ENGL 350 19th-Century British Literature and Culture

Romantic Texts

Winter term 2008; TR 11:00-12:20; HC 2-11

David S. Miall / 492-0538 / David.Miall (at) Ualberta.Ca
Office hours, HC 4.27: Tuesdays 1:15-2:15 or by arrangement

  

Schedule

Assignments

Internet resources

Policies

The British Romantic writers lived through a period of rapid social change and the violent political upheavals of the French Revolution and its aftermath, and responded fully to these changes in their writing. We will focus on a selection of the poetry and prose written during this period, from the Fall of the Bastille (1789) to the Reform Act (1832). We will consider the various ways in which early nineteenth-century writers responded to the historical and cultural changes of their time, as we examine a range of texts from lyrics to narratives, confessions to criticism, Gothic novels to political manifestos. An important concern of the course will be Romanticism as a cultural phenomenon: what is Romanticism and English Romanticism in particular? What subjects and styles link the diverse poetry and fiction being written during this period? How are we heirs of romantic thinking not only in art but in basic social attitudes?

Course website: http://www.ualberta.ca/~dmiall/Romanticism/

TEXTS:
Duncan Wu, ed., Romanticism: An Anthology, 3rd ed. (Blackwell).
Ann Radcliffe, The Italian (Oxford Classics).
Mary Shelley, Frankenstein 1818, ed. M. Butler (Oxford Classics).

Schedule

Week Readings (page references are to Wu) Information and links
Jan 8/10 Introduction;
Political context: Burke, from Reflections (10); Williams, from Letters (296, 306); Wollstonecraft, from Vindication of the Rights of Woman (279)		 Summary of Vindication
Jan 15/17 Coleridge, "Effusion" ("The Eolian Harp" 601); "This Lime-Tree Bower My Prison" (613). Coleridge notes  
Jan 22/24 Coleridge, "Frost at Midnight" (625); Wordsworth, "Tintern Abbey" (407). Tintern notes "Frost" website
"Tintern" commentaries; Geography
Jan 29/31 Wordsworth, from Lyrical Ballads: "Simon Lee" (368), "Anecdote" (370), "We are seven" (372), "The Thorn" (375), Advertisement (330). Ballads Lyrical Ballads online
Feb 5/7 Blake, from Songs of Innocence and Experience: "The Echoing Green" (180) / "Nurse's Song" (196); "The Chimney Sweeper" (183/195); "Holy Thursday" (186/192); "The Sick Rose" (196), "London" (199); from The Marriage, "The Voice of the Devil" (207) Essay 1, due February 7
Blake Archive
Feb 12/14 Burke, "Obscurity" (9); Radcliffe, The Italian On Radcliffe (Miall); Freud on the uncanny
14th. Presentation on Radcliffe: Aly, Julie, Steve
Feb 19/21 Reading week  
Feb 26/28 Coleridge, "Kubla Khan" (619); "The Rime of the Ancient Mariner" 1817 (694) Coleridge's Albatross (Miall); Mariner abstracts
Mar 4/6 Wordsworth, from The Prelude: "The Two-Part Prelude" (448), "Crossing the Alps" (553), "The London Beggar" (556) Crossing the Alps
6th. Presentation, "Crossing": Nasab, Devin, Sheryl, Michele
6th. Presentation: "Beggar": Henghameh, Jo, Beth
Mar 11/13 Byron, Childe Harold's Pilgrimage, Canto 3 (852); Manfred (896) Byron's Swiss Tour (1816); Manfred notes
13th. Presentation: Manfred: Kathy, Amanda, Andrea, Ryan
Mar 18/20 Shelley, "Hymn to Intellectual Beauty" (1071); "Mont Blanc" (1075); Journal-Letter (1073) Shelleys at Chamonix; Bourrit and Ramond on Glaciers
18th. Presentation: "Hymn": Kim, Candice, Christie, Tanya
Mar 25/27 Mary Shelley, Frankenstein 1818 Frankenstein file
25th. Presentation: Frankenstein: Sarah, Dawn, Sean
Apr 1/3 Shelley, "Ozymandias" (1079); "Ode to the West Wind" (1175); from Defence of Poetry (1184); Keats, Letter (1350) Essay 2, due April 3
1st. Presentation: "Ozymandias": Sam, Elizabeth, Jess, Iris
1st. Presentation: "West Wind": Nathan, Tara, Amanda, +?
Apr 8/10 Keats, "The Eve of St Agnes" (1376); "Ode to a Nightingale" (1395) Exam questions available, April 10.
10th.: Presentation: "Nightingale": Brad, Natasha, Michelle
Apr 18 Examination, 9:00-11:00 Exam questions

Assignments

Class presentation, group grade (10%). Students, working in groups of 3 or 4, will present an introduction and critical approach to one of the texts on the schedule. The presentation should take approximately 15-20 minutes (no longer!). A summary or copy of the presentation should be handed to the instructor that day or at the following session. Presentations may take the form of a Powerpoint, webpage, dramatization, or verbal presentation.

Presentations: suggestions, examples

Essay 1, due February 7 (1500 words; 20%). Either (a) Choose one of the poems by Coleridge, Wordsworth, or Blake that is not listed on this outline. Paying attention to structure, diction, and speaker as appropriate, show in what way the poem exemplifies Romantic themes and concerns. Or (b) Explore one of the psychological, philosophical, political, or literary critical issues that have arisen during the course so far. Discuss it in relation to at least two of the poetry or prose texts you have studied up to now.

Essay 2 (2500 words; 40%). Choose one of the longer poems or extracts (100 lines or more) by Coleridge, Wordsworth, Shelley, Byron, or Keats. Discuss the poem in the light of (1) the main Romantic techniques and ideas discussed during the course, and (2) one or more of the theoretical statements by these poets (which may extend beyond those we have considered in class).

Examination (30%). Take-away questions, to be announced at the last class on April 10th and placed online that afternoon. This will require an essay of approximately 3 pages (double spaced), based on the term work (no additional reading will be expected). Hand in the completed essay at 9:00 am on April 18th.

Internet resources

Policies

Note that all course work must be completed prior to sitting the Final exam, unless urgent medical or personal reasons are provided prior to the date on which the exam is held.

Late submission of essays will not be accepted without compelling medical or personal reason. Essays must be handed to the instructor at the beginning of the class session at which they are due. They must not a) be given to another student to submit, b) put under the instructor's office door, or c) faxed or otherwise attempted to be submitted through the English Department office. An essay submitted in this or any other unauthorized way will be considered as having not been submitted and will receive no grade.

Class attendance and participation are expected and encouraged. Classes will begin promptly at the scheduled time. If you have to miss a class, please contact a class mate (not the instructor) before the next class to find out what you missed. If the instructor is not present within ten minutes of the beginning of class you are expected to carry out the scheduled work to the best of your ability within the allotted class time.

Note that essay writing must be your own work. A student in whose work plagiarism is detected will face serious penalties, as outlined in the code of student conduct (see further below).

You will not be able to make up a missed exam unless you provide a medical certificate or some other compelling personal reason for absence.

Final Examination Appeals. Any request for reappraisal of the Final Examination must be made in writing to the Office of the Registrar, not to the Department of English and Film Studies.

Policy about course outlines can be found in Section 23.4(2) of the University Calendar. (GFC 29 SEP 2003) The University of Alberta is committed to the highest standards of academic integrity and honesty. Students are expected to be familiar with these standards regarding academic honesty and to uphold the policies of the University in this respect. Students are particularly urged to familiarize themselves with the provisions of the Code of Student Behaviour (online at www.ualberta.ca/secretariat/appeals.htm) and avoid any behaviour which could potentially result in suspicions of cheating, plagiarism, misrepresentation of facts and/or participation in an offence. Academic dishonesty is a serious offence and can result in suspension or expulsion from the University. (GFC 29 SEP 2003)

Miall home page

Document created November 12th 2007 / Updated April 10th 2008