This course is a study of important novels, or plays, or poems written in recent years. Early contemporary literary movements, such as the theater of the absurd and American metafiction, are studied in order to lend historical perspective to later works, but emphasis falls on the literature written from the 1970s to the present. The reading list, which reflects the cultural diversity of contemporary literature, evolves as new authors emerge or established figures produce new works worthy of attention. The genre changes periodically. The Canterbury Tales, Troilus and Criseyde, and other main poems of Chaucer are studied.
Attention is given to the literary and cultural background of Chaucer's works.
Most readings are in Middle English, but prior knowledge of the Middle English language is not required. Both courses stress Shakespeare's plays in performance as well as the development of Shakespeare as a literary artist. A seminar on the writings, life, and times of John Milton. Most of the semester is then devoted to careful study of Paradise Lost, Paradise Regained, and Samson Agonistes. A study of Dickens's novels and his development as a writer, focusing primarily on the evolution of his style and characterizations, but with some attention also to special topics like Dickens's humor, his social themes, and the serial publication of the novels.