The Stuyvesant High School Online Course Guide

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This course explores the beginnings of English literature. In a journey that starts in the Dark Ages where heroic warriors battle against monsters and other unknowns, we will meet Beowulf and read the oldest known piece of English literature. Moving forward, we will look at how morality and cultural ideals change as the language evolves from Olde English to Middle English to Shakespeare's Early Modern English.

Books: The syllabus will vary from class to class, but you should expect to study six major literary works throughout the semester. Most classes will read Beowulf, Chaucer's Canterbury Tales, and Shakespeare's Hamlet. Additional texts may include: Anglo-Saxon riddle poems; Selected poems by Shakespeare, Jonson, Donne, Marvell, Milton et al; Sir Gawain and the Green Knight; Utopia by Sir Thomas More; Doctor Faustus by Christopher Marlowe Samson Agonistes; selections from Paradise Lost by John Milton Tristan and Iseult by Joseph Bedier Grendel by John Gardner

Themes for the course inbclude: the hero's journey, man vs. nature, the individual vs. society, moral choices in the face of evil, love and marriage, parents and children, the quest for utopia, the artistic imagination, the writer as social critic, Romanticism vs. Realism, male vs. female modalities.

Assignments: Writing assignments are both critical and creative. Students should expect at least five major projects ranging from literary essays to creative writing to group presentations. The assignments are intended to develop a connection between the literary work and the student, and to help students become more effective and engaging writers. Students will also have a chance to draft and receive feedback on their college essays.

Format: The class is largely discussion-based. Students enrolling in the course should expect to complete a reading assignment each evening and to participate in class discussion on a daily basis.