Course Description and Objectives:

ENG 421W/521A World Literature I: Origins to 1650
3 UG credits; 2 GR credits

Advanced study of world literature from the pre-literate era to the beginnings of the European colonial expansion. Representative works from a wide range of periods, languages, genres, and cultures (both Western and non-Western) will be considered. Special attention will be given to works with major literary or historical significance, emphasizing the relationship between literature and historical-socio-economic-political features of the early cultures and civilizations from which they emerged. Offered Fall, Spring, and Summer semesters.

Recommended: An undergraduate introduction to literature or advanced literature course or permission of Program Chair.

The course design assumes that students may work independently at their own pace through the material. Each section of the text has Forum questions or other assignments linked to it. Some assignments have mini-lectures or recorded material attached to them; others just revolve around the text. As you proceed further in the course, you will be asked to write both a response to other critics' analysis and criticism of your own and will have the chance to teach one reading to your fellow students. Online sessions will be held weekly where you may discuss the material, ask questions, or share your written work with others. These online sessions will be recorded so that students who cannot attend synchronously will still be able to pose questions, have them answered, and share with others. Arrangements can be made to record your presentations as well.

English 421A/521A may be taken as (a) a pair with English 421B/521B (World Literature II: 1650 to Present), (b) an alternative to Eng 200 (Introduction to Ethnic Literature) for the GUCR or departmental requirements, or (c) an advanced literature course to meet the major requirements. English 421A/521A operates on the premise that literature is worth the trouble of a close examination. Careful study of the literary products of a culture will repay you by teaching you not only about that culture but also about yourself. In this course, we will examine some of the greatest novels, short stories, poems, and plays written before 1650 CE. In order to understand these texts and see why so many people regard them as important, we will attempt not only to analyze the works themselves in detail but also to set them in the context of their writers' times, lives, and cultures.

Given the assumptions stated above, students may expect that they will be called on to read extensively, to discuss those readings in class, and to write regularly concerning the readings and discussions. All of these elements will be factored into the course evaluation system.

In general, the course has these objectives for students to pursue:

(1) Become familiar with some of the great works of world literature and their authors
(2) Gain insights into other cultures through their literature
(3) Explore some of the methods for analyzing literature
(4) Improve analytic writing skills both in and out of class
(5) Review research and documentation skills
(6) Practice presentation/teaching skills