English Literature (ENLT)

ENLT 1000 Ways of Reading

1 Course Unit

ENLT 1200 Writing about Literature and Culture

1 Course Unit

ENLT 1400 History in Eight Books

This course provides a broad overview of the history of literature in English from the tenth century to the twentieth. Rather than aim for complete coverage of a thousand years of literary production, we will spend each week delving deeply into one text from a particular historical moment, reading eight works in total. We will familiarize ourselves with literary texts -- such as A Midsummer Night's Dream, Leaves of Grass, and Beloved -- that range widely in form, genre, and thematic concern; we will examine how these texts negotiate their sociocultural contexts instead of merely reproducing them; and we will practice how to ask productive questions about literature. Assignments will include regular discussion posts, close reading exercises, a critical bibliography, and a final paper.

1 Course Unit

ENLT 2000 Topics in English Literature

Topics in English Literature. Topics offered will differ.

Fall or Spring

1 Course Unit

ENLT 3000 Radical Literature

In 2018, Dan Rather on the left and Nikki Haley on the right claimed that dissent is As American as apple pie. This course examines the roots of that statement and the repercussions of dissent on national identity and literary production. Class readings and discussions address dissenters who are known for their political positions, such as Thomas Paine and Frederick Douglass, and those who known for their dissent from literary norms, such as Emily Dickinson and Walt Whitman. Explore questions of literary style, its connection to politics, and how dissenting politics call for rethinking literary norms while also connecting to time-honored literary values. Through discussions, papers, and a research project, you can discover what values Americans share around political and stylistic dissent that continue to resonate today.

1 Course Unit