World Literature I

87638, -39 ENGL 2111 | Fall 2017 | Dr. Gerald Lucas

Gerald R. Lucas
Aug 9, 2017 · 8 min read

ENGL 2111, World Literature I, explores various forms of classical, non-English literary discourse from Gilgamesh through Ovid.

Turner: “Ulysses Deriding Polyphemus”; National Portrait Gallery, London

WWorld Literature I will focus on textual studies of the major genres of this period, epic and tragedy, how those genres influenced later literary works, and how they portray “humanist” issues throughout the Greek and Roman national literary traditions and beyond. ENGL 2111 will show the continued relevance of just why ancient works are still paramount to knowing ourselves as “humans.” Major works covered will include Gilgamesh, the Iliad, the Odyssey, and works by Sophocles, Euripides, and Ovid. Since any survey course has much more literature than one semester-long class can cover, we will attempt to cover only a couple works in as much detail as time allows, rather than many works only cursorily.

The following document is your syllabus. Please read it and the links it contains carefully. While you may certainly choose to print it — we will do our best to follow the schedule below—it may chage during the course of the semester due to unforeseen circumstances. Should this occur, I will let you know in class, but ultimately, this online document has the final say.


Instructor Information

  • Dr. Gerald R. Lucas | @drgrlucas | About
  • Office: CAS-117 (Macon campus)
  • Office Hours: MW 1:45–2:30 (only by appointment); TR 12:30–2:30 or by appointment
  • Email: gerald.lucas [at] mga [dot] edu

I try to make myself as available as much as possible during the first couple weeks of a semester, including evenings and weekends. If you need to chat with me, email me and we’ll arrange a video conference via Skype (or similar service), if necessary. Please do not expect a response after 5pm on weekdays or anytime during the weekend. I may be available, but I also need some down time. Thanks for your understanding.

Course Information

Prerequisite: ENGL 1102 or ENGL 1102H

Description: This is a survey of important works of world literature from the beginning through the 17th century.

Classroom Hours: Three per week.

Required Materials

Our study of World Literature this semester will use the Norton Anthology of World Literature (Third Editon), Volume A, edited by Martin Puchner. Other ediitons will also be acceptable, even preferrable, like this one, or this one.

This book should always accompany you to class, as we will make heavy use of it in our daily discussions. Please do not come to class without it: we need the book for class activities, in-class writing, and all aspects of our study.

You should also bring an ink interface of some sort, as well as dead trees on which to take notes. Notes should not only reflect good listening skills, but individual interest in every topic discussed in class. You should not sit in class like you’re watching TV: learning requires active participation, especially in a short summer course.

All other materials, like cell phones, food, magazines, headphones, etc., should be left in your car. They are not needed for our class and should, therefore, not accompany you. I understand our contemporary need to be in contact with everyone all the time, but do not let this personal need distract the rest of the class. If you answer a cell phone in my class, I will expect you to leave. In addition, I do not allow class discussions to be taped, so do not bring any voice recording devices into the classroom.

Please eat lunch before or after class; while a drink is fine, please do not eat in class.

Finally, since class lecture and discussion will often touch on the controversial, this college classroom is not an appropriate place for children. Please leave them at home.

Policies & Procedures

Students are held accountable for knowing and practicing each of the course policies. Consider them like the law: the excuse “I didn’t know” will carry no weight. Pay particular attention to policies under Attendance and Plagiarism.

As a Middle Georgia State University student, it is your responsibility to read, understand, and abide by the MGA Student Code of Conduct.

Students may withdraw from the course and earn a grade of “W” up to and including the midterm date: October 11, 2017. After midterm, students who withdraw will receive a grade of “WF.” Students are encouraged to read the withdrawal policy before dropping/withdrawing from class.

Requirements

ENGL 2111 is composed of the following components:

Responses (40%)

Students will respond in writing four times during the semester; at least two will be due before midterm. Each should follow the same process:

  1. Choose a strong essay (called a secondary source) about one of the texts we are addressing in class. Use the World Literature Subject Guide, find a book of essays in the library (there are plenty), or choose one of the essays I uploaded to D2L. While there are good general resources available on the web, I would advise you against using them, unless you have it approved by me. Before asking, be sure you evaluate the source.
  2. Read the essay you choose and take notes. What is the critic’s central argument about the text; how does she support that argument? What points does she make that are particularly insightful (or which seem unconvincing)? How does it help you in your understanding of the text?
  3. Summarize its main points or arguments of the article in no more than a paragraph.
  4. Respond to the essay and add your own reading of the text. This is the important part, spend at least a page responding to the essay—do you agree or not? Why? Be sure you use evidence from class discussion and the primary text to support your reading.

Responses should be about two pages. You may turn your responses in at any point during the semester via D2L, but two must be submitted before midterm. Don’t procrastinate; if you like a text we read and discuss, take a bit of time and write about it as soon as you can. Responses should be formatted correctly. Please review “Writing in the Liberal Arts” and implement these conventions when writing about literature.

Note: Responses are due during the time we cover a text, and no later. For example, if you want to write on Homer’s Iliad, you must do so while we are still covering the Iliad in-class, not when we have moved on to the Odyssey. Then, it will be too late. Please be timely in writing and submitting your responses. Also, do not write more than one response per text. You should spread out your responses throughout the semester.

Final Exam (20%)

Some sort of final exam will be administered during the university’s scheduled time. We will discuss the particulars of this exam as the time approaches. See sample exams I have made available on D2L. These resources should help you not only prepare for the exam, but provide guidance for your study throughout the semester. Here’s my usual statement about this exam:

A final cumulative exam will be given that will test your knowledge of the subject matter (texts, lecture material, and vocabulary), your ability to synthesize this material, and your creativity in going beyond the discussion and lecture materials. The final exam will include vocabulary, identification, and interpretation. All exam grades will be based upon objective knowledge of the material, thoroughness, depth of insight, precision, and originality.

Pro Tip: Share a Google Doc with every member of the class. Use it to collaborate on class notes each day we meet. Consider it a master study document.

Participation (40%)

Regular class attendance, question posing, and active participation in classroom discussion are required. Some assignments will occasionally count for participation: reading quizzes, peer editing, the viewing of a film, and similar activities. Additional assistance may be obtained from me during my office hours or by appointment. Your participation in group activities and your preparation for class will be weighed heavily in evaluation: participation, effort, and attitude will count significantly. Quizzes, other class activities, and homework assignments not explicitly outlined on this document will be factored into your final class participation grade.

Schedule

This schedule represents the ideal outline for our study this semester. Yet, like all best-laid plans, we may not be able to keep up with our agenda. Please be flexible and try to look and read ahead whenever possible. We will do our best to stick by this schedule, but I will inform you verbally whenever there is a change in or an addition to an assignment. Getting these updates is solely your responsibility. Therefore, this schedule is tentative and subject to change contingent upon the needs of the students and the professor, and dictated by time and other constraints which may affect the course.

This schedule reflects only an overview of the assigned reading and other major course assignments. It does not indicate specific class session assignments or activities. Specific reading assignments will be given in class.

Week 1 (Week of 08.14)

Week 2 (08.21)

Week 3 (08.28)

Week 4 (09.04)

  • No class on Monday or Tuesday
  • Iliad / Odyssey

Week 5 (09.11)

Week 6 (09.18)

  • Odyssey

Week 7 (09.25)

Week 8 (10.02)

  • 10.03: Last day for second response
  • Oedipus Rex

Week 9 (10.09)

Week 10 (10.16)

Week 11 (10.23)

  • No class meetings this week

Week 12 (10.30)

Week 13 (11.06)

  • Ovid: “The Prologue”; “The Creation”; “Apollo and Daphne”; “Io and Jove”; “Europa and Jove”; “Iphis and Ianthe”; “Pygmalion”
  • Background: “Ovid’s Metamorphoses”; “Breaking the Girl

Week 14 (11.13)

  • Ovid / TBA

Week 15 (11.20)

  • No class meetings this week

Week 16 (11.27)

  • TBA

Exam Week

  • Section 03 (MW) Wednesday, 12/06 @ 10:30–12:30
  • Section 02 (TR): Thursday, 12/04 @ 10:30–12:30

Last updated: 30 Oct 2017.
Please do not print this document; access it online as information may change.

LitMUSE | Dr. Lucas

Gerald R. Lucas

Written by

English Professor & Digital Humanist; I teach literature, new media studies, and writing for digital media. http://geraldlucas.me/

Welcome to a place where words matter. On Medium, smart voices and original ideas take center stage - with no ads in sight. Watch
Follow all the topics you care about, and we’ll deliver the best stories for you to your homepage and inbox. Explore
Get unlimited access to the best stories on Medium — and support writers while you’re at it. Just $5/month. Upgrade