ENGL 2111-E World Literature I -- Syllabus Dr. David Robinson

Fall Semester 2000

5-7:45 pm Tuesday in Tech 2110

Office: Newton 3303B; Office Telephone: 681-0155

English Department Telephone: 681-5471

Office Hours: TTh 3:30-4:50 pm, F 1-2:50 pm

E-Mail: dwrob@gasou.edu

Homepage: http://ogeechee.litphil.gasou.edu/

Class discussion forums: http://ogeechee.litphil.gasou.edu/cgi-bin/mwforum_robinson/forum.pl

REQUIRED TEXTS:

• The World of Literature, ed. Westling et al. (Prentice Hall)
• The Gospel of Matthew (in xerox, available at the print shop)
• A style/grammar handbook and a hardcover collegiate dictionary

PURPOSE: This course is the first half of the English program's overview of world literature

from classical antiquity to the present. We will examine works from both the Western tradition (Greece, Rome, the Jewish Bible, the Christian New Testament, and the European Middle Ages and Renaissance) and from several non-Western tranditions (Sumeria, India, China, Japan, and the Muslim world). As you will see, this division into "Eastern" and "Western" doesdn't always hold up, as there is a good deal of communication between the two.

PROCEDURES & PROVISOS: The reading load will be quite heavy, so do not fall behind. Class discussions will begin with an examination of the day's comments submitted by the class to the on-line forum (see the handouts describing how this will work). There will be no make-up examinations. Note: cellular phones, pagers, and other disruptive electronic equipment must be turned off while you are in class. An exception will be made for emergency medical personnel, but for no others.

GRADING: Participation will be graded based on the on-line forum (See the handouts for details.). I reserve the right to assign additional quizzes or writing exercises that will also contribute to the participation grade. Three examinations will be given, each non-comprehensive. These will consist of identification questions: an excerpted piece of writing will be presented, and you must identify it and discuss it in detail, showing a knowledge of the entire work from which it was drawn. These passages will be ones that we have specifically discussed in class. (Attendance will not be taken, but you probably won't pass these exams if you don't attend regularly.) You will not be tested on the material in the headnotes of the reading assignments, but if you are interested in doing well, read the headnotes. The course grade will be calculated as follows:

Participation.................	25%
Exam I..........................	25%
Exam II .......................	25%
Exam III (Final)...........	25%
Total............................	100%

Tentative Class Schedule: Students are responsible for any changes to this schedule which may be announced in class. The page numbers given below refer to the Westling (et al.) anthology unless otherwise indicated. All of the assigned reading is due on the day it is first listed.

Tuesday 1/8	Introduction. Discussion of literary terms and critical practice.
Tuesday 1/15	The Epic of Gilgamesh (37-73)
	Writings from ancient India: "Hymn of Creation" (177), "Hymn of Man" (177-179), "A Psalm of Vasishtha to the Lord of Lords" (180-181), "Hymn of the Thoughts of Men" (181), excerpt from the Chandogya Upanishad (183-186), excerpt from the Ramayana (186-219), Introduction to the Mahabharata (219-220), and the excerpt from the Bhagavad-Gita (225-248)
Tuesday 1/22	Excerpts from the Hebrew Bible (96-171)
Tuesday 1/29	Chinese Book of Songs (289-316) and Confucius, from The Analects (317-332).
	Homer, from The Odyssey (430-488)
Tuesday 2/5	Homer, from The Odyssey (430-488)
	Sappho, poems (488-491) and excerpts from Thucydides (497-510)
Tuesday 2/12	Midterm I
	Excerpts from Plato (566-626)
Tuesday 2/19	Euripedes, The Bacchae (511-565
DROP DEADLINE TODAY
Tuesday 2/26	From Virgil's Aeneid (629-670)
	Poems by Catullus (626-629) and Ovid (674-692)
Tuesday 3/5	Gospel of Matthew (in xerox)

*** SPRING BREAK MARCH 11-15 ***

Final Examination:

Tuesday, April 30, 5-6 pm

(The final exam will be in the usual place.)