Undergraduate Catalog English
marketing campaigns, and many other products of high or popular culture. In the course of wrestling with these various perspectives, students will be exposed to a range of classical, modern, and postmodern contributions to the most essential and heated debates in the humanities today. This course will also train students in the essentials of research methods and information literacy in the discipline. 3 credits
H-ENG 292 Honors English: Reacting to the Past: Advanced Master Class This course engages students in “Reacting to the Past,” a teaching method developed originally at Barnard College and now used in college classrooms across the country. “Reacting” calls on students to play out the parts of historical figures in key moments of cultural and political crisis. Students inhabit their roles, getting into the minds and hearts of those historical individuals they portray. Public speaking and writing “in character” are essential features of the “reacting” method. This course is primarily designed for veterans of “reacting” who have worked with the pedagogy in other courses; however, motivated students who are new to “Reacting” are also welcome. Course enrollment is limited to Honors students. 3 credits
ENG 299 Sophomore Professional Development Seminar This course assists students in thinking critically about their place within the field of English and will allow students to develop a greater understanding of the various career options available to English and English education majors. The class will develop practical skills such as resume/vita and cover letter writing, as well as introduce proven job search strategies. This course serves as a primer for the Senior Capstone course and prepares students for entering either the work force, professional school, or graduate study in the humanities. 1 credit
ENG 301 Special Topics in Literature This course investigates a wide variety of humanities topics at an advanced level with English majors and minors specifically in mind. Topics and themes are determined each semester by the instructor and explored through both literature and other media (e.g., film, television, art, music). The work of single authors—such as Toni Morrison, Samuel Beckett, and Dante—are sometimes explored in detail. Interdepartmental credit may be granted in cooperation with other departments and majors, subject to approval. 3 credits
ENG 302 British Literature I: Old English to Neoclassic (H) This “Heritage” survey course introduces students to the complexities of the English literary tradition, from its origins to the eighteenth century, with significant attention paid to medieval and early modern England. Particular emphasis will be placed on the historical and social contexts of literary production over a range of representative genres and periods.
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As students explore the possibilities of literary history and textual analysis, they will take into account their own distance from the texts at hand, be it temporal, cultural, or linguistic. Students are introduced to some of the most important English authors including Chaucer, Shakespeare, Donne, Milton, Pope, and Swift. Offered each fall. 3 credits
H-ENG 305 Honors English: Creation, the Fall and Redemption in Poetry, Painting, and Music Throughout the centuries, biblical stories have been the inspiration for great art in a variety of media, most especially literature, music, and the visual arts. This course will focus on the story of the Creation, the Fall, and Redemption as it is treated in John Milton’s Paradise Lost, George F. Handel’s Messiah, the paintings of William Blake and Gustave Dore, and other artistic interpretations of both Old and New Testament biblical narratives. Course enrollment is limited to Honors students. 3 credits
ENG 306 Advanced Creative Writing Students enrolled in Advanced Creative Writing will have the opportunity to both write and evaluate (critique) poetry and prose in a rigorous setting. Students in the course will undertake discussion of one another’s work for the purpose of our shared enrichment. Class discussion also will focus on guided reading of poetry and prose by sage and contemporary writers of note, as well as writing about the world of small press publication in the arts. We will interrogate the assumptions that prescribe our responses to the literary arts in the attempt to introduce your work into the public sphere (e.g., readings and publication). 3 credits
ENG 307 Literature for Young Adults This course offers a survey of literature appropriate to the secondary school curriculum. The course is designed primarily for students seeking certification in secondary education in English. This course does not fulfill a major requirement for students who are not pursuing a career in secondary education. Offered each fall. 3 credits
ENG 313 Chaucer From courtly to earthly and in between, Chaucer’s wise and witty portrayals of the human comedy have enriched and entertained readers for centuries. Students read from the Book of the Duchess, The Canterbury Tales, and Troilus and Criseyde. Students also will gain an appreciation for Middle English as it is experienced through their encounter with these works. 3 credits
H-ENG/HIS 314 Honors English/History: The European Renaissance (H) This Honors “Heritage” course provides a detailed examination of the European Renaissance from its Italian origins to its unique manifestation in the literature and culture of England. Students will explore the dynamic cultural history of a