English: Intro to Literary Studies (A)

About ENGL 1500 A

Introduction to the critical work of close reading across literary genres, understanding of key terms and concepts, and writing in the discipline. Required for English majors and minors. Topics vary by section.

Notes

Junior and senior ENGL, SEE majors and ENGL minors only until Thursday, November 14; then ENGL SEE majors and ENGL minors only during the first week of registration PACE students with permission and override System waitlisting enabled for this section

Section Description

"Tis the good reader that makes the good book; in every book he finds passages which seem confidences or asides hidden from all else and unmistakably meant for his ear; the profit of books is according to the sensibility of the reader; the profoundest thought or passion sleeps as in a mine, until it is discovered by an equal mind and heart."

-Ralph Waldo Emerson, from Society and Solitude

This course is designed to serve as the foundation of your work within the English major. We will focus on the two core practices of the discipline: close reading and critical composition. This work involves reading across a wide range of genres and periods, Greek tragedy, Shakespearean comedy, romantic poetry, modern realist fiction, postmodern metafiction, and the essay, as a means of developing and refining our approach to interpretation within and through formal structures and “horizons of expectation.” We will consider the subtle tension between a scholarly approach to literature and our affective response to literature. We may fairly surmise that if you are in this class you have some "feeling" for books, some love of reading. That is important. Our work exploring the “good reader” and the “good book” will link that feeling to the critical drive of inquiry and to a range of methods, theories, and concepts that will support your work as an English major and beyond.

Section Expectation

Regular reading and preparation
Meaningful contributions to class culture
Writing assignments
Reading quizzes

Evaluation

Attendance and discussion participation
In-class readings, recitations, and writing
Quizzes
Midterm proposal
Midterm exam
Final essay project (proposal, annotated bibliography, final paper, & cover letter)

Important Dates

Note: These dates may change before registration begins.

Courses may be cancelled due to low enrollment. Show your interest by enrolling.

Resources

• Parking
• PACE Course Pricing
• Textbooks

Other Sections