ENGLISH 314: Brit. Lit. after 1800, Conrad

Last updated 5/10/11

ENGL 314: 60409

Spring 2011
4051 Wescoe
TR 11 am-12:15 pm

Professor Kathryn Conrad

Office hours:  M-Th 1:30-3:30, 3043 Wescoe
Office phone: 4-2572 
E-mail (best way to reach me): kconrad [at] ku.edu
Course website:  http://people.ku.edu/~kconrad/314s11.html
Blackboard website (for discussion blogs, grades): https://courseware.ku.edu/webapps/login/?campus_id=1

Skip to...[Course description & grading policy] [Other resources] [Reading and assignment schedule]    

Prerequisites (from University timetable):
    Admission to English courses numbered 300 and above is limited to students who have completed the freshman-sophomore English requirements or their equivalents. All students are required to enroll in ENGL 101 and to remain continuously enrolled in ENGL 101 or ENGL 102 until ENGL 102 (or ENGL 105) has been completed.   All CLAS students, as well as students from several other schools, are also required to complete a 200-level English class.
 
Enrollment
(from University timetable) :      
    The Department of English reserves the right to terminate administratively the enrollment of any student who misses two consecutive class meetings during the first two weeks of the semester.* Should an emergency situation cause the student to miss two consecutive class meetings, the student should contact the instructor(s) or the English Department, 864-4520, immediately.

    Students who decide to drop English classes should do so promptly so that other students may enroll in the class.  The last day to drop classes online is February 21.  The last day to withdraw from classes under any circumstances is April 21.

Drop policy (English Department statement):
    If you are having trouble succeeding in the course, it is especially important that you consult with me so that we can develop a plan of action that may enable you to complete the course.  If you decide to drop this class, please refer to the Website below:
    <http://www.registrar.ku.edu/current/schedule.shtml>

Recording of Classes (Adapted from KU Faculty Council statement): 
    At KU, course  materials prepared by the instructor, together with the content of lectures, are the property of the instructor. Video and audio recording of lectures or discussions without the consent of the instructor is prohibited.  On request, the instructor will usually grant permission for students to audio tape lectures, on the condition that these audio tapes are only used as a study aid by the individual making the recording. Unless explicit permission is obtained from the instructor, recordings of class sessions may not be modified and must not be transferred or transmitted to any other person, whether or not that individual is enrolled in the course. 

Course description and texts:
This course is a survey of British literature of the Romantic, Victorian, Modernist, and contemporary periods. We will be concerned in this course not only with close readings of the literature and literary form but also with some of the political and social issues that serve as context for the literature. Our readings will include essays, poetry, drama, short fiction, and novels. Do note that this will be a poetry-intensive course.

    These books are available for purchase.

Grades consist of three major components:
1. 15%:  Attendance (including at "field trips" to Spencer Art Museum), participation in discussion (online and in class), group work, and short assignments.  You will be expected to access materials online and participate in Blackboard discussion blogs. You must participate in the Blake blog, at least one blog on the Spencer exhibits, any blog discussions that replace days cancelled by the University or by Prof. Conrad, any days that you miss class (excused OR unexcused), and at least three other prompts. This means responding to five blog prompts for certain, and more if class is cancelled or if you miss class. Blog postings should be about a paragraph, should be written clearly, and should take into consideration what has already been posted. You are responsible for keeping track of your blog postings (i.e., count them--I won't do so until the end of the semester). All readings and blog postings should be completed before class on the date listed on the syllabus (unless I say otherwise in class). The only exception to this is if you miss class; in that case, you may make up participation for that day by posting on a prompt for the text we discussed while you were absent.

You are expected to attend every class; contact me by e-mail (kconrad @ ku.edu)  before or as soon as possible after your absence if you must miss class.  Please do not attend class if you are ill with a virus. Documentation will assure an excused absence, but is not required for me to excuse an absence.   More to the point,
my 12 years of experience teaching this particular class suggests that you will not succeed if you do not attend regularly.

 2.  30%:  Exams: a midterm and final examination (identification and short essay) as listed on the syllabus. (15% each.)

 3.  55%: Two papers of 1500-2000 words (approx. 5-7 pages)--this is a guide, since quality is more important than absolute word count.  Be concise and precise but also be sure to take the space needed to make your argument. Paper topics will be available online two weeks prior to the due date on Blackboard website. You should read the grading guidelines, available on Blackboard, and review the plagiarism policy below before handing in your papers (including the rough drafts).
Grading Policy (CLAS guidelines):
    In this course we will be using the +/- grading scale, approved by the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences to describe intermediate levels of performance between a maximum of A and a minimum of F.  Intermediate grades represented by plus or minus shall be calculated as .3 units above or below the corresponding letter grade. 

Policy on Student Academic Creations
(English Department statement):
Since one of the aims of this course is to teach students to write for specific audiences, ungraded student-authored work may be shared with other class members during the semester in which you are enrolled in the class.  Please do not submit materials on sensitive subjects that you would not want your classmates to see or read, unless you inform the instructor in advance that you do not want your work shared with others. 
  
Other uses of student-authored work are subject to the University’s Policy on Intellectual Property and the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act.  If your instructor desires to use your work outside of this class (e.g. as a sample for another class or future classes), you will be asked to fill out and sign a written form authorizing such use. 


Other resources:
Plagiarism:
    Plagiarism is stealing and passing off someone else's ideas or words as one's own or using information from another's work without crediting the source.  Any detected cheating offense--including but not limited to plagiarism; the unauthorized use of crib sheets, texts, or other materials during an examination or quiz; the copying of another student's work (even with the permission or aid of that student, who is thereby culpable); the use of prewritten essays (the student's own or someone else's); the uncredited adoption of another writer's interpretation of a work; the copying of all or part of websites without specific and accurate attribution; or the unauthorized use of work written for another assignment or class--will be reported to the University. A record of each verified offense will be kept throughout the student's association with the University (Adapted from FSE statement).
     Plagiarism is not a game, nor is it simply a "shortcut" when time presses.  It is a very serious form of academic misconduct and will be treated as such in this class. When you consult outside sources for ideas--through published or unpublished essays, interviews, the Internet, conversation, etc.--you must cite those sources clearly in your work.

    I understand that academic work can be daunting: if you are struggling with an assignment, are unclear about my expectations, or are behind on your work, please consult me. There is always a better path than plagiarism; I can work with you to help you find your own voice while incorporating others' ideas appropriately. If after reading the statement above, you are still unclear about what constitutes plagiarism, ask me BEFORE turning in an assignment (even a rough draft).  In my class, I guarantee that it is better to turn in a paper late than to plagiarize.  One of the goals of English courses is helping you to improve your writing, and plagiarism undermines that process entirely.
    A plagiarized  assignment will result in failure of the assignment (no credit given); it will also result in an official reduction of grade for the course, usually to an F. Both of these sanctions are recorded on an Academic Misconduct Form and submitted to the Department and the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, both of whom keep them on file.  If a student is found to have committed academic misconduct previously, the sanction will be more severe (e.g., suspension or expulsion from the University). The Department of English has a zero-tolerance policy on plagiarism. I may also send a copy of the plagiarism form to the home department or school of any student who is found to have plagiarized.

Reading and assignment schedule 

    This schedule is likely to change.  For the most accurate reading and assignment schedule, pay attention to updates given in class.  Updates will eventually be reflected on this website.  
    All readings should be completed by the day listed on the syllabus.  Online discussions are listed on the date on which they are likely to start; the due date for participating in the discussion for credit is listed in parentheses (although of course you are welcome to discuss beyond the deadline). 
All texts, including online discussion texts, marked with * before them are fair game for the midterm and final, even if not discussed in the classroom.  Check this site before studying for the exam for the most up-to-date list of fair-game texts.

January 25: Introduction.
Course outline and goals.
Introduction to the Romantic period.
Online discussion (before 1/27):  Blake, from *Songs of Innocence and *Songs of Experience 42-50
Recommended:  Browse illuminated Blake plates at The William Blake Archive.  (It'll take you a few clicks to get to the pictures, but once there, you'll have a huge range of choices.  When you get to an actual poem, you can use the center menu to look at different versions [click the "compare" button] and you can also enlarge the images.)

January 27: The Romantic period
Blake, poems from *Songs of Innocence and *Songs of Experience 42-50. 
Recommended:  Browse illuminated Blake plates at The William Blake Archive.  (It'll take you a few clicks to get to the pictures, but once there, you'll have a huge range of choices.  When you get to an actual poem, you can use the center menu to look at different versions [click the "compare" button] and you can also enlarge the images.)
Online discussion (before 2/8):  Blake, *"Jerusalem" and The Marriage of Heaven and Hell

February 1: The Romantic period (cont.)
SNOW DAY

February 3The Romantic period (cont.)
Innocence & Experience, continued.
Blake,* "And did those feet" (AKA "Jerusalem" ) online,
Blake, (browse) The Marriage of Heaven and Hell 50ff
Recommended:  Browse illuminated Blake plates at The William Blake Archive.  (see note above)
Online discussion (before 2/8 class): W. Wordsworth, *"Preface to Lyrical Ballads" 121-8

February 8: The Romantic period (cont.)
Balke, Marriage of Heaven and Hell and Jerusalem, cont.
W. Wordsworth,
*"Preface to Lyrical Ballads"
121-8.
 "Composed upon Westminster Bridge, Sept. 3, 1802  141
*"We Are Seven" 113
*"Ode: Intimations of Immortality from Recollections of Early Childhood" 147
Online discussion (before 2/10 class): W. and D. Wordsworth.

February 10The Romantic period (cont.)
  W. Wordsworth, *"I wandered lonely as a cloud" 143
(including D. Wordsworth, "A Field of Daffodils," from Grasmere Journals
Online discussion (before 2/15 class): Coleridge.

February 15: The Romantic period (cont.)
(leftovers: yum!) W. Wordsworth, *"I wandered lonely as a cloud" 143
(including D. Wordsworth, "A Field of Daffodils," from Grasmere Journals
Coleridge

 *"The Eolian Harp"  177
*"The Rime of the Ancient Mariner"  181-193 --read selection of first version, whole second version, and "in context"
Online discussion (before 2/17 class): Coleridge (Rime, Kubla Khan)

February 17: The Romantic period (cont.)
(more leftovers: yum!) Coleridge, *"The Rime of the Ancient Mariner"  181-193 --read selection of first version, whole second version, and "in context"
Coleridge, *"Kubla Khan" (with preface in footnote)  206
Online discussion (before 2/22 class): Shelley (Ozymandias) and Keats (La Belle Dame Sans Merci).

February 22: The Romantic period (cont.)
First draft of paper #1 due in class.
Shelley
    from *"A Defence of Poetry"  402-10
    "To Wordsworth"  371
  *"Ozymandias"  384
Keats
  *"La Belle Dame sans Merci" 438-9 (both versions)  
Online discussion (before 2/24 class): Shelley and Keats (Odes).

February 24: The Romantic period & the Victorian period.
Keats,
*"Ode on a Grecian Urn"  442
Shelley
  *"Ode to the West Wind"   385
Online discussion (before 3/10 class; several prompts over the 2 weeks): *Jane Eyre

March 1:The Romantic period & the Victorian period (cont.)
*Jane Eyre (through chapter XI [Jane arrives at Thornfield].

March 3
The Romantic period & the Victorian period (cont.)
Jane Eyre (through chapter XXI).

March 8: The Romantic period & the Victorian period (cont.)
Jane Eyre (through chapter XXVII).

March 10:
The Romantic period & the Victorian period (cont.)
Jane Eyre (through end.)
Online discussion (before 3/17 class): Darwin and Rossetti

March 15:
MIDTERM EXAMINATION. No rescheduling without detailed medical documentation

Note: asterisks from here on out denote material that is fair game for the final.

March 17: The Victorian period
Darwin, *Descent of Man: Conclusion (online)
C. Rossetti,
*"Goblin Market" 810

SPRING BREAK

March 29: The Victorian period: The Fin de Siecle 
R. Browning, "Porphyria's Lover" 711
  *"My Last Duchess"  713
Arnold, *"Dover Beach" 785
Online discussion (before 4/5 class):  Wilde. 

March 31: Revision day.

April 5: The Victorian period: The Fin de Siecle (cont)

Wilde,  Preface to Dorian Gray 902
*Wilde, The Importance of Being Earnest 902-933
Online discussion (before 3/30 class): Modernism, Eliot.

April 7: The Modern Period (Vol F)
Eliot,
*"The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock"
1316
Online discussion (before 4/14 class): Yeats

April 12: The Modern Period (cont)
Final draft of paper #1 due in class.
Yeats,
"The Lake Isle of Innisfree"  1142
*"The Second Coming" 1151
*"Sailing to Byzantium" 1156
Online discussion (before 4/14 class): Joyce, *"Araby" and *"The Dead."

--REMINDER:  Have you done your 5 required blog postings yet?--

April 14: The Modern Period (cont.)
Yeats, continued.
Joyce, *"Araby." 1124
*"The Dead" 2172
Online discussion (before 4/26 class; several prompts): Woolf, Mrs. Dalloway.

April 19: The Modern Period (cont.)
Woolf, *Mrs Dalloway (through p. 63)
First draft of paper #2 due.

April 21: The Modern Period (cont.)
Woolf, *Mrs Dalloway (through p. 102)

April 26: The Modern Period (cont.)
Woolf, *Mrs Dalloway (through p. 151)

April 28: The Modern Period (cont.)
Virginia Woolf,* Mrs. Dalloway (through end).
Online discussion (before 5/3 class): Auden.

May 3 : The Modern Period (cont.)
Auden, *"Museé des Beaux Arts" 1391
Bruegel's Icarus painting at http://web.sbu.edu/theology/bychkov/bruegel_icarus.html
*"In Memory of W.B. Yeats" 1392
"Lullaby" 1390
"[Funeral Blues]" 1387
Online discussion (before 5/10 class): What is "British" literature?

May 5 : The Modern Period (cont.)
Meet at the Spencer Museum of Art (lobby).
Online discussion (before 5/10 class): SMA prompts (required)

May 10: Contemporary "British" Literature
Heaney,
*"Digging," 1445
*
"Punishment" 1447

May 12: Contemporary "British" Literature
Monty Python, *"Travel Agent" (online; script with sound clips)
"Travel Agent" video (YouTube)
Walcott, *"Midsummer" (online; scroll down)
Last day; final evaluations

 

[Note: online discussion after May 12 class does not count as one of the 5 basic required discussion postings, although it can count toward the more general participation grade. Finish participation postings by May 16, 5 pm.]

May 16 (Monday): Final draft of second paper due by 5 pm.  If you require an extension for any reason beyond this date, you must be prepared to take an incomplete for the course. You may email the paper to kconrad at ku.edu, but you also need to get your FIRST DRAFT back to me with the final paper, either under my office door, 3043 Wescoe Hall, or at the final on Wednesday.  
 
May 18 (Wednesday), 10:30 am. FINAL EXAMINATION as scheduled. If you would like to take your exam at another time prior to this assigned time, you must get it approved with me by 5 pm on STOP DAY. Rescheduling available for students with conflicting final examination times, following University rescheduling rules; again, contact me by 5 pm on STOP DAY.

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