Introduction to Literature

Course Main Objective

This course gives a brief background of English literature and discusses basic concepts in literature applied to various genres such as poetry, fiction “short stories”, and drama. Along with the discussion of the key concepts and examples of relative works, the course provides the student with a wide range of literary vocabulary as well as critical perspectives for reading literature. The course must cover three genres that include a selection of poems (4-5), a one-act play, and short stories (3-4).

Course Learning Outcomes

• 1. Knowledge and Comprehension
•    1.1 Discuss the history of English literature and its genres.  (K2)
• 2. Skills (2)
•    2.1 Differentiate between literary genres and their features with reference to the selected literary works. (S1)
•    2.2 Present critical views toward literary works effectively in speech and/or in writing. (S4)
• 3. Values (3)
•    3.1 Work effectively in groups to facilitate teamwork. (V1)

Course Content

This course gives a brief background of English literature and discusses basic concepts in literature applied to various genres such as poetry, fiction “short stories”, and drama. Along with the discussion of the key concepts and examples of relative works, the course provides the student with a wide range of literary vocabulary as well as critical perspectives for reading literature. The course must cover three genres that include a selection of poems (4-5), a one-act play, and short stories (3-4).

Contents

• Understanding Poetry: origins of modern poetry, kinds of poetry (488-495,497-498) 
• Elements of poetry: voice, tone, irony (500-501; 510-515 ;519-523) 
• Elements of poetry: word choice, Diction, word order (535-545; 553-555) 
• “The Man He Killed” By Thomas Hardy 
• Elements of poetry: imagery, figures of speech (560-563; 576-601) 
• Elements of poetry: sound (609-623) 
• “The Road Not Taken” By Robert Frost 
• “Aunt Jennifer’s Tigers” By Adrienne Rich.
• Elements of poetry: form, symbol, themes, Allegory and Myth (632-664; 671-689)
• “The Sick Rose” By William Blake
• Understanding Drama (815-825; 828-829)
• Understanding Drama (850-854; 943-954, 1156-1158, 1223 -1229)
• A Doll House by Henrik Ibsen
• Understanding fiction; Origins of modern fiction (66-74)
• Elements of the short story: plot, character (123-127; 156-159)
• “A Rose for Emily” by William Faulkner
• Elements of the short story: setting, theme, point of view (195-159; 382-384) (227-232)
• “The Story of An Hour” by Kate Chopin
• Elements of the short story: style, tone, and language (281-286)
• Elements of the short story: symbol (328,333)
• "The Cask of Amontillado" by Edgar Allan Poe 

Textbook (s) 

Kirszner, Laurie G., and Stephen R. Mandell.( 2017) Portable Literature: Reading, Reacting, Writing (9th ed.) Wadsworth.

Course ID: ENGL 209