English Courses

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EN 100 - Foundations of Composition 3 hrs.

Students will compose essays unified by a thesis statement and developed through supporting details. These essays will focus on a variety of topics in several rhetorical modes, such as cause/effect, comparison/contrast, classification, and definition. Through the writing process, students will learn to revise and edit to achieve a high level of grammatical and mechanical accuracy.

EN 120 - Introduction to Literature 3 hrs.

This course introduces students to the major literary genres of narrative fiction, poetry, and drama and examines the interrelationships between language and aesthetic experience. Literary works will serve as the basis for study of the ways in which writers consciously employ language to create aesthetic expressions which reflect experiences of the senses, emotions, intellect, and imagination, as well as ways in which human experience itself is shaped by language. Note: English 120, Introduction to Literature, is not a prerequisite for English 122, 124, or 126. These four introductory courses are equivalent in level and satisfy the same general education and major requirements.

EN 122 - Introduction to Fiction 3 hrs.

While providing students a general introduction to literature as an art form and reflection of the human condition, this course explores a particular genre or kind of literature, the narrative. In this introductory course, students will consider the relationships among theme, technique, and aesthetic experience while reading significant representative works of the genre, primarily of the English language. (See note after EN 120.)

EN 124 - Introduction to Poetry 3 hrs.

This course introduces students to the literary genre of poetry and examines the interrelationships between language and aesthetic experience as they find expression in poetry. Poems studied will be selected to illustrate such facets of poetic expression as rhythm and sound, diction, voice, tone, imagery, figurative language, symbol, and paradox as well as traditional poetic forms, subjects, themes, and myths. Particular attention will be devoted to the way in which poets consciously employ language to create unified aesthetic works combining experiences of sound, rhythm, emotion, intellect and imagination, even as human experience itself is shaped by these dimensions of language. (See note after EN 120.)

EN 126 - Introduction to Dramatic Literature 3 hrs.

While providing students a general introduction to literature as an art form and reflection of the human experience, this course explores a particular genre or type of literature, the drama. In this introductory course, students will consider the relationships among theme, technique, and aesthetic experience while reading significant representative plays, primarily of the English language. (See note after EN 120.)

EN 204 - Writing and Research for Literary Studies 3 hrs.

This course is required for English majors and minors of all emphases, and recommended for world language majors who are considering graduate study in literature. The course is designed to introduce students to the fundamentals of university-level literary study. Activities in the course will emphasize mastery of literary terminology, close reading skills, and written interpretation according to the profession’s stylistic conventions. In addition, the course delves into more specialized research and writing methodologies, as well as professional scholarship in the field. We will examine a variety of novels, poems, short fiction, and essays that expose and allow us to explore questions of form, author and audience, genre, technique, and canon formation.

EN 210 - American Literature, Colonial Period to 1890 3 hrs.

Students will study representative works of prose and poetry that reflect the development of American literature and thought. The course examines recurrent themes, such as the American Dream, the promise of the frontier, and the value and rights of the individual. The course is designed to acquaint students with some of the major authors of American literature, such as Emerson, Dickinson, Poe, Hawthorne, Whitman, Twain, and Douglass, and to examine the relationship between the works and their historical and cultural contexts.

EN 212 - American Literature since 1890 3 hrs.

Students will study representative works of prose, poetry, and drama presented in their historical context. The course explores a number of recurrent themes, such as the shift from rural to urban culture, the American Dream, and the individual’s search for identity and meaning in a time of rapid technological and cultural change. The course is designed to acquaint students with works by some of the major authors of American literature, such as Crane, Fitzgerald, Faulkner, Cather, O’Neill, Williams, Miller, Walker, and Morrison. Note: English 210, American Literature, Colonial Period to 1890, is not a prerequisite for English 212, American Literature since 1890.

EN 220 - European Literature through the Renaissance 3 hrs.

This course studies selected masterpieces of classical, medieval, and Renaissance literature in translation within the historical, social, and cultural context in which they were written. Readings will be chosen from such works as the Bible, and works by Homer, Sophocles, Aristophanes, Vergil, Ovid, Dante, Marie de France, Rabelais, Cervantes, and Calderon. The literary works are examined as they reflect the zeitgeist of which they are a part and within the larger context of Western thought. Special attention is given to the way each author and age confronts such fundamental questions such as the nature of the human condition, one’s place in society, the nature of the good life, the existence of suffering and evil, and the problem of differentiating between appearance and reality.

EN 222 - European Literature Since the Renaissance 3 hrs.

This course studies selected masterpieces of neoclassical, romantic, and modern literature in translation within the historical, social, and cultural context in which they were written. Readings will be chosen from such authors as Molière, Voltaire, Goethe, Flaubert, Dostoyevsky, Gide, and Sartre. The literary works are examined as they reflect the zeitgeist of which they are a part and within the larger context of Western thought. Special attention is given to the way each author and age confronts such fundamental questions as the nature of the human condition, one’s place in society, the nature of the good life, the existence of suffering and evil, and the problem of differentiating between appearance and reality. Note: English 220 is not a prerequisite for English 222.

EN 226 - Contemporary and Minority Literature 3 hrs.

This course explores significant works of contemporary literature, including literature by and about women and “minorities.” Works are drawn primarily from the contemporary American literary scene but may also include works that address women and minority issues in other countries. By paying special attention to such elements as authorial style, symbolism, theme, and historical and cultural contexts, we will work toward a greater understanding of each text as a work of art and explore the significance of minority artists within the larger literary canon. Ultimately, students will understand contemporary literary trends and come to appreciate the importance of literary expression for those in culturally marginalized positions.

EN 230 - Introduction to Creative Writing 3 hrs.

This course provides an introduction to and practice in the writing of poetry and fiction through a carefully constructed series of assignments that maximize creativity while providing guidance in technique. Writing will include impromptu in-class work, as well as more carefully crafted out-of-class assignments. All work is carefully evaluated in writing as well as constructively criticized through supportive group sessions and private conferences with the instructor. No prior experience in creative writing is needed.

EN 232 - Poetry Writing I 3 hrs.

This writing course introduces students to the poem, with emphasis on the art and craft of the poet. Through study of professional “models” and intensive involvement in the writing process itself, students will learn to create and then revise their own works, mastering an understanding of all basic technical elements required.

EN 234 - Fiction Writing I 3 hrs.

This course will provide an in-depth exploration, both theoretical and practical, of the art of writing fiction, in particular short stories. Following a workshop format, students will apply principles of setting, characterization, point of view, plot development and structure, and voice to write original narratives throughout the semester. Participants will be encouraged to revise and submit their work for publication in literary magazines.

EN 262 - Adolescent and Children’s Literature 3 hrs.

This course emphasizes the reading, evaluation, and presentation of literature appropriate for elementary and middle level learners. The class will explore various literary genres through the reading of authentic children’s books, poetry collections, picture books, and novels. Specific topics of study include: the history of children’s literature, diversity of characters, settings, plots, themes, and cultures, and prominent authors and illustrators. A variety of literary presentation and teaching methods will be explored. This course does not count toward the major in English or as a general education requirement. Prerequisite: one course in literature. (Cross-listed as ED 262.)

EN 313 - Mythology 3 hrs.

This course provides an introduction to the study of mythology and a survey of the myths of the ancient Greeks and Romans. Students explore the various linguistic, anthropological, and psychological theories of the origins and purposes of myths as a basis for the study of the myths themselves. Attention is also given to comparative mythology, particularly Egyptian and Norse mythologies and the mythologies of the Oriental and Native American cultures. Prerequisite: One course in literature.

EN 330 - British Literature to 1780 3 hrs.

In this course students will study texts by authors representative of British literature and its major traditions from the Anglo-Saxon period to the eighteenth century. As students read these texts against the historical, social, and intellectual background of the times, they will be introduced to works by such figures as the Beowulf poet, Chaucer, Shakespeare, Milton, Pope, and Johnson, among others. Through study of the texts students will gain an appreciation of the literature itself, the traditions from which it springs, and its relationship to both the world of its creator and our world today. Prerequisite: one previous course in literature.

EN 331 - British Literature since 1780 3 hrs.

In this course students will study texts by authors representative of British literature and its major traditions from the Pre-Romantics to the present day. As students read these texts against the historical, social, and intellectual background of the times, they will be introduced to works by such figures as Wordsworth, Keats, Browning, Tennyson, Dickens, George Eliot, Hopkins, Yeats, Joyce, T. S. Eliot, Lawrence, Woolf, Larkin, Achebe, and Heaney, among others. Through study of the texts students will gain an appreciation of the literature itself, the traditions from which it springs, and its relationship to both the world of its creator and our world today. Prerequisite: one previous course in literature.

EN 341 - Editing 3 hrs.

This course provides practical experience in the editing and rewrite techniques of print news, including spelling, grammar, headline writing, and style according to the Associated Press Style and Libel Manual. Prerequisites: MM 250 or two Writing Courses in English. (Cross-listed as MM 341.)

EN 353 - Creative Nonfiction: The Personal Essay 3 hrs.

This writing course enables students to pursue advanced work in prose writing, while exploring the particularly broad range of both subject and style available to those who write the personal essay. Students will experience the challenge of the open structure characteristic of the personal essay, as well as the challenge of weaving personal observation into a meaningful whole that transcends the individual, making it suitable for a general audience. Prerequisites: LA 102 or LA 301, and at least sophomore standing.

EN 361 - Methods of Teaching Secondary and Middle Level English 3 hrs.

The course provides English education majors with training in methods of teaching grammar, composition, and literature. Through observation, instruction, and participation, prospective English teachers learn how to plan courses and lessons, develop exercises and other instructional materials, select textbooks, explain concepts and processes of grammar and composition, and evaluate student progress.

EN 363 - The English Language 3 hrs.

In this course students study the growth of the English language from the beginnings to the present day, with special emphasis on the attempts, both traditional and modern, to develop a grammatical structure to describe it. Problems related to the study of semantics and the development of modern American English are also examined.

EN 365 - Advanced Composition 3 hrs.

This course is designed to teach students to think and write clearly and to read perceptively and with insight. The course is centered on an examination of rhetorical principles as exemplified in a collection of essays. Students are encouraged to develop writing styles of their own that are fluid, clear, informative, and forceful. Prerequisite: LA 102 and sophomore standing.

EN 375 - Advanced Poetry Workshop 3 hrs.

This course immerses students who have already completed introductory work in poetry writing in more intensive experiences related to both the writing and critiquing of poems. Students will build upon current skills and develop their own writing “voices” while learning directly from the skills and voices of others. The course emphasizes ongoing critiques (by both the instructor and workshop students) of works-in-progress—while introducing students to the language and methodology characteristic of writing program workshops. Thus students will be expected to study and experiment with a range of styles and techniques and to continually produce original works for both written and oral critiques by both peer writers and the instructor. In addition, students will apply, in a new way, critical abilities gained through previous courses in literature and criticism. Prerequisite: EN232.

EN 380 - Shakespeare 3 hrs.

This course investigates Shakespeare’s views of the joys, pains, terrors, and puzzlements of the human condition as reflected in his works and attempts to account for the enduring appeal and power of his ideas, characters, and language. The class will study representative comedies, tragedies, and history plays, as well as selected sonnets. Prerequisite: One course in literature.

English Seminars at the 400 Level

Seminars allow students to develop their skills in literary analysis and knowledge of literary history in more depth by concentrating on intensive study of a small group of authors, a specialized study in genre, or study of a group of works from multiple genres related to an important theme or movement. All seminars share the following traits: 1) a substantive research paper involving some level of collaboration regarding the writing process; 2) substantial student participation in the conducting the course through formal oral presentations or other means; 3) class interaction based more on active dialogue than on lecture. Courses of the same number but different topics may be repeated for credit. However, English majors are required to complete at least two differently numbered seminar courses. Prerequisite: 6 hours of college-level literature courses.