Sagas and sea monsters. Lust and
love triangles. Satire and scandal. Romance and reason. It’s
all here—the most exciting stories ever written, by the most mysterious and
inspired authors in the English language. This course reconstructs the
worlds each of these authors lived in, so we can appreciate how their words
sounded to its contemporaries, none of whom knew they were listening to
‘classic’ literature. The challenge for you, as a student, is to be open
to the clash of cultures, languages, ideas, and genres that make up the first
thousand years of English literature. So whether you are an ardent
Anglophile or are racked with Metrophobia (fear of poetry), you will find
something in this class that moves you…confuses you…inspires you…and intimidates
you. Read with an open mind and don’t be afraid to ask questions.
Be sure to
get the 6 books for class as soon as possible and note that 2 books (Sir
Gawain and Sense and Sensibility) must be the Norton
Critical edition. All course texts are available at the ECU bookstore or
on-line, but please don't wait until the week we start a text to order it.
We move quickly through each text, and class discussions rely on your
active engagement with the book and our daily questions. So don't fall behind!
Also, be sure to bookmark this page, since I will post questions, assignments, announcements, and other links that will affect the course. I look forward to sharing this wonderful material with you in class!
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