ENGL 287 H01 13181

EngLit, HistoryCiv, Humanities, AIU

An introduction to American literary history, emphasizing the analysis of literary texts, the development of literary traditions over time, the emergence of new genres and forms, and the writing of successful essays about literature. Designed for English majors. Prerequisite: ENGL 101 and ENGL 102 or equivalent. CL: 2020.

Notes:

Designed for English majors but welcoming interested students from a variety of backgrounds, English 287 provides an introduction to American literary history, emphasizing the analysis of literary texts, the development of literary traditions over time, the emergence of new genres and forms, and the writing of successful essays about literature. This reading-intensive honors section presents several competing narratives of U.S. literary history by pairing representative writers from selected 19th century traditions with counterparts in the 20th. (For example, what may studying the 19th century poems of Walt Whitman make legible in the 20th century work of Allen Ginsberg and Julia Alvarez, among others?) These conversation clusters will support the exploration of both the advantages and limitations of thinking about literary history in terms of traditions, what narratives about literary history may reveal about literary influence and innovation, and what they may also obscure. This section is specifically designed to prepare students for further reading in American literature from multiple genres and time periods. In addition to completing course readings and attending and participating in class, students should expect to complete two 5-page writing assignments and to demonstrate mastery of course materials on quizzes, one or more midterms, and a cumulative final exam.