ENL 4221 Renaissance Literature: 17th Century Poetry Spring 2006
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 ten 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 9 Introduction
11 Milton: "Elegia Sexta," "On the Morning of Christ's Nativity"
13 Milton: Paradise Lost. Invocations to Books I, III, VII, IX
18 Milton: Paradise Lost I-II.
20
23 Milton: Paradise Lost III.
25 Milton: Paradise Lost IV.
27
30 Milton: Paradise Lost V-VIII
February 1
3
6 Milton: Paradise Lost IX-XII
8
10
13 Paper on Paradise Lost due by 9:00 a.m. Clark's mailbox
15 Donne: Secular Lyrics
17
20
22 Jonson: Secular Lyrics
24
27
March 1 Herrick: Secular Lyrics
3
6 Suckling
8 Lovelace
10 Waller
20 Marvell
22
23 Paper II on secular lyric(s) due by 9:00 a.m. Clark's mailbox
24
27 Southwell & Alabaster
29 Donne: Sacred Lyrics
31
April 3 Herbert
5
7
10 Crashaw: Saint Teresa Poems
12
14 Vaughan
17
19 Traherne
21
26
28 Paper III on sacred lyric(s) of the era due by 1:00. 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.