English 110: Approaches to Reading Literature Emerging, Diverging, and Converging Identities

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Professor Jennifer Hellwarth English 110.01 MWF 2:30-3:20 pm Oddfellows 221 Fall 2017 Office: 232 Oddfellows Phone: o. 332-4324 e-mail: jhellwar@allegheny.

Description What might it mean to be introduced to literary study? How do we imagine the literary work as an object of analysis as opposed to merely a source of solitary pleasure?

Thinking about texts in these ways will lead us to reflect upon our emotional reactions to it, examine the forms used to support it, make connections between it and the "real world," and

In English 110 we will learn about the formal (and informal) elements of literature and genre and we will examine some of the various ways in which we think, talk, and write about

1 Professor Jennifer Hellwarth English MWF 2:30-3:20 pm Oddfellows 221 Fall 2017 Office: 232 Oddfellows Phone: o Office hours: M, W 11am-noon, T 1-4 pm, F 1:20-2:20 pm, and also by appointment English 110: Approaches to Reading Literature Emerging, Diverging, and Converging Identities Course Description What might it mean to be introduced to literary study? How do we imagine the literary work as an object of analysis as opposed to merely a source of solitary pleasure? What are the ways in which we categorize literary texts? How does identity get expressed through literary form? Thinking about texts in these ways will lead us to reflect upon our emotional reactions to it, examine the forms used to support it, make connections between it and the "real world," and finally, learn to create strong and clearly articulated arguments about it. In English 110 we will learn about the formal (and informal) elements of literature and genre and we will examine some of the various ways in which we think, talk, and write about literature. To do this we will read and analyze texts that are considered "canonical" and define conventions (such as Shakespeare's sonnets) and those that are considered more "non-canonical" and defy conventions (such as Leslie Marmon Silko's Storyteller). As part of our study we will focus on the ways in which texts variously reveal certain identities identities related to race, class, nationality, and gender.

2 Course Objectives 1. To master basic terms of literary criticism; 2. To utilize close reading as a primary skill of literary analysis; 3. To recognize the conventions of different literary genres; 4. To encounter interpretive arguments both in writing and in class discussion; 5. To understand the cultural and literary significance of historically underrepresented perspectives and traditions; 6. To gain confidence in writing and speaking about literature; 7. To appreciate the significance and pleasure to be derived from thoughtful reading of literature; 8. To prepare for more advanced study in the English Department. Requirements and Policies Attendance and Participation Attendance is Required! Allegheny policy requires class attendance. I expect that you will come to every class and be present in mind as well as body. That means being prepared. Come to class having done the assigned reading (take notes, record comments!) listed for that day and with at least one thing in mind that you would like to contribute to the class. I understand that life happens and sometimes you must be absent. If this is the case and you know you will be absent, please let me know (by phone message or ). An absence can be excused with proof of cause: either a College obligation (e.g., sports event away, a class field trip) or illness (requiring a note from a doctor or the health center). Each student is permitted two unexcused absences; each unexcused absence beyond this number will result in a penalty of 2 points off your final grade. (For example, if you earn a final grade of 85, but have three additional unexcused absences, your final grade becomes a 79.) Also remember: if you miss class YOU are responsible for finding out what you have missed; check with a classmate about readings and assignments. (Please please, please do not ask if you have missed anything!!) Participation includes contributions to class discussion in the form of answers, questions, comments, and disagreements both in small and large group work as well as paired activities. Please Note: You must turn in all major assignments (OED exercise, essays, all exams) in order to pass the course. Assignments You will be asked to do an OED exercise and write three essays of approximately 5-6 pages in length; there will be several in-class writing exercises, as well as other short writing exercises, In addition, there will be two midterms and a final exam. I may, periodically, give a pop quiz, so I encourage you to be prepared! For papers, use the MLA style for documenting sources in written work. MLA style is presented in Hacker s A Writers Reference and can also be found at Close reading skills will be practiced in class as well as in all three essays. Grading Your Final Grade will be based on: Three substantial essays 10%, 15%, 15% Three 1-page exercises 5% each Midterm 15% Final Exam 20% Class participation 10%

3 A Note on Plagiarism Plagiarism will not be tolerated in this class. Please read the Honor Code in the College Catalogue. We will discuss various ways to avoid unintentional plagiarism. Please note that plagiarism includes direct or indirect use of any words or ideas other than your own without proper acknowledgment. Using the words of ideas of another person, including internet sources, without proper citation is a crime and could result in failure of the assignment or course. In addition, all cases of plagiarism are to be reported to the Honor Committee. Cell Phones and Other Electronic Devices: unless instructed to use them or you have documentation from the Learning Commons, cell phones, laptops, and other electronic devices are not permitted during our class sessions. If a phone rings, text messages are sent, or if a student is surfing the web, I have a clear policy: the first time the student will be warned publicly and/or privately that this is disrespectful behavior; the second time, the student will bring us light snacks to atone; a third time (and I know this will never happen), we will have lunch on you! Before you come to class, turn off/completely silence your phone/put them away as not to be tempted by them. We all ask for your attention, engagement, participation, and respect. If you are in the middle of an emergency and expect the phone to ring, please come see me before class and we will decide if it is appropriate for you to be in the classroom that day. Specific Needs for Success in the Classroom: Students with disabilities who believe they may need accommodations in this class are encouraged to contact Disability Services at (814) Disability Services is part of the Learning Commons and is located in Pelletier Library. Please do this as soon as possible to ensure that approved accommodations are implemented in a timely fashion. Required Texts Bedford Glossary of Critical and Literary Terms, 3 rd ed. Bedford, R.S. Gwynn, ed., Longman Pocket Anthology of Poetry, 7 th ed. Penguin Academics, Lanston Hughes, Selected Poems. Vintage Classics, Maxine Hong Kingston, Woman Warrior. Vintage International, Shakespeare, Twelfth Night. Penguin Books, Leslie Marmon Silko, Storyteller. Sakai Web Site Please Note: The syllabus is subject to change! Please pay attention to announcements regarding any changes in course readings and assignments! Calendar Week 1 Wed. Aug 30 Introduction: Getting to Know You. Reading Cultural Identities and Difference. The Joy of Reading. Fri. Sept 1 What and Why is Poetry? Read in the Poetry Anthology, Where Poetry Starts (pp. 1-8); Bradstreet, The Author to Her Book (read the poem at least twice and notate it!) Terms: oral tradition, dramatic situation, occasional verse, confessional poetry Week 2 Mon. Sept 4 Read in the Poetry Anthology Lyric, Narrative, Dramatic and The Language of Poetry (pp. 8-17); Philip Sidney, Astrophel and Stella : Sonnet 1 (63), Shakespeare, Sonnet 1. Terms: genre, epigram, elegy, ode, epic, narrative poetry, ballad, dramatic poetry, dramatic monologue, idiom, diction, syncope, denotation, paraphrase, syntax, etymology, imagery, (visual, auditory, tactile, olfactory), onomatopoeia, pun, anadiplosis

4 Wed. Sept 6 Read in the Poetry Anthology Figurative Language and Allegory and Symbol (pp.17-23); Shakespeare, Sonnet 20. Terms: Sonnet, Sonnet Sequence, Italian (or Petrarchan), English (Shakespearean), volta, tenor, vehicle, tropes (figures of speech), metaphor, implied metaphor, simile, conceit, Petrarchan conceit, hyperbole, understatement, allusion, metonymy, synecdoche, personification, apostrophe, paradox, oxymoron, synesthesia; allegory, symbol. One-page close reading figurative language-- 5pm on Sakai. Fri. Sept 8 Read in the Poetry Anthology Tone of Voice (pp ); Philip Larkin, This Be the Verse (261). Terms: Irony, sarcasm Week 3 Mon. Sept 11 Read in the Poetry Anthology Repetition: Sounds and Schemes and Meter and Rhythm (pp.25-33); Donne. A Valediction: Forbidding Mourning. Terms: euphony, cacophony, alliteration, assonance, consonance, rhyme (masculine, feminine or double, triple, slant, end), parallel structure, anaphora, epistrophe, prosody, accentual, metrical feet (iam, trochee, anapest, dactylic, pyrrhic, spondee), caesura, end-stopped, enjambment. Wed. Sept 13 Read in the Poetry Anthology Free Verse, Open Form, and Closed Form and Stanza Forms (pp ); Nate Marshall, prelude. Terms: Concrete or spatial poetry, stanza, refrain, closed form, stanza form, uniform stanza, fixed form, blank verse, couplets, tercet, triplet, texra rima, quatrain, sestet, septet, rime royal, octave, ottava rima, haiku, limerick, villanelle, ballad Thursday, 7 pm Single Voice Series: Nate Marshall and Natalie Scenters-Zapico. Tippe Alumni Center Fri. Sept 15 Identifying Roses. Read in the Poetry Anthology Writing About Poetry (pp ); Edmund Waller, Song: Go, Lovely Rose; Robert Burns, A Red, Red Rose. Week 4 Mon. Sept 18 Against Roses: Assertions of Identity. Shakespeare, Sonnet 130 ; Parker, One Perfect Rose ; Ana Castillo, Women Are Not Roses. One-page close reading rhythm and musical elements exercise due, 5pm on Sakai. Read Edna St. Vincent Millay, Say What You Will, and Scratch my Heart to Find. Wed. Sept 20 Fri. Sept 22 The Confines of the Sonnet. Spenser, Amoretti: Sonnet 75 ; Donne, Holy Sonnet 14 Week 5 Mon. Sept 25 Milton, When I Consider How My Light Is Spent ; Donne, Holy Sonnet 10 Wed. Sept 27 Millay, I Will Put Chaos into Fourteen Lines Fri. Sept 29 Paper #1 Writing Workshop Week 6 Mon. Oct 2 Identifying Gender: Exercises in Self-Image. Short Stories; Chopin, The Story of an Hour Tuesday Oct 3 Paper #1 Due 5pm in Sakai Terms: Character, Setting, Narrator Wed. Oct 4 Read Piercy, Barbie Doll ; Soto Barbie ; Cisneros, Barbie-Q Fri. Oct 6 Read Cisneros, Woman Hollering Creek Terms: Point of View, Feminism Week 7 Mon. Oct 9 Fall Break No Class. Wed. Oct 11 Review Terms: Drama Fri. Oct 13 Midterm Week 8 Mon. Oct 16 Wed. Oct 18 Shakespeare, Twelfth Night Twelfth Night

5 Fri. Oct 20 Twelfth Night One-page close reading exercise due. Week 9 Mon. Oct 23 Twelfth Night Wed. Oct 25 Twelfth Night Fri. Oct 27 The Ballad of Mulan Week 10 Mon. Oct 30 Maxine Hong Kingston, Woman Warrior Terms: Novel, Memoir Wed. Nov 1 Woman Warrior Fri. Nov 3 Woman Warrior Week 11 Mon. Nov 6 Woman Warrior Wed. Nov 8 Woman Warrior Fri. Nov 10 Langston Hughes and Harlem Renaissance. Read in Langston Hughes Selected Poems, Afro-American Fragment (3), The Negro Speaks of Rivers (4). Saturday Nov 11 Paper #2 Due 5 pm in Sakai Week 12 Mon. Nov 13 Langston Hughes and Harlem Renaissance Read, Schuyler, The Negro-Art Hokum ; Hughes, The Negro Artist and the Racial Mountain ; Aunt Sue s Stories (6); October 16 (10); Dream Variations (14). Terms: New Historicism Wed. Nov 15 Langston Hughes and Harlem Renaissance. The Idea of Harlem. Nathan Irvin Huggins, Introduction and Harlem ; Sylvester s Dying Bed (38), Harlem Night Song (61). Terms: Cultural Criticism Fri. Nov 17 Langston Hughes and Harlem Renaissance. The Blues. Farrell and Johnson, Poetic Interpretations of Urban Black Folk Culture ; Read Hughes, Weary Blues (33); Morning After (43); Trumpet Player (114); Life is Fine (121) Week 13 Mon. Nov 20 Langston Hughes and Harlem Renaissance. Read Marshall, The Legal Attack and Bunche, The Depression ; Hughes, Beale Street (70); Mulatto (160-1); The South (173); Bound No th Blues (174); One-Way Ticket (177). Wed. Nov 22 No Class Thanksgiving Break Fri. Nov 24 No Class Thanksgiving Break Week 14 Mon. Nov 27 Langston Hughes and the Harlem Renaissance. Hughes, Montage of a Dream Deferred. Wed. Nov 29 Leslie Marmon Silko, Storyteller; Paula Gunn Allen, The Sacred Hoop Fri. Dec 1 Storyteller; The Sacred Hoop (cont.) Week 15 Mon. Dec 4 Storyteller; Silko, Language and Literature from a Pueblo Perspective. Wed. Dec 6 Storyteller (finish the book) Fri. Dec 8 Storyteller Paper #3 Due 5 pm in Sakai Week 16 Mon. Dec 11 Last day of class. Review. Thursday Dec 14 Final Exam (Group A) 9 am Criteria for Grading Class Participation:

6 A participation is marked by its active nature, its consistency, and its quality. An A participant doesn't wait to respond to questions that the professor poses but initiates discussion by coming prepared with questions, ideas, observations about the reading assigned that day. This participant will also be consistently engaged in class discussion, always letting us know that she/he has engaged the reading thoroughly and thoughtfully. Finally an A participant will not try to substitute quantity of participation for quality (being consistent is not the same thing as dominating a discussion). To earn the highest grade for your participation, you will want to make it possible for others to participate productively too (this is not a competition); thus, habits such as interrupting others and taking up too much conversational space will not enhance your grade. It will also do you no good to participate if you haven't done the reading. I expect participation to be firmly grounded in careful and thoughtful reading. As the A reader reads, she or he prepares to participate in a class discussion with other readers. A B discussant is less consistent than an A in initiating discussion but is active in responding to questions or problems posed by the teachers and other students. To get a B in participation, you will need to be in class and talk regularly--more, certainly, than once a week or so. Regular means regular. This level of class participation will also communicate clearly to me that you have done all the reading for the day and that you have done it thoughtfully. This level will also include productive discussion habits, such as engaging the ideas of others, not dominating, listening carefully, etc. A C grade for participation means that you have contributed in an average way to the discussion. Your contributions have been less frequent than those of the B participant or have let me know that you are not always keeping up with the reading or have, in some way, interfered with good discussion. In short, you have not been silent or absent or altogether uninvolved, but your involvement did not work consistently to make the class a productive learning experience. A D grade means that you were there physically most of the time and maybe even piped up three or four times during the semester but that's it. It's just the grade it should be--a minimal passing grade. An F grade should need no explanation. I do give F participation grades when warranted. Essay-grading criteria: An essay in the A range is founded on an original, logical and coherently organized set of ideas; it makes a clearly discernible and persuasive argument (even if the reader disagrees with its argument); its thinking is, at each turn, absolutely clearly articulated: words carry thought, they don't obscure it; its sentences use only the words their ideas require, not any more; its paragraphs have distinct though related roles in the essay's larger argument, each holding one thoroughly asserted idea (not two competing ideas, not one idea halfasserted); if appropriate it accurately and thoughtfully uses other sources; and its sentences are without the grammatical, spelling or typographical mistakes that exacting proofreading would catch. (All of this takes a lot of work. If it is all very nearly accomplished, the essay usually earns an A-.) An essay in the B range: a very good paper, founded on solid, persuasive thinking, the writing of which is clearly and effectively executed. What usually prevents an "A" is a lack of originality, thorough thinking or careful proofreading. If two of these virtues are absent, the essay will usually earn a B-. An essay in the C range: some conspicuous flaw usually earns an essay a C; its argument is really underdeveloped, it is disorganized, its diction is consistently inarticulate, it is in dire need of proofreading. A D essay either contains more than one of the large problems cited in the "C" description or finds another way to convince its reader that the author has not spent nearly enough time on the thinking or writing in the essay. An F essay misses on all criteria (originality, articulateness, persuasiveness, organization, the absence of writing mistakes) or is handed in very late. (Most grades below C are earned this way.) F: Not coming to class or sleeping in class is the traditional route.

BOOK TABLE OF CONTENTS

BOOK TABLE OF CONTENTS Preface Literary Forms POETRY Verse Epic Poetry Dramatic Poetry Lyric Poetry SPECIALIZED FORMS Dramatic Monologue EXERCISE: DRAMATIC MONOLOGUE Epigram Aphorism EXERCISE: EPIGRAM