Anoka Ramsey Community College - Coon Rapids Campus

English 2220: British Literature to 1800
Fall Semester, 2019
Steven Beste, Instructor

English 2220 introduces students to major British authors from the late 7th century to the late 18th century. Readings and discussions will focus on the cultural and historical significance of the literature by analyzing, interpreting, and evaluating literary works within the contexts within which they were written.

This is the first course offered in a two-course sequence called "British Literature." While you are not required to complete the two-course sequence, doing so would give you a comprehensive perspective of how English language and literature have evolved over the centuries, from its origins to the present.  

This first course introduces you to the beginnings of our English literary heritage, and moves all the way up to, but not including, the English Romantic period (which begins around 1800). While we will read no novels (these hadn't been "invented"--at least in the English language--until about 1750), we will read many poems, a play, prose including essays from about one thousand years of literature.

Ours will be a lecture and discussion class: I'd like to talk with you about contexts and some of the history behind what we read, but I would like you to raise questions and make observations about that context and about what you read.  I should note that many students new to the study of literature believe that literature from our language's earliest days was quite boring and full of stiff and awkward language.  Well, OK: some of the language is tough sledding.  But, I hope, in our time together, you will find the selections anything but boring! 

At the completion of this course, you should be able to:

• demonstrate a working knowledge of British literature up to 1800; the historical, political, and religious backgrounds of the times; and literary terms and conventions we encounter along the way

• explain how early British literature helped define English culture (and, in turn, how the people, ideas, and events of the times influenced the literature)

• explain a variety of literary terms used to analyze this period of literature
  
  
• distinguish among major literary movements of these years
  
  
• demonstrate an ability to write critical analyses that show an understanding of the texts, are logical and coherent, and are written correctly, clearly, and with appropriate documentation

Our course syllabus can sometimes change if I have to adjust our schedule. Look for updates to our syllabus on this website.

Throughout the course, I will make reference to terms and ideas from our anthology that I would like you all to know. I will keep a running terms list here. Sometimes, it helps to know a bit about the term itself--how it is actually constructed. A link to an online etymological dictionary will help you with this information.

For the longer paper assignment, I have linked here a list of paper topic suggestions.

The web is a good place for general information. To that end, here's one that describes an Anglican timeline. On the syllabus website, I have produced links for all authors within our schedule. In addition, I will try to keep links updated to the following helpful resources:

    Map of Western Europe (current)

    Map of United Kingdom (current)

    Map of England (current)

    Maps of Medieval England

    Map of Southern England (c.1000)

    Maps from the Renaissance