Class: MWF 12:50-1:40
Office: Immediately after class, TUR 4111
E-Mail: irac@english.ufl.edu

In this course we will be reading Milton's Paradise Lost plus what are often regarded as the greatest lyrics in English. We will attend first to understanding the poems, and second, to establishing contexts within which and approaches from which to read and write about poetry, especially poetry of the era. After Paradise Lost we will focus on traditions of secular lyric; then we will view theological and devotional contexts of sacred lyrics.

Students will be responsible for contemplating as well as reading every work assigned before the class meets to discuss it, so that you can listen profitably to the lectures on the backgrounds and participate knowledgeably in discussions of the works. The course should develop from lectures towards discussions, with students gaining independence and proficiency in understanding the period, interpreting the poems, and arguing articulately both orally and in writing for readings.

Grades will be based on eleven unannounced quizzes or brief takehome assignments and three papers. The brief unannounced quizzes/takehome assignments will occur intermittently and take a variety of forms (40% of the grade); one may be dropped. The three papers will come due at the end of each of the three sections of the course. Paper I will answer a takehome question about some issue in Paradise Lost (about 2500 words, 20% of the grade). Paper II should present your close reading of any secular lyric or cluster of secular lyrics in the text (about 2500 words, 20% of the grade). Paper III should present your close reading of any sacred lyric or cluster of sacred lyrics in the text(about 2500 words, 20% of the grade). All three papers should be tightly argued, fully exemplified and interpreted, and stylishly written. They must be typed. 

This course abides by the University's policies on plagiarism and academic honesty. Except for grave illness or death in the immediate family, I neither accept late work nor grant incompletes. For a student to earn credit for the course, that student must complete all work.
 

January 7 Introduction
9 Milton: "Elegia Sexta," "On the Morning of Christ's Nativity"

12 Milton: Paradise Lost. Invocations to Books I, III, VII, IX
14 Milton: Paradise Lost I-II.
16 

21 Milton: Paradise Lost III.
23 Milton: Paradise Lost IV.

26 Milton: Paradise Lost V-VIII
28
30

February 2 Milton: Paradise Lost IX-XII
4
6 

9 Paper on Paradise Lost due by 9:00 a.m. Clark's mailbox 
11 Donne: Secular Lyrics 
13

16 
18 Jonson: Secular Lyrics
20

23 
25 Herrick: Secular Lyrics
27

March 1 Suckling
3 Lovelace
5 Waller

15 Marvell
17 
18 Paper II on secular lyric(s) due by 9:00 a.m. Clark's mailbox
19 

22 Southwell & Alabaster 
24 Donne: Sacred Lyrics
26

29 Herbert
31 
April 2

5
7 
9 Crashaw: Saint Teresa Poems

12 Vaughan
14 
16

19 Traherne
21 Taylor

27 Paper III on sacred lyric(s) of the era due by 9:00 a.m. Clark's mailbox

Texts are available at Goerings' Book Store: John Milton, Paradise Lost, ed. John Leonard; The Metaphysical Poets, ed. Helen Gardner; Ben Jonson & the Cavalier Poets, ed. Hugh Maclean.

Ira Clark