English

This course takes a close look at a number of important ‘long poems’ and poetic sequences from the later decades of the twentieth century to the present. Considering nine representative poets from the United States, Great Britain, and Ireland, it discusses the formal and thematic decisions made by poets in the creation of their works. The course looks to define the length of a ‘long poem’ and examines the relationship between the long poem and the poetic sequence. It considers whether all ‘long poems’ or poetic sequences function as ‘epics’, and explores the relationship between the long poem and the lyric. It also addresses the concept of the ‘novel in verse’. Following Berryman’s Dream Song 354, the course engages with the idea of ‘The Care & Feeding of Long Poems’, focusing on influence and the role of sources in the critical engagement with longer poetic works. It examines how such works are maintained and sustained through reading and interpretation, and considers the cultural effects of long poems and poetry more broadly, including their potential harm or benefit to culture.

This course considers the most prestigious literary award in the world: the Nobel Prize in Literature. Starting with an overview of the award’s history and the way in which it has been administered, the course then examines the contemporary cultural contexts of Great Britain, Ireland, the United States, Russia and Czechia. The Nobel Prize in Literature, first awarded in 1901, has been intended for ‘the person who shall have produced…the most outstanding work of an ideal tendency’. Engaging with the literary scenes of the five countries under review, the course discusses the work and legacy of some of these ‘persons’ – including W. B. Yeats (who received the Prize in 1923), Alexander Solzhenitsyn (1970), William Golding (1983), Jaroslav Seifert (1984), Toni Morrison (1993), and others. It considers these outstanding literary artists’ most significant works, evaluating their contribution to the world of letters, and to humankind. The course concludes with an informed discussion about the relationship between literature and society, and the role of literature in our contemporary world.

Because Ulysses rewards careful attention to detail, the main focus of this class is a slow, patient, and close reading of Joyce’s novel. It begins with Ulysses and ends with a few classes that present an introduction to Finnegans Wake. The general theme for the class is the evolution of Joyce’s artistic sensibility contrasted with Joyce’s representation of that evolution. But that is not an exclusive focus, it also approaches the texts from a variety of perspectives: Joyce as an “Irish writer”; Joyce as an “English writer”; Joyce as a “European writer”; the poetics of style and form; the politics of style and form; style as humor/humor as style; modes of ideology (race, religion, gender, and nation); framing a literary tradition; the production and reception of Modernism; etc. It also discusses the composition of Ulysses as is indicated on the NLI Ulysses drafts.

This course explores the role of English as a global language and its impact on communication, culture, and identity, with a specific focus on plurilingualism. Students will critically examine the historical, social, and linguistic aspects of English as it has spread worldwide. The course will also address the challenges and opportunities plurilingual speakers encounter in using English as a tool for international communication. By the end of this course, students will understand the historical development and global role of English, including key theoretical frameworks such as World English's and English as a Lingua Franca (ELF). Develop intercultural communication skills and critically reflect on how English interacts with cultural identity, multilingualism, and power dynamics in diverse global contexts. Analyze the sociolinguistic, political, and educational implications of English’s global spread, and reflect on its impact on local languages, language policies, and future trends.

This course explores a range of contemporary Irish writing and film in the context of recent Irish culture, history and society. The course discusses a range of work in various genres (fiction, poetry, drama and/or film) from the 1960s to the present. On successful completion of this course, students are able to: Read and analyze a selection of Irish works - novels, poetry, plays and/or films from the 1960s on; Discuss the shifting social and cultural conditions which these works both reflect and help to shape; Apply a range of key critical concepts to the works studied; Write critical essays at an advanced undergraduate level in response to set questions on the course material.

This literature and philosophy interface explores the origins of drama as theorized by two major thinkers, Friedrich Nietzsche and René Girard, and then moves on to test their hypotheses by reading major plays in the dramatic canon. The first part of the course explores Nietzsche’s interpretation of the Dionysian origins of Greek drama and René Girard’s belief that early drama attempted to resolve a metaphysical crisis with reference to a surrogate victim. The arguments for and against the role of the god, Dionysos, in the dramatic tradition are taken up in theory and practice. Dramatists read include Euripides, Shakespeare, Dryden, and Camus. This course, which combines seminar and lecture, is intended for majors in English and Comparative Literature but should also interest students in philosophy, psychology, and the social sciences.

This course is a foundational course that introduces students to some of the central problems involved in the interpretation of literature. At the same time, the course provides students with an introduction to some of the most influential and challenging theories of interpretation itself. Throughout the history of literature, there have arisen various competing interpretations of literary texts and, with that, the need to adjudicate between rival interpretations from interdisciplinary backgrounds. "Theory" has therefore emerged as a means of justifying particular interpretations over and against others. This course demonstrates the connections between different theoretical perspectives within English Literature, and helps students to understand why these opposing "readings", theoretical perspectives, and interpretations occur, and how to analyze some of the more ambitious and compelling theories through which these readings have been generated.

The course examines the relationship between film and literature, focusing on narrative structure, genre, and adaptation. Using key films such as The Birth of a Nation, Citizen Kane, and works by Alfred Hitchcock, it explores concepts of film syntax and the role of the auteur. Literary and cinematic genres like melodrama and the Western are studied through texts such as The Ox-Bow Incident. The course also analyzes major adaptations, including The Turn of the Screw, Much Ado About Nothing, and Atonement, highlighting the dialogue between literary and cinematic storytelling.

This course offers a study of Anglo-American writer-critics from the transition between the 19th and 20th centuries. It focuses on the critical ideas of Matthew Arnold, Ezra Pound, and T. S. Eliot, though attention is also be paid to New Criticism.

This literature-focused course surveys major English-language texts of the 19th century, emphasizing literary analysis and critical interpretation. It examines works by Coleridge, Shelley, Austen, Dickens, Eliot, and Conrad, analyzing themes such as industrialization, social order, morality, and the supernatural. The course encourages students to view literature both as a product of its time and a vehicle for challenging dominant ideologies, while honing analytical writing and interpretive skills.