ENG 540: Early Modern Lit and Ecology

Schedule

NA: Norton Anthology
EER: Ecocriticism Essential Reader
ESP: Edmund Spenser’s Poetry

Web: leonidas.pbworks.com

Wed, Jan 23    Intro: Ecology; nature in the Middle Ages

• Garrard, Introduction
• Cronon, Trouble with Wilderness  

Wed, Jan 30    KJV, Genesis; Ovid, from Metamorphoses, Bk 1, #1-#4 (see web for links);

Milton, Paradise Lost, book 10, lines 641-719 (NA 2130-32) (web version)

• Some context for the January 30 readings

And, Keyword Assignment (see web)

• Williams, “Nature” (handout)
• H Howard, “Brittle Beauty” (with some bonus analysis!)
  
• Sidney, A&S Sonnet 71 (NA 1095)
• Shakespeare, from RII, 2.1.35-74 (see web for link)
• Shakespeare, from H5, 5.2.24-68 (see web for link)

        
Wed, Feb 6    Pastoral: Spenser, from Shepheardes Calendar:

• To His Booke (ESP 500-01)
• January, Feb, Oct, Dec (ESP 506-17, 524-530, 537-42)

Optional: An overview of the literary mode "pastoral"

Wed, Feb 13    Sidney, Lady of May (handout); Shakespeare, Venus & Adonis (Web)

                        Lawrence Buell, “Representing” (EER 97-102)                 

                        Writing Assignment #1

Wed, Feb 20    Spenser, Faerie Queene, Book III, canto 6 (ESP 306-19)

Carolyn Merchant, “Nature as Female” (EER 10-35)

Kate Soper, “Discourses of Nature” (EER 267-78)

Wed, Feb 27    Shakespeare, Midsummer Night's Dream

                        Raymond Williams, “The Country”  (EER 35-39)

Wed, Mar 6     Shakespeare, As You Like It

                            Willis, “Tongues in Trees”; [update] Morton, Queer Ecology

                         optional: from Gabriel Egan, Green Shakespeare

                        Writing Assignment #2

Wed, Mar 13   No Class: Spring Break

Wed, Mar 20   Spenser, Faerie Queene Book II selections (ESP, 163-230)

                        Writing Assignment #3

Wed, Mar 27   Milton Comus (Web) (First 3 paragraphs of the intro are useful.)

After you read Comus, read this, and the rest of the intro.

                        Gary Snyder, “The Place” (EER 70-77)

                        Short Paper Due

Wed, April 3    Shakespeare, The Winter's Tale

Wed, April 10  Country House Poems:

                        Jonson, “Penshurst,” NA 9th, 1546; 10th 1096

                        Lanyer, “Cookham,” NA 9th 1486; 10th 986

                        Carew, “Saxham,” NA 9th 1773; 10th 1323

                        Jonathan Bate, “Economy of Nature” (EER 77-97)

                        Paper Topic Due

Wed, April 17  Cavalier Poetry

In-class Exam: be prepared to write an essay on...

Merchant (EER);

Faerie Queene II, canto 12 or Milton's Comus;

and 1 other text that you choose.

Wed, April 24 Poems:

Lanyer, "Cookham" (from April 10)

Herrick, "Corinna's Going a'Maying,"To the Virgins," "Hock Cart" (NA 10th, 1310-14)

Andrew Marvell

• Bermudas 1341, Coy Mistress 1346, Picture of TC 1349
• Mower Poems, 1251-56
• Mower against Gardens
• Damon the Mower
• Mower to Glowworms
• Mower's Song
• Garden
• Upon Appleton House 1361-83
  

                        Paper Prospectus Due

Wed, May 1    Marvell, "Upon Appleton House"

Presentations #1

Wed, May 8    Presentations #2

                        Party!