Spanning the period from the fourteenth century to 1700, this course provides an overall view of English literature from the Medieval to the Restoration periods and an introduction to the cognate cultural backgrounds. A selection of major works will be explored and studied from a literary, historical and socio-cultural perspective, but also considering their contemporary reception. Moreover, this course offers an introduction to fundamental issues in literary theory and will equip participants with the knowledge of poetic forms and literary terminology. All texts can be found in the Norton Anthology of English Literature (Vol. 1). Selections from major works will be given during classes and posted on Moodle.

1. What is Literature?
Literary Criticism
Literary Terminology 
2. Middle English Literature in the Fourteenth and Fifteenth Centuries
Geoffrey Chaucer: The Canterbury Tales
Margery Kempe: The Book of Margery Kempe
Mystery plays: The Wakefield Second Shepherds' Play
Morality plays: Everyman
3. The Sixteenth Century and the Early Seventeenth Century (1603-1660)
John Skelton: "Mannerly Margery Milk and Ale"; "The Tunning of Elinour Rumming" (Secundus Passus)
Sir Thomas Wyatt the Elder: "My Galley"
Queen Elizabeth: "Speech to the Troops at Tylbury"
Edmund Spenser: Amoretti "Sonnet 54"
Sir Philip Sidney: Astrophil and Stella "With how sad steps, O Moon, thou climb'st the skies"
Christopher Marlowe: Doctor Faustus
William Shakespeare: Sonnet 18; Sonnet 19; Sonnet 55; Sonnet 130
William Shakespeare: King Lear
John Donne: "The Good-Morrow"
Ben Jonson: Volpone, or The Fox
Francis Bacon: "Of Plantations"
George Herbert: "Easter Wings"
Robert Herrick: "Upon the Loss of his Mistresses"; "Delight in Disorder"
John Milton: Paradise Lost 
4. The Restoration and the Early Eighteenth Century
Aphra Behn: Oroonoko, or The Royal Slave
William Congreve: The Way of the World

a)  Conoscenze e capacità di comprensione (knowledge and understanding): gli studenti conoscono la terminologia specifica e le principali teorie della letteratura, e sanno leggere e comprendere i testi letterari in programma, di cui conoscono il contesto storico, letterario e socioculturale.

b)  Conoscenze e capacità di comprensione applicate (applying knowledge and understanding): gli studenti sono in grado di analizzare e interpretare i testi in programma, riuscendo a fornire una adeguata contestualizzazione letteraria, storica e socio-culturale, e identificando generi, forme poetiche e figure retoriche.

c)  Autonomia di giudizio (making judgements): Gli studenti possiedono capacità di esercizio critico.

d)  Abilità comunicative (communication skills): Gli studenti sono in grado di utilizzare in modo appropriato la terminologia specifica e di condurre una analisi del testo.

e)  Capacità di apprendere (learning skills): Gli studenti acquisiscono gli strumenti metodologici necessari per lo studio della letteratura.

The teaching material prepared by the lecturer in addition to recommended textbooks (such as for instance slides, lecture notes, exercises, bibliography) and communications from the lecturer specific to the course can be found inside the Moodle platform › blended.uniurb.it

Teaching

Lectures and seminars

Course books

Geoffrey Chaucer: The Canterbury Tales
Margery Kempe: The Book of Margery Kempe
Mystery plays: The Wakefield Second Shepherds' Play
Morality plays: Everyman
John Skelton: "Mannerly Margery Milk and Ale"; "The Tunning of Elinour Rumming" (Secundus Passus)
Sir Thomas Wyatt the Elder: "My Galley"
Queen Elizabeth: "Speech to the Troops at Tylbury"
Edmund Spenser: Amoretti "Sonnet 54"
Sir Philip Sidney: Astrophil and Stella "With how sad steps, O Moon, thou climb'st the skies"
Christopher Marlowe: Doctor Faustus
William Shakespeare: Sonnet 18; Sonnet 19; Sonnet 55; Sonnet 130
William Shakespeare: King Lear
John Donne: "The Good-Morrow"
Ben Jonson: Volpone, or The Fox
Francis Bacon: "Of Plantations"
George Herbert: "Easter Wings"
Robert Herrick: "Upon the Loss of his Mistresses"; "Delight in Disorder"
John Milton: Paradise Lost
Aphra Behn: Oroonoko, or The Royal Slave
William Congreve: The Way of the World

Secondary Texts
- All the introductions to individual authors and literary periods in the list, in the Norton Anthology of English Literature (Vol. 1)
- The section "Literary terminology" in the Norton Anthology of English Literature (Vol. 1)
- Further study materials will be posted on Moodle

Assessment

Written exam (in English)  

Disability and Specific Learning Disorders (SLD)

Students who have registered their disability certification or SLD certification with the Inclusion and Right to Study Office can request to use conceptual maps (for keywords) during exams.

To this end, it is necessary to send the maps, two weeks before the exam date, to the course instructor, who will verify their compliance with the university guidelines and may request modifications.

Course books

Geoffrey Chaucer: The Canterbury Tales
Margery Kempe: The Book of Margery Kempe
Mystery plays: The Wakefield Second Shepherds' Play
Morality plays: Everyman
John Skelton: "Mannerly Margery Milk and Ale"; "The Tunning of Elinour Rumming" (Secundus Passus)
Sir Thomas Wyatt the Elder: "My Galley"
Queen Elizabeth: "Speech to the Troops at Tylbury"
Edmund Spenser: Amoretti "Sonnet 54"
Sir Philip Sidney: Astrophil and Stella "With how sad steps, O Moon, thou climb'st the skies"
Christopher Marlowe: Doctor Faustus
William Shakespeare: Sonnet 18; Sonnet 19; Sonnet 55; Sonnet 130
William Shakespeare: King Lear
John Donne: "The Good-Morrow"
Ben Jonson: Volpone, or The Fox
Francis Bacon: "Of Plantations"
George Herbert: "Easter Wings"
Robert Herrick: "Upon the Loss of his Mistresses"; "Delight in Disorder"
John Milton: Paradise Lost
Aphra Behn: Oroonoko, or The Royal Slave
William Congreve: The Way of the World

Secondary Texts
- All the introductions to individual authors and literary periods in the list, in the Norton Anthology of English Literature (Vol. 1)
- The section "Literary terminology" in the Norton Anthology of English Literature (Vol. 1)
- Further study materials will be posted on Moodle

Assessment

Written exam (in English)  

Disability and Specific Learning Disorders (SLD)

Students who have registered their disability certification or SLD certification with the Inclusion and Right to Study Office can request to use conceptual maps (for keywords) during exams.

To this end, it is necessary to send the maps, two weeks before the exam date, to the course instructor, who will verify their compliance with the university guidelines and may request modifications.