ELIT 511  The Romantic Period

Spring Semester 2008

Instructor: Y Doc Dr Margaret J-M Sonmez

Class times:  Mondays 1340-1630,  Room Z18

Office Hours:  Thursdays 0840-1130

In this course each student will be given a special focus for their studies of all the poets studied in class.  For each poet the student will present a detailed analysis of that poet's work from the point of view of the given focus, and these presentations will be part of a final thesis that presents a complete study of English Romantic poetry from that focus.  Examples of foci are given below.  There will also be a mid term exam concerning the question 'what is Romanticism, and which aspects of Romanticism are particularly important in the case of English literature'. 

Examples of foci are:  Prophetic Roles in Romantic poetry,  The Exotic in Romantic poetry, The Politics of Romantic poetry, The Supernatural in Romantic poetry, The Travel motif in Romantic poetry, The Art versus Nature debate in Romantic poetry,  The psychology of creation in Romantic poetry, images of children in Romantic poetry, the landscape of romanticism,  the representation of sister arts in romantic poetry, the influence of Milton in English Romantic poetry, the role of the long poem in English Romantic Poetry,  the language of English Romantic Poetry, etc

We just do not have the time to read and study all the works that are important in the Romantic period. Because the aim of our MA courses is to ensure that students have a solid background in the 'classics' and are encouraged to study critically and analytically, the course concentrates on the best-known poets of the period.  The lack of prose writers and of the many excellent women writers (especially poets) of the period is very regrettable but I cannot think of how to overcome it in these circumstances.  We will talk about them in class, however.

There will be one Mid term  and one final exam (term paper/thesis).  Presentations are graded.  Non-attendance of more than 30% of classes will result in a n/a (non-attendance) grade which is FF.

We will try to pool printed resources and share our knowledge and findings as much as possible.  Please think of our class times more in the light of a hard-working workshop than of a traditional lesson.  Everyone is to read Abrams English Romantic Poets (OUP)

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