Three Great Poets: Shakespeare, Donne, Milton

We will study these premier Renaissance poets from all angles possible, to understand the historical situations and political issues that shaped their writing, the authors and ideas that influenced them, the traditional forms they appropriated for new purposes. Most of all, we will study them to appreciate the power of poetry as a source of knowledge and inspiration. It is recommended that students should have already taken a course in reading poetry, such as ENGL0910A How to Read a Poem or ENGL0400A Introduction to Shakespeare. Students who have taken ENGL0210E may not register for this course.