Grades Texts First Term Outline Second Term Outline Research Links
The Official Description:
This course introduces students to the English language as it was written
between the eleventh and the fifteenth centuries and provides a survey
of the literature of the period. Students will study developments
of the language during the period, largely through translating selected
passages of prose and poetry. They will also read a selection of
texts, many (but not all) from
the fourteenth century.
My Description:
In my sections of this survey course, we will focus on studying the
culture of medieval England (how did people live? how did different
sorts of people relate to one another? how did they view their world?
their society? their history?) through the medium of its literature and
language. As we read a selection of shorter and longer texts produced
across the time period 1100-1500, our main goals will be 1) to develop
analytical skills for reading, speaking, and writing about texts in terms
of the culture that produces them -- using this long ago, far away culture
as our laboratory; 2) to develop facility in Middle English pronunciation
and translation (this will form a significant component of the final grade);
3) to develop an appreciation for the breadth and variety of medieval English
literature, and indeed of writing in the English language as a whole.
Grades:
NOTE: NO work submitted late will be accepted
Exam: 35%. You will be asked to translate passages, identify
and provide context for selections from material we have read, and write
comparative essays.
Essays: 30%. You will write a 5 page essay on an assigned theme due in early October (10%), then a 10 page essay on a topic to be chosen in consultation with me, due in early March (20%).
Translation: 18% Your translation project in first term will account for 10% of this: you'll be translating an extended passage of poetry or prose, with as much help from me as you want, and the best of these will be presented in class and/or published on the class website to help everyone learn and revise. The other 8% will come from your best four results on translation quizzes (there will be at least six of these, all unannounced): one quiz grade may be replaced by participation in the public reading of the Parliament of Fowls to be held around Valentine's Day in second term.
Other written work and quizzes: 17% Over the course
of the year you will produce three one-page study-question responses to
our reading, which count for 9%. Again, the best of them will be
presented in class and/or published on the website to help everyone with
revision. All of them will help me to understand how you have understood
the text we're reading. The last 8% comes from group or individual
readings and presentations in class (usually prepared in class and unannounced
beforehand), your peer review of another student's first essay, and identification
quizzes (at least two of these, unannounced).
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Required texts for English 214 E 1999-2000
William Langland. The Vision of Piers Plowman. ed. A.V.C. Schmidt. Everyman 0460 87509 4
Middle English Literature. ed. C.W. Dunn and E.T. Byrnes.
Garland Reference Library 1330
08240 5297 8 (Dunn & Byrnes)
The Riverside Chaucer. gen. ed. L.D. Benson. Oxford UP 0395 29031 7
Course Packet (available in bookstore later this term; we won't use it until November or so)
There will also be a folder in the English Office (UC 173) containing
secondary readings: a few of these will be required, but most are
merely recommended.
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Course Outline:
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7 Sept Introduction to course,
Middle English pronunciation
12 Sept Robert Mannyng Handlyng Synne (Dunn & Byrnes), pronunciation and translation
14 Sept Robert Mannyng Handlyng Synne, discussion, in-class writing exercise
19 Sept Chaucer The Pardoner's Prologue, pronunciation and translation
21 Sept Chaucer The Pardoner's Prologue and Tale, discussion, trial translation quiz
26 Sept Chaucer The General Prologue,
introduction, group presentations assigned,
in-class research for group presentations
28 Sept Chaucer The General Prologue more research, then group presentations
3 Oct Chaucer The General Prologue group presentations
5 Oct "Alysoun,"
"Spring," "Now Springs the Spray," "The Five Joys of Mary" (Dunn &
Byrnes)
paper on General Prologue due
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10 Oct Chaucer The Wife of Bath's Prologue translation group A due
12 Oct Chaucer The Wife of Bath's Prologue and Tale papers returned; peer review assigned
17 Oct Chaucer The Clerk's Prologue and Tale to line 448, peer review due, translation group B due
19 Oct Chaucer The Clerk's Prologue and Tale
24 Oct Pearl (Dunn & Byrnes) 1-60 (intro to reading Pearl), any paper revisions due translation group C due
26 Oct Pearl (Dunn &Byrnes) 61-420
31 Oct Holy Maidenhood and The Anchoresses' Rule in translation (Dunn &Byrnes) translation group D due
2 Nov Pearl 421-780 study question 1a due at noon
7 Nov Library: research workshop
9 Nov Pearl 781-1212
14 Nov Chaucer The Book
of the Duchess, Ovid's story of Ceyx and Alcyone (course packet)
study question 1b due at noon
16 Nov Chaucer The Book of the Duchess TOP OF PAGE
21 Nov Sir
Orfeo (Dunn & Byrnes), Ovid's story of Orpheus and Eurydice (course
packet)
translation group E due. study question 1c due at noon
23 Nov Sir Orfeo
28 Nov King Horn (Dunn & Byrnes) 1-763 translation group F due. study question 1d due at noon.
30 Nov King Horn 764-end
5 Dec Malory, Morte Arthur (course packet) pp 157-92 study question 1e due at noon.
7 Dec Malory,
Morte
Arthur (course packet) pp 193-226
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4 Jan
The Blacksmiths (Dunn & Byrnes) third paper topic assigned
9 Jan Piers Plowman Prologue, intro to reading Piers Plowman
11 Jan Piers Plowman Prologue study question 2a due at noon
16 Jan The Dance of the Seven Deadly Sins (Dunn & Byrnes)
18 Jan Piers Plowman Passus V study question 2b due at noon
23 Jan Piers Plowman Passus VI (course packet)
25 Jan Piers Plowman Passus VII, "The Letter of John Ball" study question 2c due at noon
30 Jan The Land of Cokayne (Dunn & Byrnes)
1 Feb Robin Hood and the Monk (course packet) study question 2d due at noon
6 Feb Chaucer, The Parliament of Fowls
8 Feb Chaucer, The Parliament of Fowls TOP OF PAGE
13 Feb paper conferences and discussion, topic and plan for third paper due
reading of The Parliament of Fowls to celebrate Valentine's Day:
party and reading on Wednesday afternoon
15 Feb paper conferences and discussion
Conference Week 19-23 February
27Feb Patience (course packet), excerpts from the Douay Bible (course packet)
1Mar Patience third paper due
6 Mar York Play of the Crucifixion (course packet), study question 3a due at noon
8 Mar York Play of the Crucifixion
13 March Chaucer, The Man of Law's Tale third paper returned study question 3b due at noon
15 March Chaucer, The Man of Law's Tale (Dunn & Byrnes)
20 March Chaucer, The Second Nun's Tale any paper revisions due study question 3c due at noon
22 March "St Stephen and Herod," "Judas," The Croxton Play of the Sacrament (course packet)
27 March The Croxton Play of the Sacrament study question 3d due at noon
29 March The Croxton Play of the Sacrament TOP OF PAGE
3 April Chaucer, The Miller's Tale
5 April Chaucer,
The
Miller's Tale
exam review sheet handed out: announcement of review session
WARNING: Any information you take
from the Web must be credited to the site where you found it.
See Derrick Pitard's guide to Using
the Web for information on web citation and other helpful tips.
The New Chaucer Society with links to other Chaucer sites
The Langland Home Page similarly, with many Langland links
The Lollard Society see especially the links page, which has information on much more than just Lollards
Medieval English Literature links from The Voice of the Shuttle
The Labyrinth a remarkably comprehensive index to medieval sources on the Web
ORB: the Online Reference Book for medieval studies. Lots of articles: be sure to cite them fully if you use them.