Classical and Biblical Backgrounds to Modern Literature

Curriculum guideline

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Course
ENGL 2107
Discontinued
No
Course code
ENGL 2107
Descriptive
Classical and Biblical Backgrounds to Modern Literature
Department
English
Faculty
Language, Literature & Performing Arts
Credits
3.00
Start date
End term
Not Specified
PLAR
No
Semester length
15 weeks
Max class size
35
Contact hours
4 hours per week
Method(s) of instruction
Lecture
Seminar
Learning activities

Some or all of the following methods will be used:

  1. Lecture/discussion
  2. Group work
  3. Peer editing
  4. Presentation (individual or group)
  5. Independent research
  6. Instructor feedback on students’ work
  7. Individual consultation
Course description
This course explores selected classical and biblical literary texts and examines them in their own right and as sources for subsequent works of literature. This course does not view or critique religious texts from a theological perspective.
Course content

All second-year English literature courses share the following features:

  1. Students are presumed to be proficient in the writing of critical essays on literary subjects.
  2. Students are required to read in the course subject area beyond the texts assigned by the instructor or discussed in class.
  3. Students are required to incorporate into their oral and written coursework secondary source materials. These may include autobiographical or biographical material; literary criticism or theory; unassigned texts by the author under study; relevant cultural or intellectual history; or other arts, such as music, film, or fine arts.
  4. Readings and topics will vary with each instructor’s presentation of a course; however, all course materials are consistent with the objectives/outcomes for this course.

In English 2107, students will examine

  1. the development of early story-telling culture, from an oral to a literary one;
  2. the evolution of over-arching ideas and themes (such as the nature of the hero, the roles and depcitions of women, the ideals of leadership, and the development of cultures) in the literature of the times;
  3. selected classical and biblical literary texts in their own right, as sources for subsequent works of literature, and in relation to modern texts; and
  4. historical, cultural, and cultural/theoretical contexts relating to the study of classical and biblical texts.   
Learning outcomes

Upon completion of any second-year English literature course, the student should be able to

  1. use with increased proficiency the skills of literary analysis taught in first-year English courses;
  2. recognize the significance of the literary and other contexts (such as biographical, historical, mythological or philosophical) of a work being studied;
  3. read critically and use in essays secondary sources (such as criticism or other texts by the same author) as an aid to comprehending the primary text(s) being studied;
  4. read critically and independently texts not discussed in class; and
  5. formulate a thesis on a given subject in one or more specific works, and to develop this thesis using suitable textual evidence.

Upon complete of English 2107, the successful student should also have a deeper understanding of

  1. traditional literary forms, such as epic, psalm, and parable;  
  2. how traditional stories, themes, and motifs inform subsequent literature;
  3. relationships between literature and the religious, political, and social developments of the times.
Means of assessment
  1. A minimum of two formal academic essays, with a combined value of at least 40% of the course grade, and a minimum of two other evaluations.
  2. A minimum of 80% of the course grade will be based on writing assignments (essays, essay-based exams, journals, paragraphs); a maximum of 20% of the course grade may be based on informal writing (quizzes, short answer tests); oral reports/presentations; participation/preparation grades; and/or other non writing-intensive assignments.
  3. A minimum of 15% of the course grade will be based on in-class writing (essay or exam).

According to the College Evaluation Policy, the final grade awarded to each student shall consist of at least three separate assignments. No single assessment will be weighted at more than 40% of the final course grade.

Textbook materials

Texts will vary depending on the instructor, and may include shorter readings compiled in custom course packs.

Sample Reading List:

  • Coursepack, containing selections from writers such as Dante, Homer, Virgil, Milton; various mdern poems inspired by classical and biblical texts; and related historical/critical texts
  • The Epic of Gilgamesh
  • Fitzgerald (trans.), The Odyssey
  • Frazier, Cold Mountain
  • Holy Bible, Oxford King James Authorized Version (Old and New Testament selections)

 

 

Prerequisites

Any two university-transfer first-year English literature courses, or one university-transfer first-year English literature course and one university-transfer first-year Creative Writing or English writing course.                                                                

Which prerequisite