ENGL 2111: English Literature from Chaucer to Milton
This course is a brief, selective survey of English literature from Chaucer to the late seventeenth century. The reading list is drawn from a list that includes Chaucer’s The Canterbury Tales, Shakespeare’s Antony and Cleopatra, and Milton’s Paradise Lost (selections) as well as some of the works of such Elizabethan and Jacobean poets as Spenser, Shakespeare, Donne, and Jonson.
Learning outcomes
- Read closely and understand Middle and Early Modern English, from Chaucer's rhyming couplets to Milton's blank verse.
- Recognize and understand figurative language, such as allegory and metaphor, and literary techniques, like irony, rhyme, and allusion.
- Demonstrate knowledge of the style, structure, and content of the assigned literary texts, from Chaucer to Milton.
- Identify the unique qualities of the authors studied, and compare and contrast them.
- Situate the assigned literary texts in their historical contexts and recognize the impact of major events and transitions.
- Develop a well-written argument about one or more literary texts or authors, and accurately cite literary and other sources.
Course topics
Unit 1: Geoffrey Chaucer's Canterbury Tales and English Literature in the Fourteenth Century
Unit 2: Elizabethan Literature: The Verse Exchange, the Epic Romance, and the English Sonnet
Unit 3: William Shakespeare's The Tempest: Text, Criticism, Performance, and Appropriation
Unit 4: Four English Poets of the Seventeenth Century: John Donne, Aemilia Lanyer, Katherine Philips, and John Milton
Required text and materials
Students will need to source the following on their own:
- Greenblatt, Stephen, et al., eds. The Norton Anthology of English Literature: Major Authors. Volume 1, 10th ed. New York and London: W.W. Norton, 2019.
Type: Textbook ISBN: 978-0-393-60308-8
Students require the following e-textbook, which can be purchased directly from the link at: https://tru-store.vitalsource.com/products/the-tempest-a-norton-critical-edition-second-william-shakespeare-v9780393270389
- Hulme, Peter and William H. Sherman, eds. The Tempest: William Shakespeare. Second Norton Critical Edition. New York and London: W.W. Norton, 2019. Type: Textbook ISBN: 978-0-393-26542-2
Students require the following e-textbook, which can be purchased directly from the link at: https://tru-store.vitalsource.com/products/a-short-guide-to-writing-about-literature-sylvan-barnet-william-e-cain-v9780133887426?term=9780133887426
- Barnet, Sylvan and William Cain. A Short Guide to Writing about Literature. 12th ed. Boston: Pearson, 2012.
Type: E-Textbook. ISBN: 9780133887426
Please Note:
ENGL 2111 makes use of the textbook publisher’s Digital Resources website. To access the online materials, you will need to create an account following the instructions on the website.
Thompson Rivers University is not responsible for the content or privacy policies of third-party websites. Please read the terms of use of third-party websites carefully. If you need help accessing the site, please contact the publisher directly.
Assessments
Please be aware that should your course have a final exam, you are responsible for the fee to the online proctoring service, ProctorU, or to the in-person approved Testing Centre. Please contact exams@tru.ca with any questions about this.
To successfully complete this course, students must achieve a passing grade of 50% or higher on the overall course, and 50% or higher on the final mandatory exam.
| Assignment 1: Canterbury Tales | 15% |
| Assignment 2: Elizabethan Literature | 15% |
| Assignment 3: Shakespeare’s The Tempest | 15% |
| Assignment 4: Seventeenth Century Literature | 15% |
| Mandatory Final Exam | 40% |
| Total | 100% |
Open Learning Faculty Member Information
An Open Learning Faculty Member is available to assist students. Students will receive the necessary contact information at the start of the course.
