated equally on their particular contributions and the quality of the work done by their team as a whole.  Specifically, the system is this:  

                        Attendance                                                        (See attendance policy above)

Individual in-class work                                                   250 points

Here, the key issues are punctuality, completing assigned reading, quizzes, final examination essay, and active participation in class proceedings.

Team planning of classes                                                 250 points

During its portion of weeks 12 and 13, each team will be evaluated on a clear, well-planned class activity, and the ability to manage class time productively.

Individual contributions to the Anthology                       250 points

Signed portions of the anthology will be evaluated for focus, development, organization, and mechanics.

Team contribution to the Anthology                                250 points

Each team’s section of the anthology will be evaluated for careful planning, usefulness for students, and professional presentation.

FINAL EXAMINATION PERIOD:  8:00-10:00 a.m., Wednesday, December 11.