ENG 343: British Literary History I

Archive

Unit 1: Anglo-Saxon and Anglo-Norman Literature

Week 1: Monday 8/28

Introduction

Topics

In-Class Reading

from the Broadview Anthology of British Literature Concise Edition, Volume A (BABL)

Discussion

  1. Read Section 1. As you are reading, consider the types of details that are shared about the island of England/Albion, Ireland, and other areas described. Explain why you think these details are being presented. What might this say about who Bede's audience is?
  2. Read Section 2. Describe some of the different cultures that are mentioned and what their relationships with each other are like.

Resources

Unit 1: Anglo-Saxon and Anglo-Norman Literature

Week 1: Wednesday 8/30

BABL Reading:

Definitions: Anglo-Saxon Literature

alliterative verse
use of repeated consonant sounds in multiple words of a line of verse.
elegiac poetry
poetry that expresses sorrow for that which is irrecoverably past
Germanic heroic oral poetry
poems from the Anglo-Saxon tradition that show the aristocratic, heroic, and kinship values of early Germanic society. These poems share some characteristics of heroic epics from Greece. Kinship is the basis of the heroic code, and blood vengeance is regarded as a sacred duty.
kenning
when two words are combined to create a descriptive name for something--for example describing the sea as a "whale-road" or someone's intellect as a "word-hoard." This feature is still common in modern German (e.g. Abschleppfahrzeug)

Review Definitions

literature:
intentional, artistic use of language for a specific purpose. Purposes may include entertainment, education (dicactic purpose), or communication. Literature ofthen reflects or critiques cultural discourses and practices.
prose:
The regular form of spoken and written language that is measured in sentences.
verse:
Writing arranged in lines, commonly associated with poetry. Line breaks may not align with grammatical units (e.g. sentences).
genre:
This term is used to describe a class of writing that shares a core set of common characteristics. Categories like poetry, drama, and fiction are common examples. However, this term is used differently by different literary scholars. For example, one scholar may consider poetry a genre and the sonnet a sub-genre of poetry, while another may consider the sonnet a genre unto itself. Whenever you see this term, be aware of the specific context so that you understand how broadly it is being applied.
fiction:
Genre of literature written in prose and containing a narrative or plot structure, setting, characters, and a narrative point of view.
poetry:
Genre of literature written in verse. Poetry can have many formal features such as rhyme and meter.
drama or dramatic work:
Genre of literature characterized by the interchange of direct speech by one, and more commonly, two or more characters. A drama is meant to be acted rather than merely read.
nonfiction:
Genre of prose works that describe actual, as opposed to imaginary or fictional characters and events.
narrative:
A general term for the story in a piece of literature. All of the main literary genres--fiction, poetry, drama--can have a narrative element.

Plot

plot:
The events or actions in a story. Works of poetry, fiction, and drama can all have a plot, and the plot structure can take many forms.

1. exposition:
Term used in Freytag's Pyramid to describe events at the beginning of a story. The exposition is the starting point of a narrative and can be thought of as the status quo, before the complications of the plot begin.
2. inciting incident
Term used in Fretag's Pyramid for the event--sometimes described as a destabilizing event--that alters the status quo presented in the exposition and initiates the rising action of the plot.
3. rising action
Term used in Freytag's Pyramid to describe the plot complications that drive the narrative toward the climax. Often, much of the narrative energy is involved in developing the rising action.
4. climax
Term for the turning point in a narrative. After the climax has occurred, the characters in the story can never return to the status quo, or the state of affairs before the narrative complications took place. Narratives can have more than one climax, depending upon the complexity of the structure.
5. falling action
Term used in Freytag's Pyramid to describe events after the climax has taken place that drive the narrative toward the resolution.
6. resolution or conclusion
Term that describes the final state of affairs in a narrative--a new stable state; the resolution is the end to the story. Some narratives resist a resolution and remain open ended.
subplot:
a plot that is intertwined with the main plot but receives less time and attention. Usually a subplot is related in some way to the main plot--for example, it might provide a parallel, contrast, or commentary. A subplot may have some or all of the plot elements described above.
flashback:
a scene that interrupts the present action of a narrative to depict some earlier event that occurred before the story's opening.
foreshadowing:
use of hints or clues to suggest what will happen later in the narrative.
digression:
introduction of a different topic that interrupts the flow of a narrative; typically the narrative is rejoined after a digression.
frame narrative:
A literary technique where one narrative is nested within another. The frame narrative is often provides the occasion for telling the nested narrative and is frequently connected thematically to the inner story.
turn:
moment in a narrative where the meaning changes significantly. The term "turn" can be used in texts that do not have a fully-formed plot but do have a narrative element.

Setting

setting:
The time and place where the plot of the story takes place. Setting includes all important elements of context, including social environment.
physical location:
can refer to the overall location of a narrative (such as "Italy"), but also specific details of locations where plot actions take place (such as "dark, ancient, catacombs"). There may be many physical locations in a single narrative.
temporal setting:
the time when a narrative is set. The temporal setting may be in the past, present, or future. Past and present settings may be historical or fictional/imaginary. Consider also time representations within the text when analyzing temporal settings--time of day, duration of the story or events within the story, etc.

Character

character
Person represented in a narrative who is interpreted by the reader (or meant to be interpreted by the reader) as having moral, physical, emotional, and other human qualities. The character takes part in the plot action.
flat character:
This term was first introduced by writer E.M. Forster in his book Aspects of the Novel, and it refers to a character who can be simply described and who does not undergo change throughout the narrative. Contrary to popular belief, the term "flat" is not a negative or derogatory description.
round character:
This term was first introduced by writer E.M. Forster in his book Aspects of the Novel, and it refers to a character who is complex. As Forster described it: "The test of a round character is whether it is capable of surprising in a convincing way."
protagonist:
a main character in a narrative; the story may center around this character or be told from the point of view of this character. There may be more than one protagonist in a work. Usually, the protagonist is a dynamic character, a character who changes throughout the story, but this is not always true.
antagonist:
a character in a narrative who opposes the aims or goals of the protagonist or creates obstacles to the accomplishment of the plot. An antagonist is sometimes a foil of the protagonist.
minor character:
a character in a text who has a support role. Often minor characters can be described through their relationships to protagonist characters.
epiphany:
a sudden moment of self-realization. Characters who experience an epiphany are round characters.

Point of View

narrator:
The voice in work of fiction who guides the reader's perspective. A narrator may be a character in a work or a distinct representation. The term narrator is conventionally used with works of fiction.
speaker:
The voice of a poem. The speaker is the author's representation of a guiding presence to lead the reader through a work or present a specific point of view towards the topic, and may be separate from characters in the poem or one of the characters in a poem.
voice:
the distinctive traits of the narrator of a text; the verbal quality of narration.
point of view:
the technique of narration that describes how the reader will be shown the story. There are several types of narrative points of view:
first person narrator:
the narrator is a character in the story and uses pronouns like "I" and "me." The reader experiences the story from this character's point of view, and all information is filtered through this character's experience and interpretation.
third person narrator:
an unidentified narrator who is apart from the story and refers to the characters with pronouns like "he," "she," and "they."
third person omniscient narrator:
the narrator is not a part of the action of the story but knows everything about the story. An omniscient narrator can provide the reader with actions from many locations and different times as well as the thoughts and feelings of any of the characters. Sometimes a narrator of this sort is intrusive meaning that they use various techniques to influence the reader's interpretation of events and characters, such as interrupting the narrative to provide an opinion on the action or withholding information from the reader.
third person limited narrator
this narrator is not part of the story, but tells the story from a limited perspective--often from the view point of a specific character or limited number of focal characters. This type of narrator can also be intrusive.
focal character
a character who is followed by a third person limited narrator.
intrusive narrator
a narrator who actively comments on the events in the story with the purpose of shaping the interpretation of the reader. Either type of third person narrator may be intrusive.
objective narrator
a narrator who does not explicitly report characters' thoughts and feelings but focuses mainly on actions. Either type of third person narrator can be objective.
implied reader or implied auditor
a reader or listener explicitly referred to by a narrator of a story who has discernable characteristics.

In-Class #1: Review--Identifying Literary Features
Week 1 (8/30)

Instructions

Work with your group to apply the review definitions as indicated below to your assigned text.

Part 1. Plot

Map out the plot of your text. Be sure to identify the main Freytag elements, but represent the visually as accurately as you can.

Part 2. Setting, Character, Point of View

  1. Describe the setting for your text as clearly as you can. If you have multiple settings, describe each. Use support from the text.
  2. Identify characters in your text: be sure to indicate whether they are round or flat, protagonist, antagonist (if applicable).
  3. Identify as specifically as you can the point of view of your text. Provide support from the text.
  4. Identify specific elements of Anglo-Saxon poetry in your text. Provide support examples and explain the significance of these features. (At least 2 different features, 1-2 examples each.)

Unit 1: Anglo-Saxon and Anglo-Norman Literature

Week 2: Monday 9/4

Labor Day--No Class

Quiz #1 due by midnight, Tuesday 9/5

Unit 1: Anglo-Saxon and Anglo-Norman Literature

Week 2: Wednesday 9/6

BABL Reading:

Beowulf manuscript page; decorative

Discussion: Identification

  1. Find at least 3 examples of kenning and explain why they are significant.
  2. What is the inciting incident in this story? Why did you select this event?
  3. Identify the character traits (round, flat, protagonist, antagonist, etc.) of Hrothgar and Beowulf. Why did you make the identifications you did?
  4. Describe in detail the setting of the Heorot. Explain why this setting is so important.
  5. Describe the point of veiw in this text as specifically as you can

Discussion: Analysis

  1. Beowulf is considered the first English epic. Explain how it is similar and different from other epics in the Western tradition (e.g., Homeric epics, Roman epics, etc.). Give examples of both form and content similarities and differences.
  2. Analyze the representation of heroism: what traits are socially valued. Explain how you know with support from the text. What is the role of the hero in a social context? How does this compare to the representation and role of heroism in "Dream of the Rood."
  3. Explain the logic of boast that emerges in the dialogue between Beowulf and Unferth. Analyze this part of the text (section 8) and describe the social rules that seem to accompany boasting. Consider also what cultural purpose boasting serves--be sure to read closely both Unferth's charges and Beowulf's responses and provide supporting examples.
  4. Though the story of Beowulf originated in oral tradition long before Christianity was introduced in England, the written version contains many references to both pagan mythology and the Christian deity. Analyze references to religion (wyrd or fate, God, Lord, Almighty, etc.). When is a deity invoked, and in what context (give some examples)? What effect on "middle earth" (that is, the living world) do the characters and the narrator suggest that these supernatural forces have?

Resources

Unit 1: Anglo-Saxon and Anglo-Norman Literature

Week 3: Monday 9/11

BABL Reading:

Student Led Discussion

Unit 1: Anglo-Saxon and Anglo-Norman Literature

Week 2: Wednesday 9/13

BABL Reading:

Discussion: "Lanval"

  1. Analyze the representation of the supernatural in Lanval, considering particularly how the operation of the supernatural influences the representation of gender. How do otherworldly powers disrupt the operation of human systems--for example, the system of interpreting beauty or the system of justice--and why is this significant?
  2. Analyze the representation of the queen in this poem. How does this character demonstrate the tension in the chivalric code between the expected treatment of women and other aspects of "honor"? How does the queen exert power, and what is the significance of this type of power? How does it compare to the power of Lanval's magic girlfriend?
  3. Analyze Lanval as an outsider and his interaction with the king and court. In what ways is he marked as an outsider, and how does this influence the interpretation of his actions (his generosity or lack thereof; his participation in events with the other knights; his day in court)? How is the court represented? What is the system of justice depicted in this text, and what cultural values emerge in the representation of Lanval's trial?

In-Class #2: Analyzing Cultural Contact
Week 3 (9/13)

Instructions:

In this exercise, we will examine various forms of cultural contact in evidence in Beowulf and "Lanval," to introduce the concept of the "contact zone" and begin to understand different forms that cultural contact can take.

Definition

Contact Zone
This concept, coined by Mary Louise Pratt, refers to 'the space of colonial encounters, the space in which peoples geographically and historically separated come into contact with each other and establish ongoing relations.' Pratt notes that often, this zone involves 'conditions of coercion, radical inequality, and intractable conflict' (6).*

* Pratt, Mary Louise. Imperial Eyes: Travel Writing and Transculturation . 2nd edition, Routledge, 2007.

  1. Example: Identify at least three examples in Beowulf where there is evidence of cultural contact in the narrative commentary [hint: look for Christian references that post-date the narrative of the text]. Explain whether these examples reflect conditions of "coercion, racial inequality, or conflict." If so, explain how. If not, how would you characterize this contact? Why is it significant?
  2. Group A: Identify at least three examples in Beowulf of cultural contact between the Geats and the Danes within the narrative of the text. How would you characterize this contact--does it reflect conditions of "coercion, racial inequality, or conflict"? Does it change over time? How and why is this contact significant?
  3. Group B: Explain how the contact in Beowulf between the Geats and Danes (considered together) and Grendel's family can be considered an example of cultural contact. How would you characterize this contact--does it reflect conditions of "coercion, racial inequality, or conflict"? Why is it significant?
  4. Group C: Identify examples of cultural contact in "Lanval." How would you characterize this contact--does it reflect conditions of "coercion, racial inequality, or conflict"? Why is it significant?

Resources

Unit 2: Middle English Literature in the 14th and 15th Century

Quiz #2 due by midnight, Sunday 9/17

Week 4: Monday 9/18

BABL Reading:

Student Led Discussion

Short Essay #1 due Tuesday, 9/19 by midnight

Unit 2: Middle English Literature in the 14th and 15th Century

Week 4: Wednesday 9/20

BABL Reading:

In-Class #3: Narrative Analysis

Part 1. Context

Group A and Group B: 1. What is the significance of the time of year for the original contest and the length of the quest? How is time charted throughout the text?

Group C and Group D: 2. What is the significance of the connection to Troy and Trojan heroes, particularly at the beginning of the text?

All: 3. What are the five sets of five, and how do they express both cultural and religious values?

Part 2. Analysis

Group A: 1. How are chivalric virtues represented in this text? What are they? How do they relate to Christian virtues? What happens when they are at odds with other value systems (Christian imperative of honesty, duty not to violate hospitality by sleeping with your host's wife, for example). What does courtesy have to do with reputation and identity (particularly Gawain's)?

Group B: 2. What is the significance of "games" in the text, particularly of "swapping" games? What is the significance of the hunting in relation to romantic plot?

Group C: 3. How are women represented in the text? What is the significance of the emphasis on external appearance? Is the wife merely a devious woman, or is this case more complex?

Group D: 4. What role do Christian observances play in the text? How is Christianity integrated with the supernatural elements of the text

All: 5. How is Arthur's Court represented? How is Arthur represented as a king? What is the real reason for the games? What does Sir Gawain learn from his adventure? What does the court learn from his retelling of the tale?

Resources

Unit 2: Middle English Literature in the 14th and 15th Century

Quiz #3 due by midnight, Sunday 9/24

Week 5: Monday 9/25

BABL Reading:

Student Led Discussion

Unit 2: Middle English Literature in the 14th and 15th Century

Week 5: Wednesday 9/27

BABL Reading:

In-Class #4: Identifying and Analyzing Dominant and Subversive Cultural Discourse
Week 5 (9/27)

Definitions

Discourse Analysis

discourse:
General term for spoken or written communication. More specifically, discourse can be thought of as the cultural conversation about a topic within a discourse community.
discourse community:
A group of individuals that shares a common understanding based on systematic principles of communication and/or vocabulary within a specific discursive situation. Discourse communities have traditionally been based on geography and a common language, such as English or French, but discourse communities can also be more specific groups who share certain experiences and specialized vocabulary specific to their activities: e.g., video game players, members of a class in school, soldiers in the armed forces, etc.
dominant discourse:
The prevailing view about a certain topic within a discourse community.
competing discourse:
Discursive situation where there is no dominant view and two or more opinions/ideas about a topic compete for dominance.
subversive discourse:
Type of discourse that represents a non-dominant position on a topic in a discourse community. A subversive discourse actively works to destabilize the dominant discourse.

Instructions

The Wife of Bath engages with several types of discourse particularly related to marriage and gender norms in her Prologue. In this exercise, we will practice identifying different types of cultural discourse and analyzing their significance. Work with your group using your assigned part of the text to answer the questions below.

Part 1: Identification--Wife of Bath's Prologue

  1. who is the discourse community for the Prologue? Identify one passage from your assigned part that shows awareness of this audience.
  2. identify as many dominant discourses related to marriage and gender as you can. Be sure to point to specific passages in your assigned part of the text.
  3. identify a subversive discourse or statement in your assigned part of the text.

Part 2: Analysis--The Book of Margery Kempe

  1. identify dominant discourses related to marriage and gender. Explain whether these are similar or different from the dominant discourses we discussed in the WoB Prologue.
  2. identify subversive statements or discourses. Explain whether these are similar or different in content compared to those discussed in the WoB Prologue.
  3. analyze whether subversive expressions are similar or different in their strategy: how are dominant discourses being confronted in both of these texts? Are the strategies employed effective for their discourse community? Explain.

Resources

Unit 2: Middle English Literature in the 14th and 15th Century

Quiz #4 due by midnight, Sunday 10/1

Week 6: Monday 10/2

BABL Reading:

Student Led Discussion

decorative Wife of Bath manuscript page

Unit 2: Middle English Literature in the 14th and 15th Century

Week 6: Wednesday 10/4

In-Class #5: Development of the English Language
Week 6 (10/4)

Definitions

internal language change
a systematic shift in pronounciation or use within a language that happens over time. The "great vowel shift" in English is an example. Around 1500, long vowel sounds mde the pronunciation of Early Modern English significantly different from other periods--more recognizable for modern speakers. For example, long [o] moving towards long [u] moone → mōna → moon. It may not be known why these changes take place, but the rules of the changes themselves can be observed and documented.
external language change
systematic change in a language triggered by an external change such as cultural contact that results in accomodation or ingratiation. The Norman Conquest of 1066 is an example of external language change in the history of the development of the English language.
syntactic changes
changes to the allowable structures of a language--for example, changing from gendered nouns to ungendered nouns or changes in the use of negation.
cognate
words that are clearly related between two languages. For example, ME wif or wyf and Modern English /wife/ are cognates.
semantic changes
changes to the meanings of words.
broadening
change to a word's meaning where it begins to mean a broader concept than it originally did.
narrowing
change to a word's meaning where it begins to signify a narrower concept than it originally did.
sound changes
types of typical alterations in language pronounciation
sound loss
dropping a sound from the pronounciation of a word. So called "silent" letters in English orthography frequently indicate that sound loss has taken place.
metathesis
reversal of postion of two sounds, for example, OE /frist/ → ModE /first/
epenthesis
addition of a sound to the middle of a word; e.g ME /spinel/ → ModE /spindle/
prothesis
addition of a sound to the beginning of a word; e.g. Latin scribere → Spansih escribir ("to write")

Instructions

In this exercise, we will examine closely the Chaucer's Middle English. Remember that there were many varieties of Middle English depending on the geographical location of the writer/speaker. Living and working near London, Chaucer spoke and wrote the prestige version of Middle English that is most recognizable as English to speakers today. So, we can understand Chaucer's writing with a little bit of help. Today we will look more closely at this version of ME and analyze it using some introductory principles of language study or linguistics. Work with your group to apply the definitions provided as indicated below.

  1. Find at least 2 syntactic changes.
  2. Find at least 3 cognates
  3. Find at least 3 semantic changes. Be sure to indicate if meaning has broadened or narrowed as applicable.
  4. Find at least 3 sound changes. Use examples that represent at least 2 different types from the list below.
  1. sound loss
  2. metathesis
  3. epenthesis
  4. prothesis

Language Study Exercise due by midnight, Saturday 10/7

Resources

Unit 3: The Renaissance

Week 7: Monday 10/9

BABL Reading:

Discussion

  1. Discuss what each of your poems means. When examining meaning, read for sentences rather than chunking meaning at line breaks, and look up words that are unfamiliar if they are not glossed by the textbook editors.
  2. Identify a dominant cultural discourse in each of your poems (stated or implied).
decorative Rainbow Portrait of Elizabeth I

Resources

Unit 3: The Renaissance

Week 7: Wednesday 10/11

In-Class #6: Close Reading Poetry
Week 7 (10/9)

Definitions

Formal Features--All Genres

theme
a main idea in a literary work. Works may have more than one theme, and the theme can range from general (e.g. "love") to more specific (e.g. "unrequited love that causes pain").
tone
the emotional register of a work or that a work takes towards its theme.
diction
choice of words. Diction can be described as informal or colloquial or formal, as well has having a large range of other features. Tone is determined largely through diction.
denotation
a word's direct, literal meaning--often thought of as the dictionary definition of a word.
connotation
what is suggested by a word when it is used in a specific context, such as within a literary text. The connotative meaning of a word is apart from its denotation.
imagery:
Imagery may be defined as the representation through language of sense experience (seeing, hearing, smelling, feeling, and tasting). The word image perhaps most often suggests a mental picture, something seen in the mind's eye - and visual imagery is the most frequently occurring kind of imagery in text. But an image may also represent a sound; a smell; a taste; a tactile experience; and an internal sensation (adapted from Paul P. Ruben, Elements of Poetry). Note that imagery can be present in all genres.
ambiguity:
a word or phrase that can be interpreted in more than one way (that makes sense) in the given context. Ambiguity may be intentional or unintentional.
irony:
a contradiction or difference between appearance or expectation and reality. This could apply to the difference between what a character/narrator says and what is meant, between an expectation of what will happen and what actually happens, or between what appears to be true and what actually is true.
allusion:
a brief reference within a literary text to another literary text. The reference might be a name of a character, short reference to an event from the plot of another text, etc. An allusive reference creates some kind of connection between the two literary works; the work referred to provides some kind of insight about the referring text.
hyperbole:
extreme exaggeration used to draw attention and sometimes to comment (negatively) on an idea.
litotes:
extreme understatement used to draw attention; often coupled with irony.
repetition:
The use of repeated words, phrases, or sounds to draw attention to certain elements of a text. There are many types of repetition, and it is one of the most powerful ways to direct emphasis.
alliteration:
repetition of consonant sounds at the beginning of words in a sequence of nearby words.
assonance:
repetition of vowel sounds in a seqeunce of words with different endings.
antithesis:
two opposing ideas or figures. Antithesis can be used as a descriptive technique or as a means of organizing and emphasizing ideas by using contrast.
foil:
type of antithesis that describes the use of a minor character to mirror specific traits of a major character for emphasis.
paradox:
A seemingly self-contradictory statement, which is nonetheless shown to be (sometimes in a surprising way) true.

Formal Features (poetry)

enjambment:
in poetry, the abrupt break of a grammatical structure by a line break.
rhyme:
matching speech sounds at the end of words (in English). For example, follow and hollow. Rhyme is a very noticeable type of repetition that is commonly used in poetry.
rhyme scheme:
the pattern of end rhymes over the course of an entire poem; often denoted by lower-case letters, where a letter is assigned to each distinct rhyme.
couplet:
two consecutive lines of verse linked by rhyme and meter.
rhythm:
The beat or stresses in written or spoken language. In poetry, the rhythm is often intentionally structured in a certain meter.
meter:
Organized pattern of rhythmic stresses in approximately equivalent units. A specific meter is one of the characteristics of poetry. A common meter in English poetry is iambic pentameter.
foot:
"the metrical unit by which a line of poetry is measured; it usually consists of one stressed or accented ( ' ) and one or two unstressed or unaccented syllables ( - )" (from Paul P. Ruben, Elements of Poetry).
iamb:
a foot of poetry that is composed of one unstressed and one stressed syllable ( - ' ). It is one of the most common poetic feet used in English.
pentameter:
a line of poetry with five feet. Iambic pentameter--a line of poetry with 5 iambs, is a common type of line in Renaissance sonnets.
blank verse
metered lines of verse that use a specific meter, in English, blank verse is often in iambic pentameter. Sometimes also called "heroic verse" or "heroic meter" because it is often used for translations of epics and Renaissance era dramas.
sonnet:
A sonnet is a poem of 14 lines. In English, the lines are usually in iambic pentameter, meaning that each line is 5 metrical feet long (or about 10 syllables), and each foot is an iamb, or a pattern of one unstressed and one stressed syllable. The Sonnet also has several conventional rhyme schemes, including two described as the "Italian" (or "Petrarchan") and "English" sonnet.
The Italian sonnet usually has an abab, abab octave (that is, set of 8 lines) followed by a sestet (set of 6 lines) with a rhyme scheme cde, cde (or cdc, cdc). In this type of sonnet introduces a proposition or problem in the first 8 lines and then describes a resolution in the last 6.
The English sonnet was an innovation by English poets on this Italian poetic form. Thomas Wyatt introduced the sonnet to England in the early 16th century, and his sonnets were often translations or adaptations of the work of Petrarch. Soon, though, other English poets like Philip Sidney and William Shakespeare developed a distinctly English version of this form. In the English sonnet, the usual rhyme scheme is typically three quatrains (4 line units) abab, cdcd, efef followed by a couplet gg. The final couplet (2 lines) represents a turn (often unexpected) in theme or imagery.

Figurative Language

figurative language:
representational language that creates a comparison or relationship between two things (for example, between an abstract concept and a concrete image that represents it) in order to make a concept more familiar or accessible to the reader. Specific types of figurative language are not limited to but include symbol, metaphor, and simile.
symbol:
an object, image, or character that stands for something more than itself.
metaphor:
a figure of speech that draws a comparison between two things. The vehicle of comparison is substituted for the tenor (the original object)--that is, two things are put in to relation to one another through an assertion that one is the other.
simile:
A comparison that uses "like" or "as" to establish the relationship between two things.
metonymy:
using the name of one thing to refer to another associated thing. For example, red tape is used to stand for frustrating procedures of government bureaucracy.
synecdoche:
type of metonymy in which the part represents the whole. For example, "a great set of wheels" is a colloquial phrase where "wheels" stands in for a car.
personification:
Representing an animal, inanimate object, or abstraction (e.g. death) with human characteristics.

Part 1. Close Reading Practice

Work individually on your assigned poem. Answer the questions below.

  1. Identify and explain at least 2 significant themes in your poem. Remember, a more specific theme is best for analysis.
  2. Identify 2 different formal features in your poem. Explain each. If you have a sonnet, identify which type of sonnet and how you can tell.
  3. Identify 2 different examples of figurative language in your poem. Be sure to explain the literal and figurative meaning and why it is important.

Part 2. Group Work

Work with your group to discuss your individual findings and prepare a presentation for the class. In your presentation, you should discuss the elements listed below. Every member of the group should present part of your work, and all of the poems among your group should be mentioned at least once.

Presentation Elements

Unit 3: The Renaissance

Week 8: Monday 10/16

BABL Reading:

Recap

Middle English

Part 1. Identifying and Describing Language

Examine the passage from the WoB Prologue below and answer the questions.

Though I right now sholde make my testament,
I ne owe hem nat a word that it nys quit. (Chaucer 337, lines 424-25)

  1. rewrite this passage in modern English maintaining syntax and meaning as closely as possible to the original.
  2. Though I right now should make my will // If I were making my will right this moment
    I don't owe him a word that wasn't already paid back // I don't owe him a single word; they've all been returned in kind
  3. describe the syntactic change indicated by the bolded words. Be sure to explain the effect on meaning.
  4. intensification of negation and formation of contractions both ok here
  5. explain how the word "quit" as it is used here might be related to the modern word /requite/. Click here to view the Oxford English Dictionary entry for quit.

the plural of eye in Middle English is eyen (see Chaucer 336, line 315 for example).

  1. what is the modern plural of eye?
  2. give at least 5 examples of other modern English words where the plural is formed like the plural you listed for a.
  3. give an example of a modern word where the plural is formed like eye → eyen
  4. examples from the class:
    child → children
    ox → oxen
  5. what does this example suggest about the evolution of English when it comes to how nouns are made plural?
  6. based on your response to d., why do you think the method for pluralizing eye changed but the method for pluralizing the word you listed in c. did not?

Short Essay #2: Renaissance Poetry

Format:

MLA formatted essay of approximately 400-500 words in length. A Works Cited section should be included, but does not need to be on a separate page.

Due: Saturday, 10/21 by midnight

Instructions:

Write an essay with a clear analytical thesis and supporting argument that includes specific textual support in response the prompt below.

Choose 2 of the poems from this unit that have a common theme to analyze--remember, a more specific theme will be more helpful for analysis (e.g. "love" is too general). You may choose one of the themes that you defined during In-Class #6 or use something new. Write an essay using this thematic connection as a basis. In your introduction, explain your theme in detail. In the body of your essay, explain how the theme is expressed significantly in each text in the category. You should support your claims using specific formal features and figurative language (including specific quotations from the text). In the conclusion of your essay, identify significant similarities and differences in how your theme functions in the texts you examined.

Utopia Discussion

  1. Explain how Utopia came to be as discribed in the text.
  2. Describe the rules of Utopia: what is life like there?
  3. Describe the system of justice in Utopia: what happens when rules are broken, for example?
  4. Describe the values of Utopia.
  5. Today, the word utopia is understood to mean an ideal society. Literally, the Latin translates to "no place." Is More's Utopia ideal? impossible? something else? expalain your opinion.
decorative map of Thomas More's Utopia

Resources

Unit 3: The Renaissance

Week 8: Wednesday 10/18

In-Class #7: Philosophy and Fiction
Week 8 (10/18)

Instructions

Thomas More's Utopia uses narrative to illustrate philosophical principles. This is the main trait of the philosophical novel, a form that was popular in the seventeenth century. In this exercise, we will analyze the significance of the integration of philosophy and fiction.

Part 1: Content Analysis

  1. Group A: How does the geographical makeup of Utopia, and the Utopian's manipulation of that geography, contribute to the social structure and Utopian relations with the outside world? What was the role of King Utopus in the creation of Utopian society, and what does this suggest about the necessary conditions for creating this society?
  2. Group B: In Utopia, it is clear that the needs of the individual are subordinate to the needs of the society. Discuss some examples of this philosophy in operation. What are the benefits and the drawbacks of this heavy emphasis on social good? What are some of the consequences to the individual? Be sure to use specific examples from the text.
  3. Group C: How do the Utopians' interact with other cultures? How do Utopians wage war and for what reasons? What non-violent strategies do the Utopians use to avoid war? What strategies do they use when the do engage in violent coflict? How does the example of the war where the Utopians sided with the Nephelogetes add additional information to this philosohpy.
  4. All: Discuss the use of slaves in Utopia. Why are slaves necessary, and what does this imply about the society of Utopia? Is their presence mitigated by the kind treatment they receive or the crimes they have committed (why/why not)? Can slavery co-exist with the tenets of Humanism (why/why not)?

Part 2: Discourse Analysis

  1. Identify a dominant discourse within the discourse community of Utopian citizens.
  2. Compare the dominant discourse you identified in 1. to the discourse on this topic in the discourse community of Reniassance European/English culture: explain similarities and differences.
  3. Based on your analysis in 1. and 2., how do you think More's text itself functions relative to the discourse of his culture?

Unit 4: The 17th Century

Week 9: Monday 10/23

BABL Reading:

17th Century Poetry Presentation

Format:

5-6 minute presentation on a 17th century poem as assigned; visuals optional

Due:

in class in week 9

Instructions

Presentations will be in random order. Everyone should be prepared to present on Monday.

Your presentation should include the following:

Unit 4: The 17th Century

Week 9: Wednesday 10/25

17th Century Poetry Presentation

Format:

5-6 minute presentation on a 17th century poem as assigned; visuals optional

Due:

in class in week 9

Instructions

Presentations will be in random order. Everyone should be prepared to present on Monday.

Your presentation should include the following:

Unit 4: The 17th Century

Week 10: Monday 10/30

BABL Reading:

Student Led Discussion: Phoenix

decorative Rape of the Lock

Resources

Authors

Unit 4: The 17th Century

Week 10: Wednesday 11/1

In-Class #8: Literary Form
Week 10 (22/1)

In this exercise, we will consider how literary form shapes reader expectation and is related signficantly to meaning. Work with group to answer the questions below.

Definitions:

parody
form that involves mimicking or imitating the style, format, or characteristics of a specific genre for comedic effect.
satire
form that aims to criticize or comment on a subject, often social or political, by using humor, irony, or sarcasm. A satire may use parody, or imitation of genre, in its presentation. Satire is a type of subversive discourse that uses form as one tool to question a dominant discourse.

All:

  1. Identify the genre of the text(s) your group is working on. In the case of parody texts, be sure to indicate the genre being parodied. Indicate as well whether a parody text is also a satire or not.
  2. Identify the main cultural discourses operating in your text(s).

Group A: Lady's Dressing Room and The Introduction

  1. How does Swift's poem function as a parody of Petrarchan conventions? What aspects of these conventions are critiqued? Provide specific examples from the text.
  2. Swift's representation of "The Lady's Dressing Room" can easily be seen as anti-feminist or even misogynistic, yet in some regards, it could be argued that he critiques some of the same aspects of gender representation as Anne Finch in "The Introduction". Identify some of these areas where dominant discourses of gender are represented in both poems and analyze across both of these texts.

Group B: Modest Proposal

  1. Identify the main argument in "Modest Proposal." What type of logic is used? What types of evidence are given? How does the tone of the work contribute to its effectiveness? How does Swift use satire and parody to convey critiques of England's governance of Ireland (give specific examples)?
  2. How does Swift's techniques for social critique in "A Modest Proposal" compare to More's in Utopia?

Group C: Rape of the Lock

  1. Discuss how epic conventions and classical references are parodied in Pope's mock epic; how are the differences in Pope's versions significant? Some examples below:
  1. 1.1-6: invocation of Muse
  2. 1.27-114: prophetic dream
  3. 1.121-48: Altar scene 1; 2.29-46: Altar scene 2; 3.105-20: Altar scene 3
  4. Canto 3 battles: card game, rape of lock; Canto 5 battle between men and women
  5. Canto 4 visit to the Cave of Spleen
  6. 5.123-end: metamorphosis [apotheosis] of hair
  1. How are Belinda and the Baron represented? How is their conflict (discuss the various stages of their conflict) representative of the larger conflict between the sexes? What types of weapons does each wield? Obviously lives are not at stake in this conflict, but what is--and who seems to be victorious? How is heroism represented early in the poem and later? How does this compare to Astell's new definition of the heroic?

Unit 5: Restoration and 18th Century

Week 11: Monday 11/6

BABL Reading:

Student Led Discussion: Kylee B. and Justin

decorative playbill for theatrical production of Oronooko

Resources

Author

Slave Trade

Monarchy

Unit 5: Restoration and 18th Century

Week 11: Wednesday 11/8

BABL Reading:

Discussion Questions

Formal Features

1. Behn's Oroonoko is an early example of the novel. Some critics have argued that it demonstrates impressive realism. However, Behn clearly and consciously draws from the body of English literature that proceeded her work. Consider Oroonoko in the context of the other works we have read this term and identify similarities between this novel and other specific texts. What is the significance of the uses of existing narrative forms, conventions, and representations in Behn's text.

Consider in particular:

2. The use of a narrative voice, a convention that seems commonplace now, was a contested space in the development of the novel. Behn's use of narrative voice is an excellent example of some of the complexites of the development of this formal convention. Behn asserts a very distinctive narrative voice aligned with herself in specific ways: describe this narrative voice and its characteristics with supporting details from the text. Then, examine the ways in which this narrative voice shifts or is unstable.

Consider in particular:

Themes/Issues

1. Discuss Behn's representation of Native Americans in Oroonoko and how this representation changes throughout the narrative. Think in particular about the relationship between the colonists and the Native Americans, how these representations fit into cultural discourses/ideas that would be recognizable to Europeans, and the motives for these representations given the specific context. Of course, you should also address any contradictions observed between these instances as well, and explain how these are significant.

2. Discuss Behn's representation of Europeans and of Christianity in this text. Consider in particular how Europeans interact with other cultures. Behn the narrator character is obviously a member of this dominant culture, and though she criticizes it through her representations, she also endorses the values of this culture, including the moral code of Christianity. Analyze the contradictions presented in this text between the narrator's complicity with the dominant culture and the clearly villainous behavior of this culture towards those who do not belong.

Unit 5: Restoration and 18th Century

Week 12: Monday 11/13

BABL Reading:

Discussion Exercises

1. Narrative Structure: At several points in the story, the narrator reveals things about Oroonoko and Imoinda that could have been told earlier but were not. Examine the moments of revelation below:

  1. identify what is being revealed and how this information aligns with (or conflicts with) dominant discourses of the original English audience of this text (be sure to identify what the dominant discourse is).
  2. analyze the strategy the narrator uses for revealing this information: do you think it is effective for the original audience--explain your answer.

Passage A: One may imagine then, we paid her a treble respect; and though from her being carved in fine flowers and birds all over her body, we took her to be of quality before, yet, when we knew Clemene was Imoinda, we could not admire her enough. / I had forgot to tell you, that those who are nobly born of that country are so delicately cut and raced all over the fore part of the trunk of their bodies, that it looks as if it were japanned, the works being raised like high point round the edges of the flowers. Some are carved with a little flower, or bird, at the sides of the temples, as was Caesar; and those who are so carved over the body, resemble our ancient Picts, that are figured in the chronicles, but these carvings are more delicate. (pp. 1254-1255)

Passage B: ...by degrees the slaves abandoned Caesar, and left him only Tuscan and his heroic Imoinda, who grown big as she was, did nevertheless press near her lord, having a bow, and a quiver full of poisoned arrows, which she managed with such dexterity, that she wounded several, and shot the governor into the shoulder... (p. 1263)

2. Close Reading: with longer texts, it can be more difficult to find specific textual references for close reading. Fortunately, there are digital tools like concordances to help. Use the concordance to analyze representations of violence in Oroonoko
Concordance of Oroonoko

  1. start by listing words that might be related to violence and present in the text. List the word as well as related forms of the word, for example: whip, whipped, whips, whipping. The root + inflected forms is called the lemma in corpus studies.
  2. next, search for all of the terms you came up with. Note frequencies and patterns: attend to things such as when the term first appears in the text (for example, today's reading starts at line 1235 of the concordance).
  3. then, examine the context of the terms. If you have many hits, you may just want to examine some samples. Scan through the results list that will give you partial context. If you see an example you want to investigate furhter, click on the linked word in that line to go to where it appears in the text. Note any observations about the use of your terms in context.

3. Who Are "we"? As we have discussed previously in class, the narrative voice in this text uses various "us/them" structures to align with or contrast with the reading audience of the period. Examine the passages below.

  1. identify who the "we" is and who "they" are.
  2. explain the significance of this "we" and how they are positioned relative to the "they"
  3. what does the narrator seem to be trying to accomplish with this alignment? Are they effective? Explain.

Passage A: "...we could scarce trust ourselves, without great numbers, to go to any Indian [sic] towns, or place, where they abode, for fear they should fall upon us..." (p. 1259)

Passage B: "And 'tis not impossible but some of the best in the country was of his counsel in this flight, and depriving us of all the slaves, so that they of the better sort would not meddle in the matter" (p. 1263)

Passage C: "...when the news was brought ... that Caesar had betaken himself to the woods ... we were possessed with extreme fear, which no persuasiouns could dissipate, that he would secure himself until night, and then, that he would come down and cut all our throats" (p. 1265)

Passage D: "So turning the governor, and his wise council out of doors ... we set a guard upon our landing place, and would admit none but those we called friends to us and Caesar" (p. 1266)

decorative Oroonoko: Imoinda's death

Resources

Author

Slave Trade

Monarchy

Unit 5: Restoration and 18th Century

Week 12: Wednesday 11/15

eReading (available in Canvas):

In-Class #9: Using Historical Context
Week 12 (11/15)

In thi exercise, we will analyze historical documents and practice using them as a basis for literary analysis.

Texts:

  1. Group A: The Mandeville text is an excellent example of the representation of the eastern "other." What is the representation like? How is it used to speak back to the European interlocutor? What might be the significance of the assertion of moral authority by the Sultan?
  2. Group B: Johnson's Masque of Blacknesse is an example of a representation of Africans from a European perspective. How is beauty defined? What origin is asserted for the darker skin of the Africans in this short drama? How might these ideas be significant in terms of the relations between Africans and Europeans in the early modern period?
  3. Group C: Johnson's text is one of layered meaning when considered in terms of its performance history. As the introduction in the book indicates, the English Queen Anne and several other noble women appeared in the masque as the Ethiopian ladies with their faces covered in burnt cork (175). A contemporary commentator watching the performance wrote that "I am sorry that strangers should see owr court so strangely disguised" (175). Consider this text in light of its performance context: what additional issues related to the representation of Africans and their interaction with Europeans become significant?
  4. Group A: The "Legal Decisions Concerning Slavery" are examples of historical documents that can be used to elucidate the facts surrounding slavery. For a historian, they would have evidentiary status. How do these decisions function as records of cultural practice? How were slaves defined legally (or, what was the debate about that definition), and how do these contradictory decisions demonstrate the special case of the slavery issue? How is the practice of slavery integrated into the historical practice of serfdom through the concept of the villein, and how is this connection legally significant?
  5. Group B: Dalby Thomas' text purports to be a "historical" account of the West-India colonies. However, Thomas is clearly writing from a perspective of an Englishman who views the colonies as a source of wealth for England. Do you detect other motivations that might influence his account? Given that there is a specific bias to this "history" how does that affect this document as material for the historian? What types of analytical tools could the literary theorist employ to examine this text?
  6. Group C: The letters of Igantius Sancho and the memior of Olaudah Equiano are examples of texts that could be used to restore a voice for the silenced African in this period. How would these texts be anlayzed using the tools of literary theory, such as rhetorical analysis, analysis of the representations of various characters and the significance of those representations, close reading of elements of the text.
  7. ALL: How could you use your historical text to intersect with Oroonoko? Provide a specific example.

Unit 5: Restoration and 18th Century

Week 13: Monday 11/20

In-Class #10: Using Secondary Sources
Week 13 (11/20)

In this exercise, we will examine the structure of secondary sources and practice analyzing them for relevant meaning.

Definitions

literary criticism
application of one or more literary theories or tools of literary theory to specific texts.
literary theory
philosophy of understanding texts. Often, literary theories are connected to other disciplines, such as psychology, economics, or linguistics; also, theories may be connected to broader social movements, such as feminism. Theories, therefore, can often stand on their own.
inductive
a method of argumentation or reasoning where specific details and facts are presented first in order to lead to a general argument or thesis.
deductive
a method of argumentation or reasoning where a general argument or thesis is provided at the outset and then specific facts and details are used to support this thesis.
review of criticism
section of a critical article that reviews other criticism that is relevant to the current discussion. In some disciplines, this is also called a "review of literature."
primary source
In literary criticism, the original literary text being studied is a primary source. This differs from other disciplines where a primary source may include original research studies, ethnographic observations, etc.
secondary source
In literary criticism, any other materials, such as critical articles, historical resources, relevant theoretical texts, that are used in conjunction with a primary source (or sources) to construct an argument.

Texts:

Baum, Rob. “Aphra Behn’s Black Body: Sex, Lies and Narrativity in Oroonoko.” Brno Studies in English, vol. 37, no. 2, Oct. 2011, pp. 7–29. DOI.org (Crossref), https://doi.org/10.5817/BSE2011-2-2.

Deb, Basuli. “Transnational Complications: Reimagining Oroonoko and Women’s Collective Politics in the Empire.” Frontiers: A Journal of Women Studies, vol. 36, no. 1, 2015, p. 33. DOI.org (Crossref), https://doi.org/10.5250/fronjwomestud.36.1.0033.

Mitsein, Rebekah. “Trans-Saharan Worlds and World Views in Aphra Behn’s Oroonoko.” Eighteenth-Century Fiction, vol. 30, no. 3, Mar. 2018, pp. 339–68. DOI.org (Crossref), https://doi.org/10.3138/ecf.30.3.339.

Morrissey, Lee. “Transplanting English Plantations in Aphra Behn’s Oroonoko.” The Global South, vol. 10, no. 2, 2016, p. 11. DOI.org (Crossref), https://doi.org/10.2979/globalsouth.10.2.02.

Pacheco, Anita. “‘Little Religion’ but ‘Admirable Morals’: Christianity and Honor in Aphra Behn’s Oroonoko.” Modern Philology, vol. 111, no. 2, Nov. 2013, pp. 253–80. DOI.org (Crossref), https://doi.org/10.1086/673098.

Richards, Cynthia. “Interrogating Oroonoko : Torture in a New World and a New Fiction of Power.” Eighteenth-Century Fiction, vol. 25, no. 4, July 2013, pp. 647–76. DOI.org (Crossref), https://doi.org/10.3138/ecf.25.4.647.

Rogers, Katharine M. “Fact and Fiction in Aphra Behn’s ‘Oroonoko.’” Studies in the Novel, vol. 20, no. 1, 1988, pp. 1–15. JSTOR.

Part 1. Example

Use Katharine Rogers's “Fact and Fiction in Aphra Behn’s ‘Oroonoko’” to answer the questions below:

  1. What is the thesis (main argument) of the article? Where did you find it?
  2. What are the key subpoints or lines of argument that the author uses to support the thesis?
  3. Provide examples of evidence used to support the key subpoints.
  4. Describe the strucutre of this argument.
  5. Is this argument effective? Explain your evaluation, with support.

Part 2. Practice

Use your assigned article and practice analyzing the structure and effectiveness of the critic's argument.

  1. What is the thesis (main argument) of the article? Where did you find it?
  2. What are the key subpoints or lines of argument that the author uses to support the thesis?
  3. Provide examples of evidence used to support the key subpoints.
  4. Describe the strucutre of this argument.
  5. Is this argument effective? Explain your evaluation, with support.
decorative Oroonoko: Imoinda's death

Resources

Author

Slave Trade

Monarchy

Unit 5: Restoration and 18th Century

Week 13: Wednesday 11/22

Thanksgiving Break--No Class

Unit 6: Final Project

Week 14: Monday 11/27

Discussion Questions

Formal Features

On page 1572, you see a sample of the original spelling and punctuation of Heywood's novel. What features do you notice that are different from today? How is dialogue by characters handled? Why is this significant? -- Think in terms of the development of the genre of the novel.

Themes/Issues

1. This text is structured, initially, by the Lady's use of disguise. Explain the different disguises used in the text and explain the significance of each. Analyze the relationshp between disguise, identity, and reputation--be sure to indicate the Lady's logic related to reputation and virtue. Consider how naming functions--the Lady's "real" name is never mentioned, but she names herself several times; Beauplaisir is named--especially in light of naming issues we discussed with Oroononko, how is this aspect significant? Finally, discuss how the representations of reputation in this novel are similar/different to representations of reputation we have seen in texts earlier in the term.

2. Analyze the representation of sex in this text. The word "sex" itself is not used to mean physical sexual acts, but to mean something like the modern term gender--for example: "In this Manner did she applaud her own Conduct, and exult with the Imagination that she had more Prudence than all her Sex beside" (1572). Yet there are many scenes that depict physical acts between the Lady and Beauplaisir. How is desire described? How is power involved in physical relations between men and women in these examples? What types of specific figurative language and imagery is used to represent these scenes (or at least one example) and how are these elements significant?

3. Analyze the structure of the plot in relation to the Lady's desire and agency. Explain how she has such atypical freedom of movement throughout much of the text, and be sure to consider the structures that are designed to keep her in place and how they fail. Analyze the appearance of the Lady's mother in the final part of the text, and how this alters structures of agency and authority. Explain how the narrative concludes and analyze the differences between the ending and the rest of the text. What do you think about the potential didactic force of this novel, and why?

decorative Fantomina cover page

Resources

Author

Monarchy

Unit 6: Final Project

Week 14: Wednesday 11/29

Workshop #1: Finding Contextual Information

Final Project Details

Research Tools

Secondary Sources

1. Evaluate the credibility source

How: when evaluating a source, you want to think about a few key factors. First, is the source credible? If you have found it in a library database while searching for peer reviewed articles, you can be pretty certain that the source is reliable. If you are using a web source, you will need to spend more time on this step. In the case of a website, see if you can answer questions like these: Who is the author or sponsoring institution? Is the content peer reviewed and/or written by scholars in the field? If the source is a good one, this type of information should be available, often in an "About" section. If you cannot answer these questions, then the site probably is not a good one to use.

2. Understand the source: identify the thesis and main subpoints.

How: in academic articles, particularly more recent ones, the structure is usually deductive, that is, the thesis is given in the introduction. So, read carefully the abstract (if there is one) and the introduction to identify the thesis. Sometimes there will be helpful metatext signals like "I argue that..." Subpoints are sometimes marked with section headings, but this is not as common in humanities scholarship as it is in the sciences. However, you can still identify subpoints by looking for places in the article where the topic shifts. One way to find these areas is to create an outline of the article. The outline does not need to be overly formal or detailed, but it should diagram the main topics to help you identify where the topic changes: those boundaries between one topic and the next will help you to see the different pieces of the argument and how they fit together.

  1. Identify the thesis, and then write it in your own words.
  2. Create a brief outline of the argument and explain what the main topics (subpoints) are.

3. Evaluate how the source is relevant to your purpose

The next step is to evaluate the usefulness of the sources in relation to your purpose. In this case, we are looking for several different types of sources: secondary sources that you could reference as you write a contextualizing introduction for first time readers of the novel.

Primary Literary or Historical Sources

1. Brainstorm types of sources to find and other key terms to search

Consider relevant topics from your reading of the primary literary text as well as breadcrumbs from your secondary source searches.

2. Look through your finds for relevant excerpts

Start to identify passages no more than several pages long that will provide relevant social, cultural, and discursive context for the novel

Be prepared to present your findings to the class.

You will use information from these sources to write your Introduction for the edition assignment, and you should also identify sources that you will include in full or part as part of your edition to provide context.

Unit 6: Final Project

Week 15: Monday 12/4

Final Project Details

Workshop #2: Close Reading and Glossing Language

In this workshop we will practice identifying elements of language that need further explanation. Note: There are some contextual glosses in the text already. You can use these as models, but also look for additional areas where you can provide more information. We are working on an annotated edition, so it should have more robust footnoting that is specific to your selected audience. You may expand on an existing note, but you will also be expected to write your own notes.

Demographics

  1. Identify your intended audience:
  2. Describe specific considerations for this audience that you need to keep in mind as you prepare your edition:
  3. Identify the contextual appendicies you have determined so far (or are planning to research further). This may be a list of specific texts or types of cultural discourse you are researching (include key terms).

Resource

Part 1. Identification

  1. Use your textbook and the etext of Fantomina above to identify a passage of the primary text that you will gloss. How should you select your passage?
  2. Length: approximately a column of text in our textbook; be sure that you are selecting start and end pionts that make sense conceptually: so, for example, continue to the end of a paragraph rather than breaking in the middle of a paragraph.
  3. Content: choose content that will showcase your editorial decisions for your specific audience. So, for example, if your audience is high school or college teachers, you will want to choose a passage that requires a higher level of explanation for cultural practices or draws together themes. If your audience is high school students, you will want to choose a passage that is particularly challenging for that audience (e.g. sex scene) to show how you would deal with that challenge; for college students, choose a passage that would present a particular challenge--such as language that means something different today than it did in the past to show how you will deal with that for this audience. In short, your passage should showcase some of the most interesting glossing.
  4. Examine your passage. Mark words that you think your intended audience may not know the meaning of. List them here, and be sure to include the page number where you found them (you can also paste in the passgae from the etext and mark directly in the passage with bold or highlight):
  5. Review your passage a second time. This time, look for words, phrases, or descriptions that reflect cultural discourses that may not be familiar to your indended audience.

Part 2. Editorial Decisions

Work with your group to review the words and phrases identified in Part 1. Discuss whether these need further explanation for a typical audience. Revise your list as needed.

Part 3. Research

With any time left, begin researching your words and phrases.

Resource:

To find the past meanings of words, use the Oxford English Dictionary. Our University does not currently subscribe to the OED, so use my login to access this resource. Click on the account icon: OED account icon On the next screen, click on the Sign in button: OED sign in button and then enter the information listed in our Canvas site homepage.

Unit 6: Final Project

Week 15: Wednesday 12/6

Final Project Details

Workshop #3: Writing Effective Footnotes and Headnotes

Part 1. Writing Footnotes

Guidelines for writing footnotes

Use your list from Workshop #2 and start writing footnotes for each. Be sure to indicate where the footnote would appear in the text.

Part 2. Reference List

As you are working, be sure to keep an accurate reference list. Your references should be in MLA format. Write example references for this exercise that you can use as samples to help you later.

  1. Write a reference for an individual word from a dictionary.
  2. Write a reference for a scholarly article (you may use a citation generator to help you).
  3. Write a reference for a historical document (original or reprint, but if it is a reprint, be sure you are including the original date of publication as well as the reprint date).

Part 2. Writing Headnotes

Guidelines for writing headnotes

Headnotes are the 1-2 paragraph (75-200 word) explanation of your contextual sources that help your reader understand why they were selected and how they relate to the primary text. Your headnotes should:

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