M 2/1: intro to course; distribution of syllabus; discussion of goals, expectations, and requirements
Geoffrey Chaucer
W 2/3: journal #1; Canon’s Yeoman’s Prologue in the Middle English found in the Riverside handout (p.270-72), as well as in the Modern translation found in the Canterbury Tales course text (p.449-54).
M 2/8: Canon’s Yeoman’s Tale – prima pars, Riverside handout (p.272-75) and Canterbury Tales course text (p.454-61).
W 2/10: snow day! hooray!
M 2/15: no classes - college closed
Dante Alighieri
W 2/17: journal #2; Canon’s Yeoman’s Tale – pars secunda, Riverside handout (p.275-81) and Canterbury Tales course text (p.461-74).
R 2/18: conversion day – follow a Monday schedule; Inferno, Translator's Note, Introduction, and Cantos 1-3.
M 2/22: Inferno, Cantos 4-7.
W 2/24: journal #3; Inferno, Cantos 8-13.
M 3/1: short paper #1 due; Inferno, Cantos 14-18.
W 3/3: Inferno, Cantos 19-24.
M 3/8: journal #4; Inferno, Cantos 25-31.
W 3/10: Inferno, Cantos 32-34.
William Shakespeare
F 3/12: The Tempest, Shakespeare: An Overview (p.vii-xxiii); class field trip to see The Tempest @ BAM (curtain is at 7:30p, so try to arrive at least one-half hour prior).
M 3/15: The Tempest, Introduction (p.lxiii-lxxvii), Acts I-II (p.1-47).
W 3/17: journal#5; The Tempest, Act III (p.47-62); observation day; Happy St. Patrick's Day!
M 3/22: The Tempest, Acts IV-V and Epilogue (p.63-87).
W 3/24: short paper due #2; revision of short paper #1 due; The Tempest, secondary articles TBA; prospectus and annotated bibliography rubric distributed.
Midterm Recession
M 3/29 – T 4/6: no classes – spring break... get a tan while reading Milton
John Milton
W 4/7: journal #6; Paradise Lost, Introduction
M 4/12: Paradise Lost, Books I-II
W 4/14: journal #7; Paradise Lost, Book III
M 4/19: Paradise Lost, Books IV
W 4/21: journal #8; Paradise Lost, Books V
M 4/26: short paper due #3; revision of short paper #2 due; Paradise Lost, Book VI
W 4/28: Paradise Lost, Books VII-VIII
M 5/3: journal #9; Paradise Lost, Book IX
W 5/5: prospectus due; bring two extra copies of your prospectus to class
William Beckford
M 5/10: annotated bibliography due;Vathek, Intro (sections I and II), p.1-40
W 5/12: journal #10; Vathek, p.41-80
M 5/17: revision of short paper #3 due; Vathek, 81-120
Final Exam Week
W 5/26: final paper due (meet in our regular room at our normal meeting time)
"it is not often that works of real genius appear. Whenever, therefore, a literary comet visits our hemisphere, it becomes a duty in us to point it out. As a pheneomenon of this sort we regard the history of Vathek." The moral, character portrayal and impressive knowledge of the manners and customs of the East were praised and the "sublime" was once more adduced: "A machinery, not only knew, but wild and sublime, seizes on the mind, and pervades the whole composition." In summary, "the author, and the diversities of writing, appears to display at pleasure the caustick quickness of Voltaire; the easy sportiveness of Ariosto; the sombrous grotesque of Dante; and the terrific greatness of Milton."