Fall 2004 |
Professor Ruth Feingold MH 52 x2109 |
rpfeingold@smcm.edu www.smcm.edu/users/rpfeingold |
Objectives The idea behind this course is not to have you read the ten greatest books ever written, so that you can sound knowledgable at partiesalthough that can be a great dividend of a liberal arts education. Its not to impart a rigid kind of natural history of literature. Its not even to teach you to like readingideally, since youre in college, you must already sometime, somewhere, have found pleasure in reading a book. Right? Coming into this term, Ive got three goals in mind. The first is to have you read a selection of poems, plays, and novels that I particularly like, and thatóin some casesóyoure unlikely to have encountered before. I think theres a good chance that youll enjoy thembut even if it turns out you hate one or two, youll have been exposed to something new, which is the great basis of all education. The second goal is to help you realize that, quite apart from liking or disliking a book, you can get interesting ideas from itand that those ideas are not necessarily just going to pop right out at you. Critical reading can be hard work. The tools of the tradelearning to recognize the formal elements of literary composition; to search for and analyze theme, structure, and image; to read texts at many different levels, and from many different perspectivesdont just exist as a cute little academic exercise. Reading critically helps you understand more of what the author is trying to sayand, often, things s/he didn't even think of. Moreover, its a crucial life skill, one that you can use everywhere from reading for your other classes to watching TV. Finally, because its seldom enough to understand something and just keep it to yourself, I plan to make you talk and write about your ideasa lot. Talking your ideas over with other people helps both you and them to think. Writing things down forces you to think them through more clearly, and pushes you to develop your thoughts past that initial glimmer of an insight. Plus, of course, our educational system requires that I have some basis on which to assign you a grade. |
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syllabus
week | readings | anything extra |
1 | 30 Aug5 Sept |
Monday: Wednesday: Friday: |
Friday: |
2 | 612 Sept | Monday: Friday: |
Friday: Poem recitations: |
3 | 1319 Sept |
Monday: Friday: |
Friday:
Poem recitations: |
4 | 2026 Sept |
Monday: Wednesday: Friday: |
Friday: Poem recitations: |
5 | 27 Sept3 Oct | Monday: Wednesday: Friday: |
Friday:
Poem recitations: |
6 | 410 Oct | Monday: Wednesday: Friday: |
Due Saturday by 8 p.m..4 pp. paper Poem recitations: |
7 | 1117 Oct | Monday: No classfall reading days Wednesday: no meeting at regular class time: Film screening in evening Friday: |
Poem recitations: |
8 | 1824 Oct | Monday: Friday: |
Poem recitations: |
9 | 25–31 Oct | Monday: Wednesday:: Friday: |
Poem recitations:
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10 | 17 Nov | Monday: Wednesday: Friday: |
Poem recitations: Thursday 8–10 p.m. film screening in Library 321 |
11 | 814 Nov | Monday: Wednesday: Friday: |
Poem recitations: |
12 | 1521 Nov | Monday: Wednesday: Friday: |
Poem recitations: On Saturday the 20th and Sunday the 21st, the class is attending performances of Pericles at The Shakespeare Theatre, in Washington DC. There will be three groups going: one to a 2:00 matinee on Saturday, one to a 2:00 matinee on Sunday, and one to a 7:30 evening show on Sunday. Running time is approximately 2 hours and 45 minutes. For directions and information about the theatre, see here. |
13 | 22–28 Nov | Monday: No class Wednesday & FridayThanksgiving Break |
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14 | 29 Nov5 Dec | Monday: Wednesday: Friday: |
Due Monday in class: revised 4 pp.
papers (optional)
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15 | 612 Dec | Monday: Wednesday: Friday: |
Due Saturday by 8 p.m: revised 7 pp. paper. E-mail submissions only.
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16 | 1319 Dec |
Monday: Final Exam 7:009:15 (for 1:20
class) |
if you want to take the final at the other classs time, notify me by midnight Sunday. |
graded work
Attendance and participation Most class sessions will be run as a seminars, and your contributions are vital to your learning. This means you have to show up, and that theres no such thing as an excused absence: being in class isnt simply a demonstration of good intentions, but rather an opportunity to learn; if youre not there, youve missed something you cant get back. More than just showing up, though, this also means you have to talk (and sometimes write). Dont feel like you have to have something brilliant to say in order to speak up: class discussion isn't about having the right answers, but about investigating ideas as a group. Dont be afraid to think out loud; I certainly do. Do be afraid to do nothing but sit and passively absorb your classmates contributions: your learningand your gradeswill suffer. To prepare for class, dont just do the reading, but think about it, so that youll have something to say (and this includes questions to ask). Mark your texts up as you read them, or take notes. Read every poem at least twice, and once out loud. |
25% of grade |
Poem performance Each student should select a poem from the anthology to memorize and perform in class. Sign-up for dates will be near the beginning of the term. |
part of grade above |
In-class writings & perfomance crux paper Periodically, you may be asked to write short essays in class, or to take unannounced quizzes on the reading. No make-ups will be permitted for any reason; I will, however, drop your lowest score in computing your final grade. You will also, in preparation for class discussion, write one short essay on performance choices in Pericles. |
part of grade above |
Prep papers and annotations For our poetry unit, as well as reading the small selection of poems I assign for class, you should also be browsing though the anthology on your own. Look for poems that you love, that you hate, that you feel you have insights about, that you dont understand. Each Friday, youll be turning in turning in written work—sometimes on poems that I assign, sometimes on poems youve found yourself. The anything extra column of the syllabus, above, specifies what kind of writing is due on each day, and on what kind of poem. Prep papers should be 12 typed pages (approx. 300600 words) on a single poem. You dont need the formal precision of a full-length essay in these pages, but your thoughts should be reasonably coherent, and directly on the works youve read. For annotations, photocopy the poem youre working on, then mark it up, showing me anything intresting you notice about it. Indicate poetic devices such as alliteration, rhyme, meter shifts. Note extended metaphors, striking images—anything that indicates craft on the part of the poet. You can underline things, circle them, whaterver you like—just label your markings clearly enough that Ill know what you mean. You will end up turning in 5 pieces of work: 2 annotations, 2 annotations + prep paper, and one prep paper alone. |
15% of grade total |
Short formal essay4 pages In this essay, youll be expected to select a poem from the anthology, articulate a significant question arising from your reading, and explore that question in depth. This isnt supposed to be a book review, a plot summary, or a purely emotional appreciation, but rather a carefully argued exposition that deals with themes, symbolism, or formal structural issues. Further instructions on this assignment,
and on paper-writing in general, are available via these links: |
10% of grade |
Long essay7 pages Same concept as the short essayexcept that this one has to be on a novel. Rewriting and revision are incredibly important steps in writingno one ever got it right the first time (or even the second, or third). Im asking you to turn in an early draft of your final essay both so that you can benefit from my feedback on it (instead of just getting comments after its a done deal), and also so that youll have an enforced period of rest and reflection in the middle of writing it. I want you to take the first draft seriously, and not just shrug it off because you get to do it over. Therefore, although the final versions worth a lot more, the first draft still gets graded. |
Draft10% Final version 25% |
Final exam A combination of short answer and essay questions, covering material from the entire term. |
15% of grade |
grading policies 1) Attendance is required. You get three absences per term; after that, your karmic score (and your grade) begin to fall. 2) Prep papers and annotations are due at the beginning of class. Late work will not be accepted. Work will not be accepted from people who are late to class, or who are absent. The only exception to this is when I have papers due on a day class doesnt meet; in that case, turning in the paper counts as attendance. 3) Your formal essays have specific times when theyre due. Late papers turned in by midnight the same day will be marked down 1/3 grade; after that, they will lose another 1/3 grade per calendar day.The draft for your long essay may not be turned in late. |