Description of Class Assignments:

You will have four types of assignments this semester: reading, participation, analytical papers, and exams.

Reading

Reading assignments occur every week. While reading the material, feel free to mark up your text or any hand-outs to help you absorb what you are reading.

Participation

Classes will consist mostly of guided discussion, so your participation is critical and will be noted (10% of your total grade, including attendance). If necessary, unannounced quizzes may also be given and will count toward this category.

Papers

There are two papers for this course: one short in length, and one moderate in length. The short paper will be a 2- to 3-page paper providing some cultural, biographical, or historical background on any one work by one of the six Romantic poets we will read this semester.  At least one outside source should be consulted--I'll discuss how to document this source in class, but check the resources below for more information (15% of your grade).

The longer paper will be an analysis paper on a topic of your choosing. You may want to consult a topic suggestions list I will build to get some ideas. This topic should cover in about about 4 to 5 pages a topic broader in scope than just one work, and will require you to consult at least two external sources to supplement your discussion, thus requiring a Works Cited page (25% of your grade).

Both papers should be typed, double-spaced, and include a title page (with the paper title, your name, course title, instructor's name, and date) and page numbers. Simply staple your paper in the upper left-hand corner (no folders or plastic covers). Please note that five points per day will be deducted for late papers. No papers are accepted after one week beyond the deadline.

Literary analysis papers require a certain approach and format. I will discuss particulars in class, but there are other websites that might be used as resources for more information:

A thorough guide to poetry explication from the University of North Carolina provides the best overview of the explication assignment (and includes a couple of sample explications). Purdue University also has good information. Here's a PDF-formatted handout on how to explicate a poem.

The web has no shortage of resources for documenting outside material. Please make yourselves familiar with what MLA documentation requires and follow those guidelines. Here's a link to Purdue University's writing center, which is a good source for documentation. Please use whatever useful resources you may find for documentation. Inaccurate documentation is unacceptable for English literature classes. If you have questions, please ask.

Exams and Quizzes

There will be two 50-minute exams (each worth 15% of your grade) and a final exam (20% of your grade) that will include multiple choice, short answer, and essay sections.