British literature

The aim of the course is to familiarize the students with British literature from the Middle Ages to early Enlightenment.

Winter semester

The aim of the course is to familiarize the students with British literature from the Middle Ages to early Enlightenment.

In the course of classes students learn how to analyze and interpret British literary texts with the use of basic theoretical concepts. Students will get to know the historical background of major British works of literature and the biographical information about their authors.

The following works will be discussed in class:

1. Beowulf

2. The Wanderer, The Seafarer

3. The Dream of the Rood

4. Sir Gawain and the Green Knight

5. Geoffrey Chaucer Canterbury Tales: “The General Prologue,” “The Miller’s Tale”; Everyman

6. Edmund Spenser Amoretti (sonnets 1, 15, 54, 64); William Shakespeare Sonnets (12, 18, 130, 138, 144)

7, 8. William Shakespeare Macbeth, Hamlet, The Tempest

9.Metaphysical poetry: John Donne “The Flea;” George Herbert “The Collar;” Andrew Marvell “To His Coy Mistress”

10.John Milton Paradise Lost (Book I and II); Alexander Pope An Essay on Criticism

Winter semester:

1. Beowulf (fragments)

2. The Wanderer, The Seafarer (entire texst)

3. The Dream of the Rood (entire text)

4. Sir Gawain and the Green Knight

5. Geoffrey Chaucer Canterbury Tales: “The General Prologue,” “The Miller’s Tale”; Everyman (2h)

6. Edmund Spenser Amoretti (sonnets 1, 15, 54, 64); William Shakespeare Sonnets (12, 18, 130, 138, 144)

7, 8. William Shakespeare Macbeth, Hamlet, The Tempest (entire texts)

9.Metaphysical poetry: John Donne “The Flea;” George Herbert “The Collar;” Andrew Marvell “To His Coy Mistress” (entire text)

10.John Milton Paradise Lost (Book I and II); Alexander Pope An Essay on Criticism (entire text)

Further reading (not obligatory):

Kermode, Frank, Hollander, John (eds.) 1973. The Oxford Anthology of English Literature: The Middle Ages through the Eighteenth Century. NY: Oxford University Press.

Bloom, Harold, Lionel Trilling (eds.). 1973. The Oxford Anthology of English Literature: Romantic Poetry and Prose. NY: Oxford University Press.

Bloom, Harold, Lionel Trilling (eds.). 1973. The Oxford Anthology of English Literature: Victorian Prose and Poetry. NY: Oxford University Press.

Cuddon, J.A. 1998. The Penguin Dictionary of Literary Terms and Theory. London: Penguin.

Kermode, Frank, John Hollander (eds.). 1973. The Oxford Anthology of English Literature: Modern British Literature. NY: Oxford University Press.

Saunders, Andrew. 2004. The Short Oxford History of English Literature. Oxford: Oxford University Press.

Wolfreys, Julian and Ruth Robins. 2006. Key Concepts in Literary Theory. Edinburgh: Edinburgh University Press (electronic).

Winter semester:

- Active participation in classes (Moodle forums) W1, U1, U3, U4, K1.

- Graded tasks W1, U1, U2, K1

- Final Test W1, W2, U4

The following grading criteria will be applied to the above:

60%-71% = 3.

72%-76% = 3+

77%-84% = 4.

85%-90% = 4+

91%-100% = 5.