Spring 2005
Prof E. K. Sparks

 Engl 310:Writing Critically about Literature

  Daily Syllabus 


Glossary | Extra Credit Events |
Unit Points | My Grading Scale
Monday Jumps:
Jan 17 | Jan 24 | Jan 31 |
Feb 7 | Feb 14 | Feb 21 | Feb 28
March 7 | March 14 | Spring Break | March 28
April 4 | April 11 | April 18 | April 25



handout =on the web; =Meyer = Frye  = Oxford Dict Lit Terms
DATE
CLASS ACTIVITIES
 ASSIGNMENTS
1.W Jan 12: 
Intro to Class:
Syllabus and Policy Statement
READ

 
  • Handout on Critical Reading
  • Meyer, on critical reading, pp. 1-7
  • Northrop Frye—Anatomy: Modes 33-43
    		•
    M, Jan 17: MLK Day, No class .
    2. W, Jan 19: 
    Critical Readingand Starting to Frye
    READ: 
    • Frye, Anatomy, 43-67 (tragic fictional, comic fictional, thematic 

      • WRITE:A short introduction to yourself:
    • what do we need to know about you?
    • what do you plan to do with your English/ Education  major?
    • If you are not in English or Sec Ed, why are you taking this class?
    • English courses taken so far
    • favorite books and movies
    • possible poems to analyze
    • interesting things about yourself
  • SEND intro to CLASS LIST SERV on Blackboard and bring hard copy to class on Monday
    		•
    3. M, Jan 24.
    Frye on Comedy and Tragedy 
  • Frye Mode Chart 
  • Frye Chart of Character Functions
  • Glossary for Day 3 
    		•
    READ
    • Meyer on Reading Drama, Chap 7, pp. 282-290
    • Frye, Anatomy, pp 14-5 (P beginning “A theory of criticism…” thru next 3 P’s)
    • Selections from Aristotle’s Poetics
    • “An Aristotelian Analysis of Miss Moppet”
    4.  W, Jan 26:
    Introducing Drama & Aristotle 
    READ
    • Oedipus Rex in , Meyer,pp. 293-335 1-34
    • As you are reading, divide the play up into the five parts of Greek tragedy defined by Mayer (289).  Also look for all the aspects defined by Aristotle: hamartia, peripetia, anagnorisis, etc

    5. M, Jan 31: 

    Oedipus Rex    
    •  /READ

    Frye -- Theory of Myths: Mythos of Autumn: Tragedy 206-223

    • Frye on Comic Character Types, 172-6.
    6.  W, Feb 2:
    Using Aristotle and Frye to Analyze Oedipus
    READ
    Meyer, on Writing and Revsing, 29-46
    7. M  Feb 7: 
    Writing a short paper 
     
    • Write: Paper #1 2-3 pp.analyzing mode and plot of any work of lit, using Frye and Aristotle. Due Monday, Feb 14
    • Read:Anatomy: Theory of Myths: Imagery 131-58 (Introduction 131-40. Apocalyptic 141-6. Demonic 147-50.Anagogic 151-58) 27 pp.
    • Make Your own chart of Frye material
    8. W,  Feb 9 :

    Frye – Archetypal Imagery

    Write: Paper #1 2-3 pp.analyzing mode and plot of any work of lit, using Frye and Aristotle. Due Monday, Feb 14
    Read: Materials on the Hero’s Quest by Joseph Campbell
    9. M, Feb 14:

    Archetypal Criticism: The Hero’s Quest

    • Read: First Chapter of Pearson and Pope, The Female Hero in American and British Literature
    10. W, Feb 16 
    The Female Hero
    Read: Rita Dove, The Darker Face of the Earth
    Make a chart or outline of sims and diffs to Aristotle
    11. M, Feb 21, 
  • Rita Dove: 
    		•
    Start Rough Draft of Dove/Sophocles Paper.
    • Bring Thesis and Intro paragraph to class on Wednesday
    12. W, Feb 23:
    Conitnue Discussion of Dove and Sophocles
    Comparision ad Contrast Topics
    Paper #1 Back.
     
     
    WRITE: Paper #2 – 5 pp. Comparative Analysis of Sophocles and Dove, due Monday, Feb 28
    Read : Meyer, 
    • Chap 6, pp.213-229, and 
    • sections on Image (234-5)
    • Figures of Speech (238-44), 
    • symbol, allegory, and irony (244-51)
    • Reading a Poem 
    • Randall Jarrell, “Death of the Ball Turret Gunner” (Meyer,  227)
     
    13. M, Feb 28
    , Oct 1:
    Start Poetry Analysis
    Read : Meyer, 
    14. W,  March 2: 
    Poetry Analysis and New Criticism
    •  Assignment for next class...  No reading assignment except to focus on one stanza of canonization and be ready to say a) what Brooks' interp is and b) what your interp is. 
    •  Paper #2 – 5 pp. Comparative Analysis of Sophocles and Dove, due Monday March 7 
    15. M, March 7: 
    In class :

    Continue analyzing "Canonization"

    Assignment for next class--due in class on Wednesday March 9 
    Read Meyer,The Sounds of Poetry (251-65) 
    Be prepared to analyze:
    16. W, March 9, 2005 In-Class: Poetry Analysis – The sound of Poetry; Some Sonnets and Villanelles
    • For Class on Monday March 14: 
    • Read Meyer on poetry explication and analysis (42-43) 
    • Read web sites on poetry explication
    • Look at Edit Sheet for Poetry Analysis and think about what needs to be added.
    • WRITE Paper #3 -- 2-3pp.analyzing the monomyth (Campbell/Pearson & Pope) in any work of lit or film. Due Friday March 12.
    • Paper #4– (3-5 pp.) Poetry explication due Friday March 18 or before you leave for Break.
    • .
    17.  M, March 14, 2005 In-Class:

    Poetry Analysis: Some Sample Papers

  • Writing a Poetry Explication
    		•  For Class on Wednesday, March 16:
    • read and prepare to analyze class choice poems
  • 18. W, March 16

    •  
  •  Poetry Analysis Class Choice
    • •
    • SEND me an e-mail with rough draft of 1st poetry paper BEFORE you leave for break.  (worth one unit point)
    • EDIT a classmate's 1st poetry paper well; get another unit point
    Assignment for Spring Break.  To be completed by class on Monday, March 28:

    READ: Meyer,Chap 5 on Reading Fiction
    Virginia Woolf, Mrs. Dalloway (read 1st section,, pp 1-14.)
    Spring Break    Spring Break  Spring Break 
    19. M, March 28: 
      Reading Fiction
    Meyer,Chap 5
    Virginia Woolf, Mrs. Dalloway (read first section, pp 1-14)
    • Virginia Woolf, Mrs. Dalloway (read next few sections, up to noon, pp 14-93)
    • Also read Intro to MD and Intro to VW from Norton
    • Write response to comments on Paper #2.. to be used to edit paper #4
    • Finalize revisions on Paper #4, due on Friday, April 1 (with editing and grade response)
    20. W, March 30 
    • Virginia Woolf, Mrs. Dalloway (finish reading whole book.)
    21. M, Apr 4: Mrs. Dalloway cont.
    • Discuss Poetry papers and due dates
    • Student example of shorter poetry paper. 
    • Discuss Dalloway assignments
      • Altered book page collage (2 pts)
        • Altered Book Assignment
        • Altered Book Web Page
        • Buckbeak for SIgn-Up
      • Explanation of collage (1 pt)
      • Idenification of critical nexus/ paper topic on Dalloway plus free write prior to criticism (2 pts)
      • Longer Dalloway paper, incorporating at least 3 critical sources. 15 points.  Due last week of classes
    • Decide on passage for altered book page spread on Mrs. Dalloway; 
    • Freewrite on why that passage, what you want collage to be. (11 inches by 9.26 is page size)
    22. W, Apr 6:
        Discuss Mrs Dalloway /Papers
    • Choose poem and write rough draft of Paper #5: 4-6 pp. Analysis of  longer poem (max 25 lines) 15%  Rough Draft due in-class for editing on Monday, April 11.  Final draft due F, Apr 15 
     
    23. M, Apr 11:
     

     

    		 Doing Literary Research RD of Paper #5: Longer Poetry Paper Due
    • Read Meyer, Chapter 3: Applying a Critical Strategy (pp.56-82)
    • Read sample student paper on Frost.  Edit your paragraph for:
      • paragraph unity
      • Good topic sentence
      • sentence structure and variety
      ON-GOING 
    • Write response to comments on paper #4 (short poetry explication)
    • Finsih editing of paper #5 and retrun to writer
    • Choose page to work on for Mrs. Dalloway.  Register for page on Buckbeak. 
    • Write Dalloway FW#1 on why you chose that passage and what kinds of images you are thinking of doing
    • Exchange Jaynes book and do collages.
    • Begin deciding paper topic for Dalloway
    24.  W, Apr 13: Critical Approaches


      Paper #5: Longer Poetry Paper Due on Monday, April 18.
     
     

     

    		 FOR MONDAY, April 18:
    • Write response to comments on paper #4 (short poetry explication)
    • Finish revising paper #5, longer poetry analysis to turn in on Monday, Apr 18.
    • Read Hussey on Background and Critical Responses to Mrs. Dalloway
    • Read Oxford Dictionary of Liteary Terms to clarify definitions of various critical strategies. (see glossary)
    • Do freewrite #2 on Paper topic for Dalloway paper, BEFORE reading criticism.  (1 point).  Discuss what themes, issues, characters, plot elements, passages etc. you want to talk about in your paper.  What kind of critical strategy. you think would be most useful
    ON-GOING 
    • Choose page to work on for Mrs. Dalloway.  Register for page on Buckbeak. 
    • Write Dalloway FW#1 on why you chose that passage and what kinds of images you are thinking of doing
    • Exchange Jaynes book and do collages.
    25. M, Apr 18:  More on Critical Approaches. FOR WEDNEDSDAY, April 20
    • Read Chapter 4 of Meyer, on Writng from Sources.. paay special attention to pp. 111-17 on documenting sources
    •  Decide on possible topic(s) for Dalloway paper #6 and do a little research on MLA, Expanded Academic, Google, Amazon, and/or Lexis/Nexis.
    • Dall #3: Bring to class and  e-mail me 1-3 topics and list of 3-5 possible articles (worth another 1 homework point).
    26. W. Apr 20 Integrating Criticism into Papers.  Footnotes, Endnotes, Bibliography

    Chapter 4 of Meyer

    Documenting a Research Paper     		FOR MONDAY, April 25
    • Work on Dalloway paper #6. Due Monday, May 2..
    27. M, Apr 25 Editing/ Questions on Dalloway  FOR WEDNEDSDAY, April 27
    • Write 2-3 possible shortish essay questions for Final.  Bring to class for homework point.
    28.  W, Apr 27 Wrap-up and Review for Final
    Points still to go up:
    • Paper #3 Campbell-- 5 pts
    • Paper #5 Poetry II -- 15 pts
    • Paper #6 Dalloway -- 15 pts
    • Dalloway Unit points -- 5
    • Final -- 10 pts.
    • Extras -- up to 10
    Last-minute unit points:
    • Dall 1-- FW about your altered book page (1)
    • Dall 2 -- FW about your paper BEFORE you read crit (1)
    • Dall 3 -- List of possible paper topics and short biblio (1)
    • Dall page -- two-page collage for altered book (1-2)
    • Dall edit -- editing someone's Dalloway paper (1)
    • Folder -- Complete folder handed in at Final with all papers plus responses to all papers (1-2)
    • Extra Credit Poem -- Cohrent, not more than one-page, using terms and concepts from the course.  Wrap-up of what you've learned.  (1-2)
    • Dalloway Paper is due in my office 613 Strode Monday afternoon, May 2nd.  Pick up Poetrypapers #5 at that time.. 
    • Folder should contain the following:
      • Final draft of Dalloway paper, with a Works Cited page at the en
      • Editing for Dalloway paper done by a classmate
    • All extra credit must be in my e-mail box by Friday, April 29. I will send each of you an e-mail, listing your extra credit points at the beginning of exam week.
    FINAL EXAM Thursday Morning, 8:00-11:00 AM in our classroom
       
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