Introduction to British Literature II
Times
Lectures: Monday 2 pm - 4 pm
Tutorials: Wednesday 2 pm - 3 pm OR 3 pm - 4 pm
Instructor Information
S. Dickie
E-mail: dickie.office@utoronto.ca
Course Description
Our goal in this course is to learn the conventional periodization of British literary history from 1660-1900, and the major genres and authors associated with each period. In the process, we will learn the specialized terminology of literary criticism: how to recognize verse forms, metres, and rhyme schemes; prose style, tone, point of view, allusion, adaptation, and much more. In lectures – and especially in weekly tutorials – students will practice using this terminology for detailed close reading of primary texts. This well-informed close reading will then be the focus of your essay and final exam.
Required Readings
- The Norton Anthology of English Literature Vols. C, D, & E (10th edition)
- M.H. Abrams, A Glossary of Literary Terms (11th editions [2015] or recent editions available second-hand)
- Dickens, Great Expectations, ed. Mitchel (Penguin)
First Three Authors/Texts
- poems by Swift and Pope, including “Verses on the Death of Dr. Swift, “An Essay on Criticism,” and The Rape of the Lock.
Methods of Evaluation
- 3 short quizzes (5% each)
- Short close-reading assignment (500 words, 10%)
- Essay (1500 words, 30%)
- Tutorial and class participation (10%)
- Final exam (35%)