2013-14 Introduction to the Critical and Scholarly Discussion of Literature
Please note: The ang070/BM7 module consists of
- a seminar ("Introduction to the Critical and Scholarly Discussion of Literature"),
- a tutorial ("Research Methods", offered in the current winter term),
- a seminar ("Key Concepts in Cultural Studies", offered in the following summer term), and
- a lecture ("Historical Background and Critical Concepts", offered in the following summer term).
All students beginning in the winter term 2013/14 need to enroll for one of the tutorials called "Reasearch Methods", and a seminar in BM 7. Registration is via Stud.IP.
If you have already completed parts, but not the entire Basismodul in literary and/or cultural studies in previous semesters, please contact Michaela Koch.
On this page you will find detailed information on the eight courses of our seminar "Introduction to the Critical and Scholarly Discussion of Literature".
|
Seminars
Tutorials
|
The seminar part of the Basismodul 7 focuses on techniques of textual analysis in the context of discussing literature. We are offering eight parallel courses. Please make sure that you are registered under ONE of these in Stud.IP and open a wiki account which will enable you to participate in online discussions.
All parallel courses have a common structure. The texts for our courses will come from a common pool, though each course may have a different choice.
The "analytical tools" will be presented by the lecturers (on a handout) in each meeting. The additional reading from which these 'tools' are taken is not obligatory, and it can be done either before or after each session.
Both the texts and the other materials will be made accessible to you electronically (cf. the links below). In addition you will need to purchase two books:
- William Shakespeare. Hamlet. Eds. Ann Thompson and Neil Taylor. The Arden Shakespeare, third series. London: A&C Black, 2005.
- Henry James. The Turn of the Screw. Eds. Deborah Esch and Jonathan Warren. New York and London: Norton, 1999.
Course work: You will be asked to hand in three exercise assignments (max. 3 pages, due on November 11/14/15, December 05/06 and January 16/17 respectively), complete a Written Test, and produce a Research Paper Outline (2 pages, due on February 28). The assignments are to be formatted according to the style sheet, and will require you to analyse poetry, drama and fiction respectively, one of which will be tested at the end of the term (Written Test). For the Research Paper Outline you will need to find your own topic to work on and document the preliminary work (this includes finding an appropriate title, writing a paragraph on the state of the art of your problem and one that describes your problem and your goal, and presenting a tentative table of contents as well as a short bibliography).
Two useful links for all assignments:
- Useful Hints for Assignments
- Literary Studies:Writing academic texts - esp. for the research paper outline
Contents
- 1 Session One, October 17/18: Introduction
- 2 Session Two, October 24/25: Analysing Poetry I: Poetic Conventions, Rhyme and Metre
- 3 Session Three, October 31/ November 01: Analysing Poetry II: Figurative Speech
- 4 Session Four, November 07/08: Analysing Poetry III: Close Reading
- 5 Session Five, November 14/15: Analysing Drama I: Rhetoric
- 6 Session Six, November 21/22: Analysing Drama II: Dramatic Communication and Plot Structure
- 7 Session Seven, November 28/29: Analysing Drama III: Characterisation
- 8 Session Eight, December 05/06: Critical Debate and Literary Theory I
- 9 Session Nine, December 12/13: Analysing Fiction I: Narration and Focalisation
- 10 Session Ten, December 19/20: Analysing Fiction II: Characterisation
- 11 Session Eleven, January 09/10: Analysing Fiction III: Close Reading
- 12 Session Twelve, January 16/17: Critical Debate and Literary Theory II
- 13 Session Thirteen, January 23/24: RPO Projects
- 14 Session Fourteen, January 30/31: Recap
Session One, October 17/18: Introduction
'Welcome
- Introduction to the BM 7 Curriculum, Aims and Goals
- Introduction to the BM 7 Programme
Texts
Skills and Activities
Preliminaries for seminar communication.
Session Two, October 24/25: Analysing Poetry I: Poetic Conventions, Rhyme and Metre
Analytical Tools
- Handout Analysing Poetry
- Sources: Culler 161-178; Ludwig, 31-33; Cambridge Companion to Literatures in English
Texts
Skills and Activities
Structural approach to poetry: communicative situation, themes, metrics and language. Acquire a basic checklist of what to look (first) for in a poem. Recapitulate the basics of metrics and rhyme patterns. Recognise the features of a particular genre and genre conventions: the sonnet.
Session Three, October 31/ November 01: Analysing Poetry II: Figurative Speech
Analytical Tools
- Handout: Figurative Speech
- Sources: Ludwig, 47-60; Leech, 147-157
Texts
Skills and Activities
Figurative language, interplay. Spot metaphors, similes, etc. the metric pattern and valorise the points where it is broken. Reinforce basic checklist of previous week. Analyse particular features of poetic language (figures of speech, metrical effects).
Session Four, November 07/08: Analysing Poetry III: Close Reading
Analytical Tools
- Handout: Figurative Speech
- Sources: Ludwig, 47-60; Leech, 147-157
Texts
Skills and Activities
Figurative language, interplay. Spot metaphors, similes, etc. the metric pattern and valorise the points where it is broken. Reinforce basic checklist of previous week. Analyse particular features of poetic language (figures of speech, metrical effects).
Assignment I: Poetry
Session Five, November 14/15: Analysing Drama I: Rhetoric
Analytical Tools
- Handout: Rhetoric
- Sources: Plett 3-22, 102-105
Texts
- William Shakespeare Hamlet
Skills and Activities
A speech from the Shakespeare play
Assignment I due
Session Six, November 21/22: Analysing Drama II: Dramatic Communication and Plot Structure
Analytical Tools
- Handout: Analysing Dramatic Communication
- Sources: Pfister 49 - 57, 86 - 94, 126 - 147
Texts
- William Shakespeare Hamlet
Skills and Activities
Dramatic Structures and Communication; Exposition.
Session Seven, November 28/29: Analysing Drama III: Characterisation
Analytical Tools
- Handout: Analysing Dramatic Communication
- Sources: Pfister 183 - 195
Texts
- William Shakespeare Hamlet
Skills and Activities
Characters and Genre Aspects.
[Assignment II: Drama]
Session Eight, December 05/06: Critical Debate and Literary Theory I
Material
- Brief Overview of Theoretical Approaches and Movements
- Brief Overview of Theoretical Approaches and Movements, Variety A
- Major Theoretical Approaches and Movements in Relation to Wider Social Issues and
- Theory and the Wider Market of Debates - A First Draft
Texts
Skills and Activities
Theory and Critical Discussion. Secondary Material.
Assignment II due
Session Nine, December 12/13: Analysing Fiction I: Narration and Focalisation
Analytical Tools
- Handout: Narratology
- Sources: Rimmon-Kenan, Chapter 6, 72-86
Texts
- Henry James, The Turn of the Screw
Skills and Activities
Narration, Focalization.
Session Ten, December 19/20: Analysing Fiction II: Characterisation
Analytical Tools
- Handout: Narratology
- Sources: Rimmon-Kenan, Chapter 5, 59-71
Texts
- Henry James, The Turn of the Screw
Skills and Activities
Characterisation.
Session Eleven, January 09/10: Analysing Fiction III: Close Reading
Analytical Tools
- Handout: Narratology
- Sources: Rimmon-Kenan, Chapter 5, 59-71 and Chapter 6, 72-86
Texts
- Henry James, The Turn of the Screw
Skills and Activities
Close Reading
[Assignment III: Fiction]
Session Twelve, January 16/17: Critical Debate and Literary Theory II
Material
- Brief Overview of Theoretical Approaches and Movements
- Brief Overview of Theoretical Approaches and Movements, Variety A
- Major Theoretical Approaches and Movements in Relation to Wider Social Issues and
- Theory and the Wider Market of Debates - A First Draft
Texts
Skills and Activities
Theory and Critical Discussion. Secondary Material.
Assignment III due
Session Thirteen, January 23/24: RPO Projects
Skills and Activities
Brief Report on 'Work in Progress': Your Term Paper Projects
Assignment 4: Research Paper Outline
Session Fourteen, January 30/31: Recap
Written Test: February, 01st, 12-2, A14 HS 1 and 2
