ENGL 342Melville, Poe, and Whitman
NOTE: This is representative of the syllabi for this course. It is not necessarily the syllabus being used in any one semester.
Course Description and Objectives: A study of three major American authors whose work explores the Romantic figure of the voyager and the voyage, with an emphasis on their literary methods, especially their use of symbolism, and on the way they represent various tensions and ideals in American culture.
We will be exploring literary works by three American authors who exemplify in diverse ways the spirit of the mid-nineteenth century "American Renaissance," arguably the most distinguished age in American literature. We will examine in depth the following: Moby-Dick, Herman Melville's epic novel of a voyage in pursuit of the White Whale; various tales by Edgar Allan Foe illustrating Foe's preoccupation with uncanny journeys into the interior of the mind; and several long poems "of passage" from Leaves of Grass, Walt Whitman's exuberant vision of a personality remaking itself in its wanderings and encounters.
In reading and discussing these works, our aim will be to gain an appreciation and understanding of their authors' distinctive literary methods and styles, the social and historical contexts in which the works were written, and their themes, which strike to the heart of American myths of the self.
Texts: Herman Melville, Moby-Dick
Edgar Allan Poe, The Tell-Tale Heart and Other Writings
Walt Whitman, Leaves of Grass
Note: Inexpensive editions of these works (published by Bantam) have been ordered through the VB Bookstore. As we will have occasion in our class discussions to refer to specific passages and pages, it will be helpful for all students to use the same edition.
Requirements: Regular class attendance and participation in discussions
Two exams: Take-home exam (due Tuesday, June 26)
In-class exam (Thursday, July 19)
An essay of3-4 typewritten pages. Possible topics and approaches will be discussed in class. Due no later than July 19.
Grading: In determining your grade for the course, I will weigh the various aspects of your performance as follows:
Exams: 1/3 each = 2/3
Essay: 1/3
Note: Excessive absences (more than two) will adversely affect your grade, as will repeated evidence of lack of preparation for class discussions
Class Schedule ENGL 342/ Summer
May 29 T Introduction to course; the American hero as voyager
May 31 R Melville, Moby-Dick, pp. 11-37, 54-66
June 5 T Moby-Dick, pp, 71-104, 111-126, 146-178
June 7 R Moby-Dick, pp. 178-186, 187-192,200-224,262-265
June 12 T Moby-Dick, pp, 297-306, 351-362, 371-407
June 14 R Moby-Dick, pp, 425-442, 443-448
June 19 T Moby-Dick, pp. 450-494
June 21 R Moby-Dick, pp. 494-521
June 26 T [take-home exam due]; Poe, "A Descent Into the Maelstrom" (pp, 126-142), "Ms, Found in a Bottle" (pp. 157-167)
June 28 R Poe, "The Premature Burial" (pp. 168-181), "The Cask of Amontillado" (pp. 18-24), "The Tell-Tale Heart" (pp. 3-8), "The Black Cat" (pp. 8-17)
July 3 T Poe, "The Fall of the House of Usher" (pp. 25-43), "The Murders in the Rue Morgue" (pp. 75-108)
July 5 R Poe, "The Purloined Letter" (pp. 108-126)
July 10 T Whitman, "Starting from Paumanok" (pp. 11-22), "Song of Myself" sections 1-32 (pp. 22-49)
July 12 R Whitman, "Song of Myself" sections 33-52 (pp. 49-73)
July 17 T Whitman, "Song of the Open Road" (pp. 119-128), "Crossing Brooklyn Ferry" (pp. 128-133)
July 19 R In-class exam; last day to submit essay
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