Updated 2-14-24
ENGLISH 345: World Literature (Section 01)
Professor: E. Derek Taylor
Spring 2024
Office: Grainger 306
Office Hours: MWF 2:00-3:00 (in person and Zoom); T and Th 2:00-3:00 (Zoom only).
Phone: 395-2748
e-mail: taylored@longwood.edu
website: www.ederektaylor.weebly.com
Course Description: World Literature. This course introduces students to major authors from a variety of world cultures (exclusive of British and American literature) from antiquity to 1650, such as Homer, Sappho, Valmiki, Li Po, Dante, and Cervantes. Prerequisites: ENGL 205. 3 credits
Objectives: Students in this course will develop foundational knowledge about important works of literature that people from across the globe have been reading, studying, and arguing over for centuries (indeed, in some cases, millennia). They will also develop their analytical and research skills through scaffolded writing assignments and their speaking skills through in-class discussions and a one-on-one exit examination.
Grading:
--Daily Reading Responses (open-note, closed-book): 300 points
--Two Researched Response Essays: 200 points (100 points each)
--Examination 1: 200 points
--Examination 2: 200 points
--Exit Interview: 100 points
--Participation: + or –
1000 points would result in an A+ for the semester. Letter grades will drop accordingly with each 100 point decline. (e.g., 875 points would result in a B+, while 825 would result in a B-).
Attendance, Tardiness, Late Papers: Students are expected to attend classes regularly. ONLY illness, official college business, and emergencies permit the make-up of work missed, and all such absences must be documented. Unexcused absences totaling 10% or more of class meetings will result in a one letter grade penalty; absences totaling 25% or more, excused or otherwise, will result in an F for the course.
Consistently tardy students will have their participation grades significantly lowered.
A late essay is its own punishment. Furthermore, if you turn in your essay late there is simply no telling when I will be able to get it back to you. Students may make up missed quizzes for excused absences only.
Classroom Decorum: Students are expected to behave civilly both to each other and to the instructor, and to conduct themselves in a manner that encourages learning in the classroom. Email messages, voice mail, notes to the instructor, etc., will be considered as part of the participation grade, so students should think carefully about the tone and content of them.
Accommodations and Disability Resources: If you have a disability and require accommodations, please meet with your instructor early in the semester to discuss your learning needs. If you wish to request reasonable accommodations (note taking support, extended time for tests, etc.), you must register with the Office of Disability Resources, Brock Hall, (434)395-2391 prior to those accommodations being implemented. The office will require appropriate documentation of disability. All information is kept confidential.
Mental Health Resources: Stress and anxiety are very typical reactions to college life and many students have experienced significant benefits from participating in counseling. Longwood's Counseling and Psychological Services (CAPS), located in the Health and Fitness Center, is available to all students at no cost. Appointments can be scheduled by phone (434)395- 2409, during the hours of 8:15 a.m. -5:00 p.m. Monday-Friday. Resident Education Coordinators (RECs) and Resident Advisors (RAs) are additional resources to students. For emergency situations, please call (911) or contact the Longwood University Police Department at (434)395-2091.
Reporting of Crimes and Sexual Misconduct: In accord with its history and mission, Longwood University believes that each individual should be treated with respect and dignity and that any form of crime or violence is incompatible with Longwood’s commitment to the dignity and worth of the individual. Longwood University is committed to providing a healthy living, learning and working environment which promotes personal integrity, civility and mutual respect. If you have been the victim of a crime or sexual misconduct we encourage you to report this. If you disclose this to a faculty member or employee (with the exception of our Limited Reporting and Confidential Reporting Resources; for example, the Counseling and Psychological Services (CAPS) staff, they are required by law to notify the appropriate University officials. The faculty member or employee cannot maintain complete confidentiality and is required to report the information that has been shared. Please know that all reported information is treated with discretion and respect and kept as private as possible. For more information about your options at Longwood: http://www.longwood.edu/titleix
Longwood University credits are awarded on a semester-hour basis. Generally, 1 credit represents a total of approximately 37.5 hours of student engagement. The distribution of time, for example between class activities and outside work, varies depending on the type of class. A Lecture courses must meet at least 12.5 hours per semester for each credit hour. To perform at an acceptable level the student will be expected to spend a minimum of 25 hours outside of class working on study or other course related activities for each credit hour. ENGL 326 is a 3-credit course, and thus will meet a minimum of 37.5 hours and have a minimum of 75 hours of outside of class assignments and studying. Total instruction and work time related to this course is approximately 112.5 hours.
Honor Code: All work is governed by the Longwood University Honor Code. Written work must contain the pledge in writing and be signed.
Class Schedule:
NB—I reserve the right to change the following schedule by giving oral notification in class. Unless otherwise notified, all reading and writing assignments are due at the beginning of class on the day indicated by this schedule. Absence from one class is never an excuse for being unprepared for any subsequent class.
Week 1
W. 1-10. Introduction to course
F. 1-12. Gilgamesh (18-35)
Week 2
M. 1-15. Class Canceled for Martin Luther King, Jr. Day.
W. 1-17. Gilgamesh (35-59)
F. 1-19. Gilgamesh (60-74)
Week 3
M. 1-22. Excerpts from The Hebrew Bible: Genesis (80-87)
W. 1-24. The Book of Job (pp. 5-35 in Canvas, “Files”)
F. 1-26. The Book of Job (36-conclusion in Canvas, “Files.” Be sure to read the Epilogue!)
Week 4
M. 1-29. Excerpts from The New Testament Gospels (747-762)
W. 1-31. Excerpts from The Qur’an (813-827)
F. 2-2. Sophocles, Oedipus (395-417). We will meet over Zoom today (see Canvas, "Announcements," for link.)
Week 5
M. 2-5. Sophocles, Oedipus (417-437)
W. 2-7. In-class Workshop for Researched Response Essay 1.
F. 2-9. Poems by Sappho (379-389)
Week 6.
M. 2-12. Homer, from The Iliad (138-152)
W. 2-14. Homer, from The Odyssey (195-205)
W. 2-16. Homer, from The Odyssey (344 [ln. 395]-357)
Week 7
M. 2-19. Virgil, from The Aeneid (473-483)
W. 2-21. Virgil, from The Aeneid (569-576)
F. 2-23. Dante, from The Divine Comedy: Inferno (925-948)
Week 8
M. 2-26. Dante, Inferno (982-996)
W. 2-28. Dante, Inferno (1069-1084)
F. 3-1. Class Canceled (I will be away at an academic conference). Researched Response Essay 1 Due by 9:00pm (submit through Canvas).
Week 9
Class Canceled for Spring Break
Week 10
M. 3-11. Workshop for Examination 1
W. 3-13. Extended Office Hours, 1:00-3:00 (in person and on Zoom)
F. 3-15. Examination 1
Week 11
M. 3-18. Poems by Petrarch (1480-1486)
W. 3-20. Christine de Pizan, from The Book of the City of Ladies (1160-1177)
F. 3-22. From The Thousand and One Nights (1084-1108)
Week 12
M. 3-25. From The Bhagavad-Gita (669-688). We will meet on Zoom today--check Canvas Announcements for link.
W. 3-27. Medieval China (1179-1186) and poems by Li Bo (1187-1194)
F. 3-29. Poems by Du Fu (1195-1199)
Week 13
M. 4-1. Murasaki Shikibu, The Tale of Genji (1231-1247)
W. 4-3. Murasaki Shikibu, The Tale of Genji (1247-1272)
F. 4-5. Michel de Montaigne, from Essays (1522-1534). We will meet on Zoom today--check Canvas Announcements for link.
Week 14
M. 4-8. Workshop for Researched Response Paper 2
W. 4-10. Cervantes, from Don Quixote (1545-1564)
F. 4-12. Cervantes, from Don Quixote (1564-1583)
Week 15
M. 4-15. Cervantes, from Don Quixote (1583-1604)
W. 4-17. Class canceled for university-wide Research Day
F. 4-19. Cervantes, from Don Quixote (1675-1693)
Week 16
M. 4-22. Class Canceled for Extended Office Hours, 1:00-3:00 (in person and on Zoom)
Tuesday, 4-23. Researched Response Essay 2 Due by 9:00pm (submit through Canvas).
W. 4-24. Workshop for Examination 2 and Exit Interview
F. 4-26. Examination 2
Week 17
T. 4-30. Exit Interviews (3:00-5:30)
ENGLISH 345: World Literature (Section 01)
Professor: E. Derek Taylor
Spring 2024
Office: Grainger 306
Office Hours: MWF 2:00-3:00 (in person and Zoom); T and Th 2:00-3:00 (Zoom only).
Phone: 395-2748
e-mail: taylored@longwood.edu
website: www.ederektaylor.weebly.com
Course Description: World Literature. This course introduces students to major authors from a variety of world cultures (exclusive of British and American literature) from antiquity to 1650, such as Homer, Sappho, Valmiki, Li Po, Dante, and Cervantes. Prerequisites: ENGL 205. 3 credits
Objectives: Students in this course will develop foundational knowledge about important works of literature that people from across the globe have been reading, studying, and arguing over for centuries (indeed, in some cases, millennia). They will also develop their analytical and research skills through scaffolded writing assignments and their speaking skills through in-class discussions and a one-on-one exit examination.
Grading:
--Daily Reading Responses (open-note, closed-book): 300 points
--Two Researched Response Essays: 200 points (100 points each)
--Examination 1: 200 points
--Examination 2: 200 points
--Exit Interview: 100 points
--Participation: + or –
1000 points would result in an A+ for the semester. Letter grades will drop accordingly with each 100 point decline. (e.g., 875 points would result in a B+, while 825 would result in a B-).
Attendance, Tardiness, Late Papers: Students are expected to attend classes regularly. ONLY illness, official college business, and emergencies permit the make-up of work missed, and all such absences must be documented. Unexcused absences totaling 10% or more of class meetings will result in a one letter grade penalty; absences totaling 25% or more, excused or otherwise, will result in an F for the course.
Consistently tardy students will have their participation grades significantly lowered.
A late essay is its own punishment. Furthermore, if you turn in your essay late there is simply no telling when I will be able to get it back to you. Students may make up missed quizzes for excused absences only.
Classroom Decorum: Students are expected to behave civilly both to each other and to the instructor, and to conduct themselves in a manner that encourages learning in the classroom. Email messages, voice mail, notes to the instructor, etc., will be considered as part of the participation grade, so students should think carefully about the tone and content of them.
Accommodations and Disability Resources: If you have a disability and require accommodations, please meet with your instructor early in the semester to discuss your learning needs. If you wish to request reasonable accommodations (note taking support, extended time for tests, etc.), you must register with the Office of Disability Resources, Brock Hall, (434)395-2391 prior to those accommodations being implemented. The office will require appropriate documentation of disability. All information is kept confidential.
Mental Health Resources: Stress and anxiety are very typical reactions to college life and many students have experienced significant benefits from participating in counseling. Longwood's Counseling and Psychological Services (CAPS), located in the Health and Fitness Center, is available to all students at no cost. Appointments can be scheduled by phone (434)395- 2409, during the hours of 8:15 a.m. -5:00 p.m. Monday-Friday. Resident Education Coordinators (RECs) and Resident Advisors (RAs) are additional resources to students. For emergency situations, please call (911) or contact the Longwood University Police Department at (434)395-2091.
Reporting of Crimes and Sexual Misconduct: In accord with its history and mission, Longwood University believes that each individual should be treated with respect and dignity and that any form of crime or violence is incompatible with Longwood’s commitment to the dignity and worth of the individual. Longwood University is committed to providing a healthy living, learning and working environment which promotes personal integrity, civility and mutual respect. If you have been the victim of a crime or sexual misconduct we encourage you to report this. If you disclose this to a faculty member or employee (with the exception of our Limited Reporting and Confidential Reporting Resources; for example, the Counseling and Psychological Services (CAPS) staff, they are required by law to notify the appropriate University officials. The faculty member or employee cannot maintain complete confidentiality and is required to report the information that has been shared. Please know that all reported information is treated with discretion and respect and kept as private as possible. For more information about your options at Longwood: http://www.longwood.edu/titleix
Longwood University credits are awarded on a semester-hour basis. Generally, 1 credit represents a total of approximately 37.5 hours of student engagement. The distribution of time, for example between class activities and outside work, varies depending on the type of class. A Lecture courses must meet at least 12.5 hours per semester for each credit hour. To perform at an acceptable level the student will be expected to spend a minimum of 25 hours outside of class working on study or other course related activities for each credit hour. ENGL 326 is a 3-credit course, and thus will meet a minimum of 37.5 hours and have a minimum of 75 hours of outside of class assignments and studying. Total instruction and work time related to this course is approximately 112.5 hours.
Honor Code: All work is governed by the Longwood University Honor Code. Written work must contain the pledge in writing and be signed.
Class Schedule:
NB—I reserve the right to change the following schedule by giving oral notification in class. Unless otherwise notified, all reading and writing assignments are due at the beginning of class on the day indicated by this schedule. Absence from one class is never an excuse for being unprepared for any subsequent class.
Week 1
W. 1-10. Introduction to course
F. 1-12. Gilgamesh (18-35)
Week 2
M. 1-15. Class Canceled for Martin Luther King, Jr. Day.
W. 1-17. Gilgamesh (35-59)
F. 1-19. Gilgamesh (60-74)
Week 3
M. 1-22. Excerpts from The Hebrew Bible: Genesis (80-87)
W. 1-24. The Book of Job (pp. 5-35 in Canvas, “Files”)
F. 1-26. The Book of Job (36-conclusion in Canvas, “Files.” Be sure to read the Epilogue!)
Week 4
M. 1-29. Excerpts from The New Testament Gospels (747-762)
W. 1-31. Excerpts from The Qur’an (813-827)
F. 2-2. Sophocles, Oedipus (395-417). We will meet over Zoom today (see Canvas, "Announcements," for link.)
Week 5
M. 2-5. Sophocles, Oedipus (417-437)
W. 2-7. In-class Workshop for Researched Response Essay 1.
F. 2-9. Poems by Sappho (379-389)
Week 6.
M. 2-12. Homer, from The Iliad (138-152)
W. 2-14. Homer, from The Odyssey (195-205)
W. 2-16. Homer, from The Odyssey (344 [ln. 395]-357)
Week 7
M. 2-19. Virgil, from The Aeneid (473-483)
W. 2-21. Virgil, from The Aeneid (569-576)
F. 2-23. Dante, from The Divine Comedy: Inferno (925-948)
Week 8
M. 2-26. Dante, Inferno (982-996)
W. 2-28. Dante, Inferno (1069-1084)
F. 3-1. Class Canceled (I will be away at an academic conference). Researched Response Essay 1 Due by 9:00pm (submit through Canvas).
Week 9
Class Canceled for Spring Break
Week 10
M. 3-11. Workshop for Examination 1
W. 3-13. Extended Office Hours, 1:00-3:00 (in person and on Zoom)
F. 3-15. Examination 1
Week 11
M. 3-18. Poems by Petrarch (1480-1486)
W. 3-20. Christine de Pizan, from The Book of the City of Ladies (1160-1177)
F. 3-22. From The Thousand and One Nights (1084-1108)
Week 12
M. 3-25. From The Bhagavad-Gita (669-688). We will meet on Zoom today--check Canvas Announcements for link.
W. 3-27. Medieval China (1179-1186) and poems by Li Bo (1187-1194)
F. 3-29. Poems by Du Fu (1195-1199)
Week 13
M. 4-1. Murasaki Shikibu, The Tale of Genji (1231-1247)
W. 4-3. Murasaki Shikibu, The Tale of Genji (1247-1272)
F. 4-5. Michel de Montaigne, from Essays (1522-1534). We will meet on Zoom today--check Canvas Announcements for link.
Week 14
M. 4-8. Workshop for Researched Response Paper 2
W. 4-10. Cervantes, from Don Quixote (1545-1564)
F. 4-12. Cervantes, from Don Quixote (1564-1583)
Week 15
M. 4-15. Cervantes, from Don Quixote (1583-1604)
W. 4-17. Class canceled for university-wide Research Day
F. 4-19. Cervantes, from Don Quixote (1675-1693)
Week 16
M. 4-22. Class Canceled for Extended Office Hours, 1:00-3:00 (in person and on Zoom)
Tuesday, 4-23. Researched Response Essay 2 Due by 9:00pm (submit through Canvas).
W. 4-24. Workshop for Examination 2 and Exit Interview
F. 4-26. Examination 2
Week 17
T. 4-30. Exit Interviews (3:00-5:30)