COURSE SYLLABUS - Winter Quarter 2018

English 320A: English Literature: the Middle Ages

Paul G. Remley, Department of English

320 Loew Hall, Tues.-Thurs. 6:30-8:20 PM

Office Hours: Thurs.. 4:30-6:30 PM and by appointment

e-mail: remley@uw.edu

Course Texts:
Hamer, A Choice of Anglo-Saxon Verse (rev. ed., 2015)
Keynes and Lapidge, Alfred the Great (Penguin)
Beidler, Chaucer: The Canterbury Tales (rev. ed., 2006)
Heale, ed., The Devonshire Manuscript (handouts)

Week 1:

Thurs. Jan. 4:

Primary Readings: Deor, Waldere, Caedmon’s Hymn (in-class), Hamer, Choice of Anglo-Saxon Verse.

Discussion: Oral and literary traditions; patronage; genre; repertoire.

Week 2:

Tues. Jan. 9:

Primary Readings: Deor, Waldere, Caedmon’s Hymn (in-class), Hamer, Choice of Anglo-Saxon Verse.

Thurs. Jan. 11:

Primary Readings: Deor, Caedmon’s Hymn (continued); Waldere; Wanderer; Seafarer (all Hamer)

Supplementary Readings: Bede’s story of Caedmon’s miracle; Chronicle account of Irish refugees.

Week 3:

Tues. Jan. 16:

Primary Readings: Wanderer; Seafarer (continued); Short Poems: Ruin, Durham, Gnomic Verses, Charm, The Whale; Bede’s Death Song (all Hamer)

Thurs. Jan. 18: 

Primary Readings: Short Poems (continued)

Supplementary Readings: Bede’s story of the conversion of the Anglo-Saxon king Edwin.

Week 4:

Tues. Jan. 23: 

Primary Readings: Dream of the Rood (Hamer)

Thurs. Jan. 25: 

Primary Readings: Judith (Hamer)

Week 5:

Tues. Jan. 30– Thurs. Feb. 1: 

Primary Readings (Tues.): Alfred the Great, Pastoral Care, Boethius (pages 124-137).

Primary Readings (Thurs.): Alfred the Great, Æthelweard, acrostics, Burghal Hidage (pages 189-196).

Thurs.: IMPORTANT NOTE: IN-CLASS FIRST EXAMINATION TODAY FIRST HOUR (6:30-7:20); discussion of paper topics / progress to follow 

Week 6:

Tues. Feb. 6 – Thurs. Feb. 8:

Primary Readings (Tues.): Alfred the Great, Life of King Alfred (pages 66-112)

Discussion: comitatus; warrior ethic; genealogical and legal verse

Primary Readings (Thurs.): Alfred the Great, Life of King Alfred (continued); Anglo-Saxon Chronicle (113-122)

Week 7:

Tues. Feb. 13 – Thurs. Feb. 16:

(Tues.)

Primary Readings: General Prologue to the Canterbury Tales (Beidler)

(Thurs.)

Primary Readings: Merchant’s Prologue and Tale (Beidler)

Discussion: 

Week 8:

Tues. Feb. 20 – Thurs. Feb. 22:

(Tues.)

Primary Readings: Nun’s Priest’s Tale (Beidler)

(Thurs.)

Primary Readings: Franklin’s Tale (Beidler)

Week 9:

Tues. Feb. 27  – Thurs. Mar. 1:

Primary Readings: The Devonshire Manuscript (handouts)

Supplementary Readings: Remley essay on Devonshire manuscript (handout)

IMPORTANT NOTE: IN-CLASS FIRST EXAMINATION FIRST HOUR (6:30-7:20). PAPERS DUE BY FIRST DAY OF FINALS WEEK (Mar. 12); discussion of paper topics / progress to follow 

Week 10:

Tues. Mar. 6 – Thurs. Mar. 8:

Primary Readings: The Devonshire Manuscript (handouts)

(Thurs.): Final discussion; miscellaneous business

PAPERS DUE BY FIRST DAY OF FINALS WEEK (Mar. 12)