11:15A-12:30P TR (25) 3 cr.
COAS INTENSIVE WRITING SECTION. OPEN TO MAJORS ONLY. DECLARED MINORS OBTAIN AUTHORIZATION FROM BH442.
This introduction to tools and methods of reading and writing about literature has two goals. First, we shall consider formal aspects of the works we read, and we shall discuss how form contributes to meaning. As we read a range of literary forms in poetry, fiction, and drama we shall acquire a vocabulary of terms that will allow us to identify and critique generic choices in literature. We shall be especially attentive to language as we analyze the particular form and structure of each work. Second, we shall think about formal choices within various contexts within shifts in formal literary history and always in relation to different expectations regarding readerships, authorship, and the “literary” itself. As we familiarize ourselves with critical approaches to literary study, we shall relate those to the cultures in which a work of literature and criticism was produced. This is a discussion-driven course. Thoughtful participation is a requirement. You will also write 3 to 4 papers and complete written mid-term and final examinations.