2012-2013 Academic Catalog

May 22, 2024

2012-2013 Academic Catalog [ARCHIVED CATALOG]

ENG 285 - Topics in Seventeenth-Century Literature

Type of Course: Seminar

Explores topics in the literary history of the seventeenth century with emphasis in changing ideas in science, history, politics, culture, and science. Depending on the special topic, course may include canonical as well as non-canonical, English as well as New England writing, and texts in a diversity of genres and disciplines. Prerequisite: consent of instructor. Satisfies the Period (C-lb) requirement.

SPECIAL TOPIC (SPRING 2012): THE TEXT AND THE BOOK

We have grown used to reading early literature in modern editions and anthologies, but a consideration of the materiality of “hand press” books and the dynamics of early modern print culture greatly changes our understanding of that literature. In this course, we will bring together selections of poetry, plays, and prose non-fiction with readings in Book History, exploring the differentiated interdependence of “books” and “texts.” Class discussions will be supplemented with hands-on workshops with rare books at Goddard Library Special Collections and a field trip to the American Antiquarian Society. Satisfies the Period (C-lb) requirement.

Prerequisites: Permission only