Reading Literature: Fantastic Voyages

If every work of literature takes us to some “far country” of a world partly real and partly imagined, this course will be a “grand tour” of far-flung destinations, some tranquil, some desperately at war; some of which prompt us to look inward, some of which challenge us to act forcefully in the world at large. Our sustained concern, apart from learning how to appreciate a wide variety of styles, techniques, and genres, will be to acquire the analytical and writing skills that will allow students to convincingly communicate their feelings and insights about literature to others. To accomplish this, we will closely read selected works from Shakespeare to the present, become familiar with a lexicon of helpful literary terms, and introduce ourselves to some basics of literary theory. 3 hrs. lect./disc.