ENGH 334: British Poetry of the Romantic Period

ENGH 334-001: British Poetry Romantic Period
(Fall 2015)

01:30 PM to 02:45 PM TR

Section Information for Fall 2015

Though the Romantic era in England is usually defined as running roughly from 1780 to 1830, the cultural developments of the period were of such significance and influence that many argue we are still living in a "Romantic age."  Amid revolutions abroad, social unrest at home, massive technological and economic shifts, and new ideas about the nature of the self and about the rights of men and women, the writers we'll study in this course saw the world changing with an unprecedented pace, and felt alternately exhilarated, terrified, enraged and amused by the changes they witnessed.  We'll look at how Romantic writers used experiments in poetic form to respond to these social and historical contexts, and to address more intimate concerns of love and loss, memory and desire.  We will read some of the most provocative, most lasting, and most exciting poetry of the period, as well as a novel--Mary Shelley's Frankenstein--in direct dialogue with this poetry.  We will also look at some prose writing of the period to help us think about some recurring topics of the poetry: for example, gender and sexuality; domestic life in wartime; the role and responsibility of the writer; childhood, imagination and dream.

Tags:

Course Information from the University Catalog

Credits: 3

Works of major poets of Romantic period: Blake, Wordsworth, Coleridge, Byron, Shelley, and Keats. Limited to three attempts.
Recommended Prerequisite: Satisfaction of University requirements in 100-level English and in Mason Core literature.
Schedule Type: Lecture
Grading:
This course is graded on the Undergraduate Regular scale.

The University Catalog is the authoritative source for information on courses. The Schedule of Classes is the authoritative source for information on classes scheduled for this semester. See the Schedule for the most up-to-date information and see Patriot web to register for classes.