Catalog Course Offerings (2008-09)
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Introduction to Academic Writing
(4)
An introduction to the practices necessary for successful college writing; reading and analyzing college-level texts; writing in a process that includes invention, drafting, revising, and editing; and researching, evaluating and documenting appropriate supporting materials for college-level essays. Taken during student's first year.
190 Introductory Special Topics (3)
This introductory course for non-majors examines selected topics in literature, based on the interests of both students and faculty. It is designed to supplement course offerings in the English curriculum.
201 British Literature to 1800 (3)
A study of major works of representative writers from the Medieval period through the 18th century. Emphasis on close reading and literary history.
202 British Literature since 1800 (3)
A study of major works of representative writers from the Romantic period to the present. Emphasis on close reading and literary history.
203 Survey of European Literature I (3)
A survey of the literature of Europe in English translation (exclusive of British literature) from ancient Greece through the Renaissance.
204 Survey of European Literature II (3)
A survey of the literature of Europe in English translation (exclusive of British literature) from neoclassicism through the 20th century.
207 Survey of American Literature to the Present(3)
A study of representative writers from the colonial period to the present. Emphasis on close reading and literary history.
212 The Cinema: History and Criticism (3)
An introduction to the critical appreciation and history of the motion picture, with special emphasis upon the place of the film within the liberal arts, dealing generally with the types and forms of the feature film, its background and development, and aiming to create an increased critical awareness of the basic elements of the filmmaker's art.
215 Interdisciplinary Composition (3)
A course in writing strategies and skills, suitable for non-majors. Topics are interdisciplinary, with application to business and technical writing, the social and natural sciences, and the humanities.
216 Introduction to African American Literature (3)
This class for non-majors introduces students to major African American writers from the 18th century to the present day.
220 Poetry Writing I (3)
A workshop examining the careful use of language in poetry, designed to help students gain insight into their own writing and the craftsmanship of other poets (open to beginners and experienced writers).
222 Writing Song Lyrics (3)
A course in the elements of lyric writing. Topics include “the Creative Process,” “the Image,” “Lyric Structure,” “Rhyme and Meter,” “Less Known Figures of Speech for Interesting Turns of Phrase.” The goal is for the student to become a better song lyric writer and a more discriminating listener of song lyrics.
Note:
The student should know and play several songs. Reading music is not a requirement, but the student should be able to play basic chords on a piano or guitar.
223 Writing Fiction (3)
A workshop for new writers wishing to establish and enhance basic skills in the writing of short fiction, points of view, characterization, dialogue, setting, etc. Equal attention will be given to stories turned in for critique and to the development of the student's critical skills.
233 Survey of Non-Western Twentieth Century Literature (3)
An introduction to selected 20th-century masterpieces of non-Western literature in English.
234 Survey of Third World Masterpieces (3)
An introduction to selected third-world literary masterpieces in English by Caribbean, Arabic-speaking, and Latin American authors dealing with issues of global concern such as political and religious oppression, hunger, disease, war and economic deprivation.
240 Science Fiction (3)
An introduction to the main themes and issues of science fiction, including both "hard" or technologically oriented science fiction (time problems, robots, alien life forms, clones) and "soft" or socially oriented science fiction (conditioning, new forms of family and government, questions of gender and sexuality).
290 Special Topics (3, repeatable up to 12)
An examination of a selected topic, designed to supplement or to investigate more fully offerings in the English curriculum. Choice of topics will reflect both student and faculty interest.
Note: For English majors, ENGL 201, 202 and 207 are prerequisites for all courses at or above the 300 level.
301 Shakespeare: The Early Period (3)
302 Shakespeare: The Later Period (3)
303 Modern English Grammar (3)
A study of grammatical analysis, with emphasis upon transformational-generative grammar.
304 Chaucer (3)
Selections from his major poetical works in the original.
305 Advanced Composition (3)
A study of the theory and principles of composition and the application of these principles in the student's own writing.
306 Milton (3)
The poetry and selected prose of John Milton.
307 Introduction to Old English (3)
An introduction to the Old English language with selected readings of prose and poetry from the 7th through the 11th century and the epic poem Beowulf in translation.
308 Spenser (3)
A reading of selections from the minor poems and The Faerie Queene complete. Emphasis will be placed on Spenser's relation to European literature as well as on his position in the English tradition.
311 Middle English Literature: Non-Chaucerian (3)
312 History of the English Language (3)
The history and development of the English language, tracing its descent from prehistoric Indo-European to modern English, with attention especially to phonology, morphology and vocabulary.
313 African American Literature (3)
A survey of African American literature from the mid-18th century to the present.
314 Non-Dramatic Literature of the Renaissance (3)
A study of poetry and prose of 16th-century Britain, with emphasis on political and ethical backgrounds and the poetry of Spenser.
317 The Seventeenth Century (3)
A study of poetry and prose of 17th-century England emphasizing Donne, Jonson, Herbert, Marvell, Bacon, Browne, Hobbes, and Locke.
318 The Eighteenth Century (3)
A study of poetry and prose of 18th-century Britain.
319 Literary Criticism (3)
Major critical approaches to literature, in theory and practice, from Aristotle to the present.
320 Literature for Adolescents (3)
An introduction to the varieties of literature relevant to the adolescent, incorporating major literary genres and appropriate media.
321 The Romantic Period (3)
A reading of five poets: Wordsworth, Coleridge, Byron, Shelley, and Keats.
323 The Victorian Period (3)
A reading of major 19th-century British poets from 1830 to 1900, including Tennyson, Browning, Arnold, and the Pre-Raphaelites, with selections from the prose of Carlyle, Mill, Ruskin, Pater and others.
325 Modern British Literature (3)
A study of 20th-century British Literature before World War II, including works by Conrad, Yeats, Joyce, Woolf, Eliot and Orwell.
326 Irish Literature (3)
A study of the major movements and authors in Irish literature from 1798 to the present. The authors will include W.B. Yeats and James Joyce and may include Maria Edgeworth, Somerville and Ross, Lady Gregory, John Synge, Sean O'Casey, and Seamus Heaney, among others.
327 The British Novel: I (3)
A study of the major British novelists of the 18th century.
328 The British Novel: II (3)
A study of the major British novelists of the 19th century.
334 Technical Writing (3)
Preparation for and practice in the types of writing important to scientists, computer scientists, and engineers. Writings include abstracts, reviews, reports, professional letters, and proposals. When possible, students write about subjects related to their field of interest.
335 Modern Poetry (3)
A study of the nature and development of 20th-century British and American poetry, concentrating on selected major figures such as Yeats, Eliot, Pound, Hopkins, Frost, Stevens, and Williams.
336 Women Writers (3)
A study of a representative selection of women's fiction, poetry, and drama, focusing on questions of women's styles, preferred genres, and place in the literary tradition. Readings may vary from year to year.
337 British Drama to 1642 (3)
A study of selected plays from the medieval beginnings of British drama to the closing of the theatres in 1642, Shakespearean plays excluded.
338 Modern Drama (3)
A study of the significant developments in British and American drama from Shaw to the Theatre of the Absurd.
339 Advanced Creative Writing (3)
Prerequisites: English 220, 221 or 223, 224, and permission of the instructor.
340 Restoration and 18th-Century Drama (3)
British drama from the reopening of the theatres in 1660 to the end of the 18th century.
341 Twentieth-Century Southern Literature (3)
A study of representative writers of the period, such as Faulkner, O'Connor, Welty and Warren.
342 Colonial and Revolutionary American Literature (3)
A intensive study of representative writers from the Age of Exploration through the early 19th century.
343 American Renaissance, 1830-1870 (3)
A study of American prose and poetry from the beginnings of the Romantic Era to the beginnings of the Age of Realism. The writers covered may include Poe, Emerson, Thoreau, Fuller, Melville, Hawthorne, Douglass, Longfellow, Whittier, Whitman, and Dickinson.
346 Contemporary American Fiction (3)
An intensive study of American fiction appearing after 1965.
347, 348 Writing the Novel (3, 3)
A two-semester course for writers with motivation, ambition, and vision necessary to sustain an extended work of fiction. Taught both as a workshop and in private conferences. Students will complete and revise 50 pages of a proposed novel in the first semester, an additional 50-75 pages in the second.
Prerequisites: Either ENGL 223 or 224, and consent of the instructor.
349 American Novel to 1900 (3)
A study of American novelists of the 18th and 19th centuries, such as Rowson, Brown, Foster, Hawthorne, Melville, Alcott, Twain, Howells, James, Chopin, Chesnutt, and Crane. This course will also examine the development of the genre itself.
350 Major Authors (3,3)
An intensive study of one or two major British or American writers. (Students may receive no more than six hours credit for this course.)
351 Studies in American Film (3)
This course surveys American film from 1905-1945, tracing the international triumph of the Hollywood studio system. Special issues to be studied: studio rivalry as a creative force and the individual filmmaker's response to the studio system.
Prerequisite: English 212 or permission of instructor.
352 Major African Writers (3)
An introduction to contemporary literary masterpieces of major African authors. Works will include fiction, poetry, and drama.
353 African Women Writers (3)
An introduction to the writings of African women, including Buchi Emecheta, Mariama Bâ, Fadhma Amrouche, Nadine Gordimer and others.
354 Jewish-American Literature (3)
A study of 20th-century Jewish-American literature; specific topics may vary from semester to semester.
355 The American Short Story (3)
A study of the development of the American short story from its beginnings in the early 19th century to its varied examples at the end of the twentieth century.
356 American Novel, 1900-1965 (3)
A study of modern American novels by writers such as Dreiser, Wharton, Cather, Lewis, Fitzgerald, Hemingway, Faulkner, Steinbeck, and Ellison.
357 Contemporary British Literature (3)
A study of representative writers from 1945 to the present focusing on writers' responses to earlier traditions of realism and modernism. Works will include fiction, drama, and poetry by such authors as Martin Amis, A.S. Byatt, Tom Stoppard, Philip Larkin and Seamus Heaney.
358 Colonial and Postcolonial British Literature (3)
A study of representative writers from former British colonies and their diasporas, focusing on writers' responses to colonial representations of race and nation. Works studied will include fiction, drama, poetry, and criticism by writers such as Chinua Achebe, Jamaica Kincaid, Salman Rushdie, and Derek Walcott.
359 Contemporary American Poetry (3)
An intensive survey of contemporary American poetry with close attention to developing critical language with which to discuss poetry and working criteria by which to judge contemporary poems.
360 Major Literary Themes (3,3)
A thorough investigation of a theme or topic of central importance in British or American literature. (Students may receive no more than six hours of credit for this course.)
370 Major Literary Genres (3,3)
A detailed examination of a significant literary form or type. (Students may receive no more than six hours credit for this course.)
377 Poetry Writing II (3)
A continuation of ENGL 220. This workshop includes the study of several volumes of contemporary poetry. Students will complete several formative revision projects after having received feedback in workshop, and will familiarize themselves with the world of literary magazine publishing through the examination and review of contemporary literary journals.
Prerequisite: ENGL 220 or permission of the instructor.
378 Advanced Fiction Writing (3)
A continuation of ENGL 223. This workshop will take a more critical look not only at student works but at selected classic and contemporary short-story collections. Students will subscribe to a literary journal of their choice. Some attention will be given to proper manuscript preparation in anticipation of submitting for publication.
Prerequisite: ENGL 223 or permission of the instructor.
382 Theories of Rhetoric
A survey of classical and contemporary rhetorical theory, focused on how various thinkers have analyzed the issues of form/content, audience, knowledge, cultural context, and strategies of discourse. Study of the differences among oral, written, and mediated communication, and the rhetorical aspects of effective expression and critical thinking. Readings range from Plato and Aristotle to Burke, Weaver and Perelman.
390 Studies in Film (3,3)
A detailed study of a film maker, topic, or genre. (Students may receive no more than six hours credit for this course.)
Prerequisite: English 212 or permission of the instructor.
395 Special Topics (3, 3)
Subjects to be announced as offered. (Students may receive no more than six hours credit for this course.)
399 Tutorial (3, repeatable up to 12)
Individual instruction given by a tutor in regularly scheduled meetings (usually once a week). Prerequisites: Junior standing, plus permission of the tutor and the department chair.
400 Seminar (3)
A detailed study of an author, topic, or genre. Open to juniors and seniors with permission of the instructor.
401 Studies and Problems (3)
Special studies, developed by visiting lecturers or individual department members, designed to supplement or to investigate more fully offerings in the department. Announcement of the particular subject is made prior to registration for the term in which offered. Offered at the discretion of the department and open to students with permission of the instructor.
402 Advanced Workshop in Poetry Writing (3)
Advanced study of contemporary methods in the crafting of poetry. Students complete 30 pages of poetry and participate in advanced workshops. Prerequisites: ENGL 220, 221, and permission of the instructor.
403 Advanced Workshop in Fiction Writing (3)
Advanced study of contemporary methods in the crafting of fiction. Students complete 50 pages of short fiction and participate in advanced workshops. Prerequisites: ENGL 223, 224, and permission of the instructor.
404 Independent Study (1-3, repeatable up to 12)
Research in a specified area in consultation with a department member who will guide the work and determine the hours of credit to be allowed. Open to juniors and seniors with permission of the instructor and the department chair. (Students may earn no more than six hours of credit toward the English major requirements in this course.)
406 Crazyhorse Literary Publishing Practicum (3)
Study of all aspects of literary magazine production, including reading manuscripts submitted for consideration, proofreading, and the identification and articulation of the qualities inherent in “publishable work.”
Prerequisites: Either ENGL 220 and 377 or ENGL 223 and 378, and permission of the instructor.
495 Field Internship (1-3)
A field internship provides the advanced student an introduction to the nature, methods, and literature of one of the professions.
Prerequisites: Junior or senior standing, a major in English, permission of the instructor and the department chair.
See Internship Guidelines
496 Undergraduate Research (1-3)
Research that involves the student in a faculty member's research project. The project is designed to culminate in a publication, in which the student will be recognized for his or her role.
499 Bachelor's Essay (6)
A year-long research and writing project done during the senior year under the close supervision of a tutor from the department. A student must have grade point ratio of 3.25 in the major to qualify and must take the initiative in seeking a tutor to help in both the design and the supervision of the project. A preliminary proposal must be submitted in writing and approved by the departmental Honors Committee prior to registration for the course. Students will confer regularly with their tutor both on the progress of their research (in the first term) and on the drafts of their paper (in the second term). The finished paper will normally be 50 or more pages and will reflect detailed research in the field.