The History of Literature in Eight Books

This course provides a broad overview of the history of literature in English from the tenth century to the twentieth. Rather than aim for complete coverage of a thousand years of literary production, we will spend each week delving deeply into one text from a particular historical moment, reading eight works in total. We will familiarize ourselves with literary texts -- such as A Midsummer Night's Dream, Leaves of Grass, and Beloved -- that range widely in form, genre, and thematic concern; we will examine how these texts negotiate their sociocultural contexts instead of merely reproducing them; and we will practice how to ask productive questions about literature. Assignments will include regular discussion posts, close reading exercises, a critical bibliography, and a final paper.