English 2225: British Literature Since 1800
Anoka Ramsey Community College
Coon Rapids Campus

Spring Semester, 2020
Steven Beste, Instructor

PLEASE NOTE: We are transitioning from doing this material in our classroom to completing the course online (unless we get permission and instructions to return to our classrooms before the semester is over). Please use D2L for announcements and updates about how we will proceed. The course syllabus has been updated to reflect some changes in our reading assignments. How I will cover this material and how you should progress through the material is still to be determined. My plan is that by Monday, April 6th, I will have a plan in place to follow, and that I will post this information on the D2L announcement page. Stay tuned and stay well!

English 2225 introduces students to major British authors from the late 18th century up to the present day. Readings and discussions will focus on the cultural and historical significance of the literature. In other words, we will analyze, interpret, and evaluate literary works within the contexts within which they were written.  Please note that sometimes changes have to be made to our schedule. Look for updates to our syllabus on this website.

This is the second 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. Here is the course syllabus.

This second course picks up the discussion of our English literary heritage starting with the English Romantic movement that begins around 1789 (when talk of revolution is in the air), and moves all the way up to the most recent English poems, plays, and stories.  We will read one full-length novel, Jane Austen's novel, Pride and Prejudice.  In addition, we will read many poems, short stories, and a selection of non-fiction from the last two hundred years of British 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.  Through-out 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 list of those terms. If a term you think we should know is not listed, let me know and I'll add it. As we read poetry, remember this advice from Billy Collins: don't over-analyze!

For our paper assignments:
        Consult this website for our shorter paper (remember: due Tuesday, March 10th): short paper description
        Consult this website for our longer paper (due as originally scheduled on Thursday, April 23rd): longer paper description.

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

• demonstrate a working knowledge of British literature from 1789 to the present; the historical, political, and religious backgrounds of the times; and literary terms and conventions we encounter along the way

• 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

�2020 Steven Beste
Questions or comments? Contact steven.beste@anokaramsey.edu

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