ENGL 200B Survey of British Literature 2
Spring 2022
Day and Time: Tuesday and Thursday 1pm – 2:20pm
Location: Hagey Hall 150
Instructor: Dr. Benjamin Woodford
Email: bwoodfor@uwaterloo.ca
Office: PAS 1285
Office Hours: Tuesday 11:30am to 12:30pm
Course Description
This course introduces students to the three principal historical periods of British literature dating from the late eighteenth century to the mid‐twentieth century: the Romantic, the Victorian, and the Modern. Students will learn to recognize some of the characteristic forms and interests of these three periods, and also to trace patterns of influence and ideas that link the periods together. They will learn to read with close attention to detail and to analyse how meaning is created in language. In addition, the course will introduce students to some of the major forms of literature (e.g., poetry, novel, essay).
Course Objectives
- To understand the major trends in British literature in the Romantic period, the Victorian period, and modern period
- To explain the features of major genres in British literature during these three eras
- To approach literary works with confidence and have something to say about them
- To appreciate, describe, analyze, and interpret a work’s distinctive features
- To make a claim about a work, and persuade an audience of that claim by providing textual evidence
Required Books
The Norton Anthology of English Literature: The Major Authors, Volume 2, Tenth Edition. New York: W.W. Norton & Company, Inc., 2019.
Mary Shelley, Frankenstein, 1818 text. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2008.
Alfred, Lord Tennyson, Idylls of the King. London and New York: Penguin Books, 2004.
Evaluation
Participation 20%
Mid-Term Test 20%
Essay 30%
Final Exam 30%
Participation
There are three components to participation. The first is participating in the peer review activity, which is worth 2%. On July 7, each student will bring a printed copy of a rough draft of their essay to class. The draft must be the appropriate length (1700-2000 words). At the beginning of class, they will swap essays with their fellow students and provide feedback on each other’s essays (guidelines will be provided on how to provide effective feedback). All students who bring a draft of 1700-2000 words to class and participate in the peer review activity will receive the 2%.
The second component of participation is in-class reflection papers. Throughout the term, students will do numerous short writing activities in class. On five occasions (May 17, May 31, June 16, July 5, and July 21) students will submit a short reflection paper that they write in class. On each of these days, students will be given a topic connected to the reading for that class and told to write for 2-3 minutes. The student’s papers will then be collected. These papers will be marked for completion rather than content. The paper must address the topic provided and it must reflect the amount of time the students had to write it (that is, if students had four minutes to write, it is not acceptable to write one sentence). Students must be present in class to complete these reflection papers. Each of these reflection papers is work 1% for a total of 5%.
The final part of participation (13%) is engagement in class discussions. Each class will include both a lecture and discussion component. Discussions will involve both small groups and the entire class. Sometimes students will break up into small groups and be given a specific question to explore in groups. For each class, there is a set of assigned readings, which will be the focus of the discussion. Students are expected to do all assigned readings BEFORE class, so that they are able to actively participate. I will keep track of which students are contributing to discussions with the whole class and when the class breaks up into small groups, I will circulate among the groups to see which group members are helping the conversation.
Mid-Term Test, June 14
The test will cover the following authors: William Wordsworth, Samuel Taylor Coleridge, Lord Byron, Percy Bysshe Shelley, Mary Shelley, John Keats, and Alfred, Lord Tennyson. There will be a selection of passages from these authors that students will have to analyze.
Essay, July 14
Your essay will be 1700-2000 words long and it will require you to compare two of the authors that we have studied. You need to incorporate an argument into your essay and include evidence from the text to support your argument. In this case, your argument will address similarities and/or differences in the two texts. The more complex and nuanced you make your argument, the stronger your essay will be. Include direct quotations from the text to support your claims. All quotes should have a proper MLA in-text citation and there should be a works cited at the end of your essay.
Essay Topics
- Compare and contrast how two of the authors that we have studied portray change/progress. How do these authors understand change/progress? What is the significance of change/progress?
- Compare and contrast how two of the authors that we have studied present power, authority, and/or oppression. What are the sources of power? How does power function and what are its consequences?
- Compare and contrast how two of the authors that we have studied portray love and relationships. What makes relationships successful or unsuccessful? How is love defined?
- Compare and contrast the role of women in the work(s) of two of the authors that we have studied. What type of image of women do the authors present? What role to women have in the story?
- Compare and contrast the place of religion and/or God and/or the supernatural in the work(s) of two of the authors that we have studied. What role does religion and/or God and/or the supernatural play in shaping the works?
- Compare and contrast how two of the authors that we have studied portray beauty. What makes something or someone beautiful? What is the significance of beauty? You can also explore the opposite of beauty.
- A topic of your choice. Please consult with me and receive permission to do your own topic. Remember that your topic must involve comparing two of the authors that we have studied.
Final Exam
Then final exam will cover the entire course. It will consist of essay questions and will be 2.5 hours in length. You will write the exam on Learn and it will be open book. The exam will be available for a period of 48 hours and you can write it anytime during that period.
Course Policies
Late assignments will incur a 5% late penalty per day, including weekends. Permission to turn in a late assignment without penalty will be given rarely, will require documentation (a doctor’s note or other type of documentation) and only based on a conference with me, and never on the day the assignment is due. If you are having trouble completing an assignment, please come speak with me.
Should your grades concern you, then you must speak with me within the first 3/4 of the term; the last quarter of the term will not provide sufficient time to markedly improve your final grade.
Cell phones must be switched off and put away during class. Students can choose to do the in-class writing activities with either pen and paper or on a laptop. If you choose to use a laptop, please refrain from using any program other than a writing program.
The best way to contact me is through email. I will usually respond to all emails within 24 hours (it may take longer on weekends).
Course Schedule
May 3
Introduction to course
May 5
William Wordsworth
“We are Seven” pp. 127-8, “The Thorn” https://www.poetryfoundation.org/poems/52996/the-thorn-56d231ea9f8d9 “Lines Composed a Few Miles above Tintern Abby” pp. 131-5
May 10
Samuel Taylor Coleridge
“Christabel” pp. 277-92
May 12
George Gordon, Lord Byron
Manfred, pp. 353-85
May 17
Percy Bysshe Shelley
“Ozymandias” p. 395, “Ode to the West Wind” pp. 396-8, “To a Sky-Lark” pp. 422-5
(you may want to get a start reading Frankenstein)
In-class Reflection
May 19
Mary Shelley
Frankenstein, vol. 1 and 2
May 24
Mary Shelley
Frankenstein, vol. 3
May 26
Mary Shelley
Frankenstein, continued
May 31
John Keats
“Eve of St. Agnes” pp. 486-97, “Ode to a Grecian Urn” pp. 503-505, Letter, To George and Thomas Keats pp. 511-512, To Richard Woodhouse pp. 517-518
In-class Reflection
June 2
Alfred, Lord Tennyson
Idylls of the King, “The Coming of Arthur,” pp. 21-35
June 7
Alfred, Lord Tennyson
Idylls of the King, “Merlin and Vivien,” pp. 142-167
June 9
Alfred, Lord Tennyson
Idylls of the King, “The Holy Grail,” pp. 206-230
June 14
Mid-Term Test
June 16
Alfred, Lord Tennyson
Idylls of the King, “Guinevere” pp. 269-287
In-class Reflection
June 21
The Brownings
Elizabeth Barret Browning
“The Cry of the Children” pp. 577-80, “Sonnets from the Portuguese, 21, 22, 32, and 43”
Robert Browning
“Prophyria’s Lover” pp. 770-771, “My Last Duchess” pp. 774-5
June 23
Christinia Rossetti
“In an Artist’s Studio” p. 860, “Goblin Market” pp. 862-874
June 28
Matthew Arnold
“Dover Beach” pp. 823-4, “The Function of Criticism at the Present Time” pp. 829-44
June 30
William Butler Yeats
“The Lake Isle of Innisfree” p. 113, “Easter, 1916” pp. 1139-1140, “An Irish Airman Foresees His Death” pp. 1141-1142, “The Second Coming” pp. 1144-5, “Sailing to Byzantium” p. 1148
In-class Reflection
July 5
T. S. Eliot
“The Wasteland” pp. 1326-39
July 7
Katherine Mansfield
“The Garden Party” pp. 1357-1366
Essay Peer Review
July 12
Virginia Woolf
A Room of One’s Own, chapters 3 and 6, pp. 1198-1207, 1226-1237
July 14
Essay Due
Phillip Larkin
“Church Going” pp. 1452-1453, “MCMXIV” pp. 1453-1454, “Talking in Bed” p. 1454, “Ambulances” pp. 1454-1455, “Homage to a Government” p. 1456
July 19
Derek Walcott
“A Far Cry from Africa” pp. 1463-1464, “The Season of Phantasmal Peace” pp. 1465-1466, From Omeros pp. 1466-1469
July 21
Zadie Smith
“The Waiter’s Wife,” pp. 1565-1575
Academic Integrity
Academic
Integrity:
In
order
to
maintain
a
culture
of
academic
integrity,
members
of
the
University
of
Waterloo
are
expected
to
promote
honesty,
trust,
fairness,
respect
and
responsibility.
Discipline:
A
student
is
expected
to
know
what
constitutes
academic
integrity,
to
avoid
committing
academic
offences,
and
to
take
responsibility
for
his/her
actions.
A
student
who
is
unsure
whether
an
action
constitutes
an
offence,
or
who
needs
help
in
learning
how
to
avoid
offences
(e.g.,
plagiarism,
cheating)
or
about
“rules”
for
group
work/collaboration
should
seek
guidance
from
the
course
professor,
academic
advisor,
or
the
Undergraduate
Associate
Dean.
When
misconduct
has
been
found
to
have
occurred,
disciplinary
penalties
will
be
imposed
under
Policy
71
–
Student
Discipline.
For
information
on
categories
of
offenses
and
types
of
penalties,
students
should
refer
to
Policy
71
-
Student
Discipline.
Grievance:
A
student
who
believes
that
a
decision
affecting
some
aspect
of
his/her
university
life
has
been
unfair
or
unreasonable
may
have
grounds
for
initiating
a
grievance.
Read
Policy
70
-
Student
Petitions
and
Grievances,
Section
4.
Appeals:
A
student
may
appeal
the
finding
and/or
penalty
in
a
decision
made
under
Policy
70
-
Student
Petitions
and
Grievances
(other
than
regarding
a
petition)
or
Policy
71
-
Student
Discipline
if
a
ground
for
an
appeal
can
be
established.
Read
Policy
72
-
Student
Appeals.
Other
sources
of
information
for
students
Academic integrity (Arts) Academic Integrity Office (uWaterloo)
Accommodation for Students with Disabilities
Note
for
students
with
disabilities:
The
AccessAbility
Services
office,
located
in
Needles
Hall
Room
1132,
collaborates
with
all
academic
departments
to
arrange
appropriate
accommodations
for
students
with
disabilities
without
compromising
the
academic
integrity
of
the
curriculum.
If
you
require
academic
accommodations
to
lessen
the
impact
of
your
disability,
please
register
with
the
AS
office
at
the
beginning
of
each
academic
term.