Topics in the Englishes of the Past

3 credits · Undergraduate

(3 hrs Lecture) This course offers an in-depth look at the English language at a single period in its fifteen hundred year old history. The specific focus of the course changes from year to year in response to the interests of the students and the needs of the English Department. Thus, depending on the demand, the course may focus on Middle English, on English of the Elizabethan period, or on the eighteenth century. Alternatively, the course may focus on the language of a particular writer, such as, for example, Chaucer, Shakespeare, or Joyce. Students study the structure, usage, and creative engagement with language at a given period or in the repertoire of a particular writer. Wherever appropriate, some attention may also be given to regional dialects and social registers. The course challenges students to enhance their awareness of the time-bound character of both language and literature. Requisite Courses: English I or ENGL-3812 or permission of the Department [prerequisite(s)].