English 280

Survey of British Literature to 1745

MW 130-245 Graybeal 2

Dr. Jeffrey W. Timmons

Graybeal Hall G6

jtimmons@vwc.edu

www.vwc.edu/~jtimmons

757.455. 3390

Office Hours: MW 12-100, TTH 10-1130, 130-300 and by appt.

Course Description: Spanning nearly 1000 years of writing, English 280 is an overview of literary authors, works, genres, and movements from the Anglo‑Saxon period to the Restoration and Eighteenth Century until about 1745.

Required Text: Abrams, M.H., Et Al, eds. The Norton Anthology of English Literature. Vol. 1. 7^th ed. New York: W.W. Norton & Company, 2000.

Course Requirements:

Writing: 5 Response Essays: 400-600 Words 100pts

Essay #1: 3-4 Pages 100pts

Essay #2: 3-4 Pages 100pts

Essay #3: 8-10 Pages 200pts

Anglo-Saxon and Anglo-Norman Exam 75pts

Comprehensive Final (including writing) 200pts

Quizzes 50pts

Attendance 75pts

Workshop (on time, participate) 100pts

Discussion Participation (questions/comments) 50pts Potential Extra Credit

Attendance: You cannot miss more than SIX classes for any reason and pass this course. Chronic lateness and/or early departures can constitute absences. Your attendance grade is determined by the total number of classes missed: B= 2, C = 3, D = 4, F = 5 or more missed classes. The student is responsible for any material and/or assignments missed during an absence. It is highly advisable NOT to miss class on days that assignments are handed out or discussed—see the schedule below.

Grading Scale for Final Grades: A = 950 pts; A‑ = 900; B+ = 875; B = 850; B‑ = 800; C+ = 775; C = 750; C‑ = 700; D+ = 675; D = 650; D‑ = 600; and F = anything below the D‑ grade.

General Expectations of Students: Your primary role is being a good reader, which means 1) completing the assigned reading before the scheduled class; 2) asking questions to clarify your understanding of the reading; 3) discussing the reading; and 4) engaging others’ views and ideas about the reading. Coming to class without your textbook constitutes an absence.

Reading Load: You should spend several hours a week outside of class preparing for scheduled class meetings. As we are on a MW schedule, the reading load is heavier over weekends.

Late Work: All assignments must be completed by their respective due dates. Assignments submitted late suffer penalties, and they are not guaranteed to be read or graded. Response Essays will not be accepted late at all.

Make-Up Exams: All exams must be completed on the day and time they are scheduled. Unless arrangements are made in advance of a scheduled exam, no make-up exams are given.

Quizzes: These are given during the first five minutes of class to those students who are present in class. They can not be made up nor are they given to students who arrive late to class.

Conferences: Students should initiate discussions with the instructor about course material during office hours. Talking about the reading and writing assignments with your instructor is helpful and usually enjoyable.

Course Policies: Students are responsible for knowing the course policies and responsibilities as they are stated in this syllabus. The instructor reserves the right to revise the policies, schedules, assignments contained herein. Any changes are announced in advance.

Plagiarism: Representing someone else’s work as your own constitutes grounds for failing this course.

Honor Code: Students are expected to be familiar with and abide by the honor code found in the Student Handbook and Catalog.

Accommodations: Virginia Wesleyan College recognizes and is sensitive to students with special needs. In accordance with Title 5, Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, the college provides reasonable accommodations based on appropriate and recent medical or other documentation. The student’s choice to use accommodations is voluntary, however the student must register with the Disabilities Coordinator, Fayne Pearson (455.3246, fpearson@vwc.edu). Based on an evaluation of the student's documentation and discussion with the coordinator, reasonable accommodations are determined. Faculty are notified accordingly.

Final Exam: Monday, December 12, 300-530pm.

Date	Topic	Pages and Due Dates
8.29	Introduction Response #1 Assignment MLA Format and Citation Style
8.31	The Persistence of English The Middle Ages to ca. 1485: Anglo-Saxon England Beowulf	xlvii-li, liii-lvi 1-6, 21-22 29-42
9.7	Beowulf Handout: Judith	42-99 Response #1
9.12	Judith The Wanderer, The Wife’s Lament, The Battle of Maldon The Dream of the Rood The Middle Ages to ca. 1485: Anglo-Norman England	Handout 99-109 26-28 7-14, 21-22
9.14	Old and Middle English Prosody Bede, Cædmon’s Hymn Essay #1 Assignment	19-20 23-26
9.19	The Anglo-Saxon Chronicle, Legendary Histories of Britain Geoffrey of Monmouth: History of the Kings of Britain Wace, Le Roman de Brut Layamon, Brut	110-115 115-118 118-122 122-124
9.21	Marie de France, Lanval Celtic Contexts, Exile of the Sons of Uisliu, Lludd and Lleuelys	126-140 142-153
9.26	Exam: Anglo-Saxon and Anglo-Norman Literature/Culture
9.28	Essay #1 Due: Bring TWO Copies To Class Response #2 Assignment Old and Middle English Prosody	Essay #1 19-20
10.3	Sir Gawain and the Green Knight	156-210 Response #2
10.5	Marlory, Morte Darthur Response #3 Assignment	419-349
10.10	Medieval English Chaucer, The Canterbury Tales, The General Prologue	14-17 210-235
10.12	Chaucer, The Wife of Bath’s Prologue and Tale Essay #2 and #3 Assignment	253-281 Response #3
10.17	The Sixteenth Century: Renaissance More, Utopia	469-498 503-523
10.19	Hoby, The Courtier	577-593
10.24	Hoby, The Courtier Sidney, The Defense of Poesy	909-911, 933-954
10.26	Sidney, The Defense of Poesy Marlowe, Doctor Faustus	990-1023
10.31	Marlowe, Doctor Faustus Poetry: Scansion and Sonnets and/or Writing Discussion	Essay #2
11.2	The Early Seventeenth Century: 1603-1660 (Baroque) Milton, Paradise Lost, Book I Response #4 Assignment	1209-1232 1815-1836
11.7	Milton, Paradise Lost, Book II	1836-1858
11.9	Milton, Paradise Lost, Book IV Response #4 Due	1874-1895 Response #4
11.14	Milton, Paradise Lost, Book IX	1961-1986
11.16	Milton, Paradise Lost, Book XII	2030-2044
11.21	Essay #3 Due: Bring TWO Copies To Class Writing About Literature	Essay #3
11.28	The Restoration and the 18^th Century: 1660-1785 Congreve, The Way of the World Response #5 Assignment	2045-2070 2215-2280
11.30	Congreve, The Way of the World Behn, Oroonoko	2170-2215
12.5	Pope, The Rape of the Lock Swift, A Modest Proposal	2505-2508, 2525-2544 2298-2299, 2473-2479 Response #5
12.7	Swift, Gulliver’s Travels, Part One	2329-2372