Professor Francus

English 261

British Literature to 1800, Spring 2002

Office: 443 Stansbury Hall

Office Phone: 304-293-3107 X442

E-Mail: yfrancus@bellatlantic.net

Office Hours: Tuesdays, 2:00-4:00 and by appointment

January 15 (Tues) Introduction

January 17 (Thurs) Beowulf (pp. 27-94)

January 22 (Tues) Beowulf; Judith (pp. 114-119)

January 24 (Thurs) Chaucer, General Prologue to The Canterbury Tales (pp. 293-313)

January 29 (Tues) Chaucer, The Wife of Bath’s Prologue and Tale (pp. 329-356)

January 31 (Thurs) Chaucer, The Wife of Bath’s Prologue and Tale

February 5 (Tues) Sir Gawain and the Green Knight (pp. 185-241)

February 7 (Thurs) Sir Gawain and the Green Knight First Essay Due

February 12 (Tues) de France, excerpts from Lais (pp. 170-185)

February 14 (Thurs) Kempe, excerpts from The Book of Margery Kempe (pp. 500-520)

February 19 (Tues) More, Utopia (pp. 636-706)

February 21 (Thurs) More, Utopia

February 26 (Tues) Renaissance Poetry, including sonnets by Sidney, Spenser, and Shakespeare

February 28 (Thurs) Renaissance Poetry, including poems by Elizabeth I, Raleigh, and Marlowe

March 5 (Tues) Marlowe, The Tragical History of Dr. Faustus (pp. 1117-1165)

March 7 (Thurs) Marlowe, The Tragical History of Dr. Faustus Second Essay Due

March 12 (Tues) 17^th-century Poetry by Jonson, Donne, and Herbert

March 14 (Thurs) 17^th-century Poetry by Lovelace, Marvell, and Phillips

March 19 (Tues) Milton, excerpts from Paradise Lost Books 1 and 2 (pp. 1755-1799)

March 21 (Thurs) Milton, excerpts from Paradise Lost Books 3 and 4 (pp. 1799-1831)

March 26-28 Spring Break

April 2 (Tues) Milton, excerpts from Paradise Lost Book 9 (pp. 1854-1878) Third Essay Due

April 4 (Thurs) Class Cancelled

April 9 (Tues) Behn, Oroonoko (pp. 2150-2193)

April 11 (Thurs) Behn, Oroonoko

April 16 (Tues) Etherege, Man of Mode (pp. 2204-2270)

April 18 (Thurs) Rochester, poems (pp. 2193-2203); Behn, "The Disappointment" (pp. 2130-2133)

April 23 (Tues) Dryden, "Macflecknoe" (pp. 2103-2108); Pope, "The Epistle to Arbuthnot" (pp. 2535-2545)

April 25 (Thurs) Swift, Gulliver’s Travels, Book IV (pp. 2402-2447)

April 30 (Tues) Gray, "Ode on a Distant Prospect of Eton College," "Ode on the Death of a Favorite Cat," "Elegy Written in a Country Churchyard" (pp. 2682-2688); Smart, from "Jubilate Agno" (pp. 2650-2653)

May 2 (Thurs) Conclusion

Fourth Essay Due

Textbook:

The Longman Anthology of British Literature is available at the WVU Bookstore.

Course Objectives:

- To introduce students to the genres and modes of early and early modern British literature

- To study early and early modern British literature in the context of its history and culture

- To introduce a series of critical methodologies to guide students through these literary and cultural texts

- To provide practice in critical thinking and writing about literature

Course Requirements:

Four short (3 page) essays, and quizzes.

1. Each of the four writing assignments counts for 20% of your final grade, and the quizzes for 20% of your grade. Class participation will be taken into consideration for students with borderline grades.

2. You have the option to rewrite your papers (except your final writing assignment). If you choose this option, come and see me about strategies for the rewrite. If your grade on the rewrite is higher than your original grade, you will receive the rewrite grade. If your grade on the rewrite is lower than your original grade, you will keep your original grade.

A (90-100) — Excellent work; the assignments for this course have been completed in a professional and timely manner. The written assignments are clearly organized, choose compelling evidence to substantiate the analysis, and engage with the subject at hand in a thoughtful and thought-provoking manner. Written work requires no substantive or stylistic revisions, whether it appears on an exam, a quiz, or in an essay.

B (80-89) — Good work; the assignments for the course have been completed in a professional and timely manner. The written assignments show substantial engagement with the subject at hand, but the analysis is either partially incomplete, involving weak evidence, or manifests some difficulty with organization. Written work requires substantive revisions, but few or no stylistic ones.

C (70-79) — Average work; the assignments for the course have been completed, but not necessarily in a professional or timely manner. The written assignments show effort by the student, but the analysis is incomplete, includes inappropriate evidence (or a lack of evidence), or shows significant difficulties with organization. Written work, whether on a test, an essay, or a quiz, requires significant substantive or stylistic revisions.

D (60-69) - Less than average work; the assignments for the course have not been completed in a professional or timely manner. The written assignments show a lack of effort on the part of the student, and a lack of engagement with the assignment (exam, quiz, or essay). Written assignments lack analysis, evidence, and organization; extensive substantive and stylistic revisions are necessary.

F (<59) — Inadequate work; the assignments for the course have not been completed. Written assignments, when submitted, show a significant lack of effort on the part of the student, and a lack of engagement with the assignment and the subject matter of the course. Such work is marked by the absence of analysis, evidence, and organization; engagement with the course materials is necessary before extensive revisions are even possible.

1. All papers are to be typed, with sufficient space in the margins for comments. Papers should be double spaced.

2. Your papers should reflect careful reading and thinking about your subject. Do not summarize the plot of a work or rephrase your class notes in your papers.

3. It is highly recommended that you keep a photocopy or a back-up disk of every assignment that you hand in.

4. Hand in papers on time. Late submissions will receive a lower grade unless the student has a viable reason (such as illness, familial emergency) for his/her lateness. Your grade will be lowered a fraction for every day your work is late (ex. B to B- for one day late).

As noted in the Undergraduate Catalog, "West Virginia University expects that every member of its academic community shares the historic and traditional commitment to honesty, integrity, and the search for truth" (p. 52). As a professional academic and as a member of this University I concur with this statement, and accordingly, plagiarism will not be tolerated in this course. Please note the University definition of plagiarism, as explained in the Undergraduate Catalog: "To take or pass off as one’s own the ideas, writings, artistic products, etc. of someone else; for example, submitting, without appropriate acknowledgment, a report, notebook, speech, outline theme, thesis, dissertation, or other written, visual, or oral material that has been knowingly obtained or copied in whole or in part, from the work of others, whether such source is published, including (but not limited to) another individual’s academic composition, compilation, or other product, or commercially prepared paper" (p. 52). If you have any questions regarding plagiarism, collaborative projects, documentation of your sources, or related issues, please feel free to ask.

1. Attendance will be taken at the beginning of every class. You are granted a maximum of three absences during the course of the semester. If this limit is exceeded without an acceptable excuse (such as illness, familial emergency), your grade will be lowered accordingly (one letter grade for each additional three unexcused absences) and/or the student will be asked to leave the course.

2. Come to class on time.

West Virginia University is committed to social justice. I concur with that commitment and expect to foster a nurturing environment based upon open communication, mutual respect, and non-discrimination. Our University does not discriminate on the basis of race, sex, age, disability, veteran status, religion, sexual orientation, color or national origin. Any suggestions as to how to further such a positive and open environment in this class will be appreciated and given serious consideration.

If you are a person with a disability and anticipate needing any type of accommodation in order to participate in this class, please advise me and make appropriate arrangements with Disability Services (293-6700).