Noel
Kinnamon, Ph.D.
(contact information below)
Fall 2005
Course description: English 323 is an advanced course that examines
the development of the early modern English lyric, primarily of the sixteenth
and seventeenth centuries, with a focus on the sonnet, and including most of
Shakespeare’s 154 sonnets. Through reading, discussion, research, and writing,
students will cultivate their communication and critical thinking skills while
developing their knowledge of one of the most important and characteristic
poetic forms in British literary history.
Objectives: The main purpose of English 323 is to provide an opportunity for the student to do the following:
1.
Comprehend and apply a variety of critical approaches to the study of lyric
poetry.
2. Develop depth of comprehension in the study of literature and
language by analyzing and evaluating a variety of lyric poems by several authors
and by investigating a variety of subjects and problems.
3. Demonstrate continued development of skills in written and oral
communication and the ability to work independently.
More particularly, the student will demonstrate the following:
1. Knowledge
of a coherent overview of the early history of the English lyric, primarily of
the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries.
2. Comprehension of selected
lyric poems by major and less well-known authors.
3. Awareness of continuity and
change in early English lyric verse by comparing works by different authors.
4. Awareness of developing
views of women and their varied roles in the early English lyric, both as
subjects and as authors.
5. Continuing development of
effective skills in writing and speaking (both formally and informally) about
literature.
Daily assignments and evaluation: It should go without saying that careful, punctual reading of assigned texts is essential. (Unannounced quizzes will be given as necessary.) Regular participation is also expected: two absences are allowed. NB No distinction is made between excused and unexcused absences. For each absence over the allowed number, the final grade will be reduced by 5 points. Class begins promptly on the hour, and assignments are due at the beginning of the period; two late arrivals will count as an absence. No late work will be accepted. If work is missed because of an absence resulting from an emergency, a note from a physician or other official document will be required. Evaluation is based on a 10-point scale (A=90-100, etc.).
Paper
30%
Examinations 40%
Additional assignments, including paraphrases, etc. 30%
(Class participation will be used primarily to determine borderline cases.)
Paper, including thesis statement and outline (confer with instructor when choosing topics): The paper must be a "primary source" paper, equivalent in length to about three to five typed pages. Research is optional, but the paper must be based on a close reading of the text of the poem or poems discussed. If you do research in preparing for the paper, you must use conventional research format: in-text documentation (for both primary and secondary sources) and a works cited page prepared according to the guidelines in the handbook currently approved by the English Department (MLA style). When referring to verse, use line numbers, preceded by part numbers, if relevant (with line breaks in quoted text indicated by slashes). Please do not use SparkNotes.com or other “cribs”; in general, use only substantive websites, and then only sparingly and with discretion. If you have questions about the appropriateness of a particular website, ask the professor.
Poetry writing: Each student will write two lyric poems during the semester; at least one of them must be a sonnet (Petrarchan, Shakespearean, or Spenserian).
Editing: Working in pairs or small groups, students will edit a lyric poem from manuscript to be provided.
Paraphrases: Students will write prose paraphrases of three assigned lyric poems as directed.
Other requirements: There will be four one-hour examinations, a comprehensive final examination, and quizzes if necessary (as stated above). On all assignments, students must avoid even the suspicion of plagiarism by following the Mars Hill College Honor Code:
Honor Code
We, the students of Mars Hill College, pledge ourselves to uphold integrity, honesty, and academic responsibility in and out of the classroom.
Honor Pledge
On my honor, I have neither given nor received any academic aid or information that would violate the Honor Code of Mars Hill College.
Instructional
methods: Class discussion, independent and guided research and writing,
collaborative work, lecture.
Contact information
211 Cornwell Hall //
(828) 689-1233 (office) // (828) 689-4191 (home) // <nkinnamon@mhc.edu>
<http://users.mhc.edu/facultystaff/nkinnamon/kinnmain.htm>
Tentative office hours: 10:30-11:30, 1:30-2:30 W, and
by appointment
(Telephone calls to my house are
welcome; unannounced visits are not.)
Eal
ðu hit geþyldum healdest,
Endure everything patiently--