Department of English

Once upon a time, there were six "major" English Romantic Poets, canonized mostly in the later 19th century and (with the exception of Blake) early 20th century.  Today, scholars are in the process of radically rereading the poetry of the late-18th and early-19th centuries, and are rediscovering a number of writers justifiably popular in their own day and increasingly popular in our own.  This course, consequently, will examine a number of poets in the so-called
Romantic Period--both the traditionarlly "major" and the more recently "major"--as well as a reasonable sampling of its drama.  In particular, we will spend considerable time examining these writers in relation to one another, and in the context of the cultural movements in which they participated.  The final syllabus, most likely, will be drawn from the poetry and/or drama of the following writers: Baillie, Barbauld, Blake, Byron, Clare, Coleridge, Hemans, Keats,
Landon, Landor, More, Ossian, Robinson, Scott, Shelley, Smith, Tighe, and Wordsworth. I strongly encourage students, if they have texts that they are especially interested in reading, to contact me with suggestions during the Fall semester.  Requirements:  a short paper, a long paper, a set of final exam questions, a short annotated bibliography, and a willingness to acquire an electronic computer mail account (there will be a computer bulletin board for this class).   

Note: Taking English 50, *and* another course covering either 18th-century or Victorian or early 20th-century British poetry (English 51, 251, some versions of 61, or 41), can serve as an alternative to the English 202 requirement.  English 251 is being offered during Spring 1995.