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Literature before 1660

ENGL 020.601
instructor(s):
T 5:30-8:30

This course introduces students to the range of poetry, prose, and drama written in England between the fourteenth and seventeenth centuries. It examines, in particular, the ways in which writers represented the relationship of English men and women to the worlds that they inhabited. How does literature portray England's place in the universe and on the globe? What can we learn from idealized visions of familiar landscapes -- and from realistic ones? To what extent do changes in literary representations of space reflect shifts in English history and culture, including religion, politics, science, and class and gender relations? Students should expect that discussion will constitute a large portion of class meetings, and that participation will therefore factor considerably into final grades. Assignments will include two papers, a mid-term and a final exam, and reading quizzes as necessary.

fulfills requirements