ENGB27
ENGB27
ENGB27
Lectures: Mondays 1 – 3
Fall 2023
SW 128
Zoom by appointment
Tutorial Locations:
TUT01: HW402
TUT02: HW308
TUT03: HW402
TUT04: HLB108
TA Office Hours:
If you can't make the TA office hours, you can email your TAs to set up
an appointment for a Zoom meeting!
Course Description
An introduction to the historical and cultural developments that have shaped the study
of literature in English before 1700. Focusing on the medieval, early modern, and
Restoration periods, this course will examine the notions of literary history and the
literary “canon” and explore how contemporary critical approaches impact our readings
of literature in English in specific historical and cultural settings.
In 2023, our loose theme for this course will be “other worlds.” We will focus on texts
that depict lands and realms beyond everyday experience, like fairylands, enchanted
islands, and the garden of Eden. In what ways do these “other worlds” help poets to
imagine an escape from the economic, social, and cultural pressures of their times?
How did the language of “other worlds” factor into colonialist and exploitative
encounters? In what ways might the language of “other worlds” be transformed and
reclaimed by different authors?
Learning Objectives
● Become familiar with literary forms and genres of the pre-modern period.
● Be able to “chart” pre-modern literature on an historical timeline.
● Develop questions and arguments about premodern literature.
● Reflect upon the relation between literary texts and their historical contexts.
Books
--The Lais of Marie de France, trans. Glynn Burgess, Penguin, 1999. ISBN-13 :
978-0140447590
--William Shakespeare, The Tempest, Folger Shakespeare Library Edition, eds. Barbara
Mowat and Paul Werstine, Simon & Schuster, 2015 ISBN - 13: 9781501130014
--John Milton, Paradise Lost, Penguin Classics, 2003. ISBN - 13: 9781501130014
--Optional: Geoffrey Chaucer, The Canterbury Tales, Second Edition, eds. Robert
Boenig and Andrew Taylor, Broadview, 2012. ISBN-13: 978-1554811069 (Our reading
from Chaucer will be available as scans but this a nice edition that you might like using,
especially if you have an interest in medieval literature.)
--Hester Pulter readings will be online at https://pulterproject.northwestern.edu/#poems
Links to an external site.
.
--All other readings will be available as scans on Quercus under Files
Tutorial Participation
Participation in tutorial is very important. This is your chance to work on in-depth issues
and to ask questions. Your TAs are there to help you succeed in the course and the
more you are involved in tutorial, the more they can help. Tutorial participation marks
are assessed based on both oral and written participation.
Tutorials will not meet on the first day of class or after the midsemester exam.
Otherwise, they will meet each week unless otherwise indicated on the schedule of
readings and assignments.
Assignments
SUBMITTING ASSIGNMENTS
Please submit all assignments online at the class Quercus site. In Quercus, navigate to
Assignments. Please upload your paper as a Word document, not a PDF. All
assignments should be in double-spaced Times New Roman font.
EXTENSIONS AND LATE ASSIGNMENTS
Life happens and it can be difficult to get assignments in on time. We will have a class
sign-up sheet for short extensions on the two response papers. You can sign up for an
automatic extension of up to four days, you just need to sign up before the paper
deadline. Further extensions may be granted for exceptional emergencies. If you
require an emergency extension, please contact Prof Gaston as soon as possible.
Late assignments without an extension granted will have a ½ letter grade deduction per
day late (A becomes A-, 87 becomes 82, etc). You may submit late assignments up to
one week after the final deadline (so the deadline + one week) has passed. After that,
please speak to Prof Gaston about completing the assignment.
MIDSEMESTER EXAM
An in-class, one-hour test designed to review the first part of the course and prepare for
the final. The exam will consist of short-answer questions and one response essay
based on your choice from several prompts.
FINAL EXAM
The final exam will cover the entire semester, but the emphasis will be placed upon
material from after reading week. The format will be very similar to the midsemester
exam but longer, with more response questions and two response essays, both based
on your choices out of several prompts.
Grade Breakdown
Tutorial Participation...............................10%
Response Paper One...................................15%
Response Paper Two...............................15%
Midsemester Exam.................................25%
Final Exam..........................................35%
Office Hours
Please make a note of the office hours listed for Prof Gaston and your TA. You should
feel free
to drop by during office hours to discuss the course content, preparing for assignments,
and other questions related to the course and premodern literature. We want to help!
Zoom office hours with Prof Gaston are also available by appointment. Please just email
to set up a meeting.
Academic Integrity
I expect that all work you submit to me will be your own, prepared specifically for this
class. If you incorporate the ideas of other individuals into your work, those references
must be properly acknowledged and cited. Plagiarism is a serious offence and will be
treated as such by me and by the University of Toronto.
The use of generative artificial intelligence tools or apps for assignments in this course,
including tools like ChatGPT and other AI writing or coding assistants, is prohibited. If in
doubt about a specific tool or app, contact Prof Gaston or your TA.
Accommodation
AccessAbility Services staff (located in Rm SW302, Science Wing) are available by
appointment to assess specific needs, provide referrals and arrange appropriate
accommodations. Please contact 416-287-7560 (tel/TTY) or email
[email protected] for more information. The sooner we know your needs the
quicker we can assist you in achieving your learning goals in this course.
NO TUTORIALS
Sept 18: The Wanderer, The Seafarer
Download The Wanderer, The Seafarer
TUTORIALS BEGIN
Sept 25: Marie de France, Guigemar, Lanval, Yonec
Download Guigemar, Lanval, Yonec
Oct 2: Sir Orfeo
Download Sir Orfeo