2021-2022 Academic Catalog

Feb 16, 2025

2021-2022 Academic Catalog [ARCHIVED CATALOG]

ENG 140 - Major British Writers I

What does it mean to belong? How do people inhabit spaces and negotiate identities? These questions are relevant today but were also relevant for writers in the long medieval and early modern periods in England. This course provides a foundational and historical study of English literature up to the late 17th century. We will discuss prose, poetry, and drama by such writers as Chaucer, Marie de France, Shakespeare, Sidney, Spenser, Wroth, Donne, Africanus, and Behn while interrogating their cultural, political, and social contexts. While the course traditionally employs the lecture style, our sessions will often mix this format with more interactive student-led discussions, presentations, and writing workshops.

This course is the first part of the ENG 140-141 sequence. It satisfies either the Historical Sequence (B-1; pre-1850 portion) or Period (D-1; at the 100-level) but does not double count.

Prerequisites: IDND 018 or VE Placement

Course Designation/Attribute: VE

Anticipated Terms Offered: Every year