English 208

English 208: Survey of World Literature Before 1700, Fall 2014

Dr. Mary E. Martin

Bancroft 218

Office Phone: 323-4554

Web: http://faculty.winthrop.edu/martinme

Office Hours: MW 2:30-4:30 PM; F 1:00-2:00 PM and by appointment

Class Meeting: TR 12:30-1:45PM, Owens 110

"The destiny of the world is determined less by the battles that are lost and won than by the stories it loves and believes in."

--Harold Goddard

Texts:

1. The Norton Anthology of World Literature, Shorter Third Edition, Vol. 1.

Course Goals: Students will read and understand epic stories that have been told about human experience in various countries up to the renaissance. They will write a research paper appropriate to this course, use standard reference tools for researched arguments, and provide appropriate documentation for the paper. Papers will demonstrate knowledge of current standards of usage. (Core Goals for the Touchstone Program #1, #3, and #4). This course specifically emphasizes the following English Department goals:

1. Knowledge of Literature: Within the literature area majors will demonstrate knowledge of various forms of written texts, major periods in the history of English, American, and world literature, and standard terminology of literary analysis. English majors will demonstrate

1.1 knowledge of various forms of written texts (including fiction, non-fiction, poetry, drama, essay, and other literary genres);

1.2 knowledge of male and female world, English, and American authors of recognized importance drawn from a variety of cultural, ethnic, and racial backgrounds;

1.3 knowledge of major periods in the history of English, American, and world literature in terms of cultural contexts, styles, dominant genres, language, and subject matter;

1.4 knowledge of major similarities and differences among English, American, and other national literatures

1.5 an understanding of the role that literature plays in the development and understanding of human cultures;

1.6 knowledge of the standard terminology of literary analysis as found in a glossary of literary terms or a handbook to literature

1.7 knowledge of standard reference tools, methods, and forms of documentation in scholarly research; and

1.8 the ability to read and interpret an unfamiliar literary text of average difficulty with comprehension of its content and relevant literary characteristics.

Touchstone/GNED Goals: This course may be met to fulfill either the Humanities and Arts requirement or the Global Perspectives requirement of the General Education Program.

Learning Outcomes:

Knowledge: By the end of the semester, students will be able to

--Identify the variety and development of literary forms and themes in selected major works of world Literature from its earliest period through the renaissance.

--Describe how the selected literature reflects and reinforces "the diversity of ideas, institutions, philosophies, moral codes, and ethical principles" (General Education Goal # 4).

Skills: By the end of the semester, students will be able to

--Demonstrate their ability to read critically and to write analytically about literature through successful completion of tests, papers, and other graded work.

--Apply the skills of literary research, including MLA documentation and research (e.g., the MLA bibliography online and the OED).

--Incorporate appropriate literary terminology in discussions of assigned literary work.

Attitudes: By the end of the semester, students will be able to

--Recognize literature as a source of wonder and insight.

See a complete listing of course goals for the Department of English at http://www.winthrop.edu/english/goals.htm. This course meets goals 1.1-1.8 & 3.1-4.3. Specific goals for teacher certification majors, including a link to NCATE and NCTE, are listed at http://wwww.winthrop.edu/english/goals.htm#englished.

Course Requirements:

Exams--50%: You will have three exams-- two for 15% each, and a final exam for 20%. Your final exam meets Thursday, December 11, at 11:30 AM. All exams will require term identification, short passage identification, and at least one essay. Winthrop University policy requires that all classes meet during their final examination period. Winthrop University policy specifies that personal conflicts such as travel plans and work schedules do not warrant a change in the examination time.

Papers--30%: Your first paper will ask for thematic interpretation of the works with which we have discussed at that time. Thus,the paper assignment will grow largely out of our in-class discussions and close reading of the works; you should strive to go beyond rather than reiterate what we've said in those discussions. Your second paper will address the newer readings and will also ask you to include one to two sources to back up your interpretation of a work or works. Each paper will be 3-5 pages (typed, 10 to 12 point font, MLA format), turned in to me electronically through turnitin.com as well as a hard copy on the due date in class. You may meet with me in my office to discuss the paper, and you may also wish to visit the English Department home page, located at http://www.winthrop.edu/english. From there you can find links to MLA to see how to cite materials correctly and to the English core page (http://www.winthrop.edu/english/core.htm ), which has helpful hints for writing papers. Late papers will be penalized one letter grade for each class day late. If you are having problems completing the assignment, please see me before the paper is due.

Group Presentations--5%: Each student will participate in a group that presents to the class-- after reading and discussing a chosen work--how that work reperesents important aspects of the period from which it was written. Groups are expected to discuss points that may not have been dwelled on in class, but points that are important to the period.

Participation--15%: Your preparedness in class discussions is important. This includes demonstrating understanding of the assigned readings, asking thoughtful questions, making critical comments, listening carefully to others, and being on time. Contributions should focus on the ideas brought up by the readings and/or their historical context, not merely on summaries of the readings. I will administer pop quizzes as part of your participation grade. The calendar of reading assignments may change at any time, so be sure to listen in class for any changes made to the assignment schedule.

Remember, all assignments must be completed in order to receive credit for the class.

Extra Credit:

You will receive 3 points extra credit for walking the labyrinth at the Oratory. I will designate two Common time periods during the semester for students to meet at and walk the labyrinth. We will be employing the labyrinth as an artifact that crosses time and cultural boundaries as well as a template to explore how the literature can be discussed and analyzed.

You will receive 5 points extra credit for atttending one presentation given by the visiting poet, Derick Burleson. He will talk about his Peace Corps volunteer experience in Rwanda and his experiences of living in Alaska, and how both of those places have informed his poetry on Thursday, October 9, during Common Time in Owens 101. Derick will also give a poetry reading at the Little Chapel October 9, from 7:00-8:00 PM.

Syllabus Change Policy: The policy statement posted on my class web page is the most up-to-date one and will be the one to resolve any questions or issues.

Grading Standards:

A description of letter grades for writing assignments can be found at http://www.winthrop.edu/english/WritingProgram/rubric.htm.

Grading Equivalencies:

As you know, the University has adopted the plus/minus system. Your written work will receive a numeric grade; for the purpose of tallying your final grade in the class, you should know I use the following scale:

C+ 77-79 C 74-76 C- 70-73

and so on, with respect to all other letter grades.

Plagiarism Policy:

Please review the English Department's policy on the Correct Use of Borrowed Information at http://www.winthrop.edu/english/plagiarism.htm. You are responsible for reviewing the Code of Student Conduct in your Student Handbook and the description of plagiarism in The Prentice-Hall Reference Guide to Grammar and Usage and handling source materials correctly. In this course, unintentional plagiarism will receive the grade of zero with a chance to rewrite. Intentional plagiarism will result in an "F" for the course.

Attendance Policy:

Anyone missing over five classes will automatically fail the course. ONLY those absences you've contacted me about AHEAD OF TIME will warrant making up work. Therefore, if you miss an in-class writing or exam , and haven't contacted me ahead of time, you will fail the class as well. Remember, quizzes cannot be made-up. I will drop the two lowest quiz grades at the end of the semester for each student. Frequent absences will be reflected in your class participation grade, as well as frequent tardiness.

Class Behavior Policy:

Please turn off cell phones and keep them off your desk and out of sight. Anyone observed using his/her cell phone in class will receive an absence for the day. Anyone caught sleeping in class will receive an absence for the day, as well as anyone being continually disruptive in class.

Email Accounts & the 208 Listserv:

IT has set up a listserv for this class and automatically enrolled you, using your Winthrop P0Box email address. I will be emailing you as needed during the semester through the listserv. If you do not regularly check your P0Box email account, please forward your campus mail to the account you do check or manually subscribe to the class listserv from your preferred mailing address at http://www.winthrop.edu/acc/imailsrv.asp.

Students with Disabilities:

Winthrop University is dedicated to providing access to education. If you have a disability and need classroom accommodations, please contact the Coordinator of Services for Students with Disabilities, at 323-3290, as soon as possible. Once you have your Professor Notification Form, please tell the coordinator so that he or she is aware of your accommodations well before the first assignment.