English 210 Daily Assignment Schedule (Downtown)
Sept. 4 Introduction to the course, the Anglo-Saxon period
HW: Read Preface (xviii-xix and xxi-xxiii), Introduction (3-25), Beowulf
(pgs. 27-31 and 69-92)
Sept. 9 Discuss Epic Battles, death of the hero
HW: Read Judith (109-114), “The Dream of the Rood”(115-119),
Ethnic & Religious Encounters (120-121), The Wanderer (153-156) and
“Wulf and Eadwacer” and “The Wife’s Lament” (156-158). Get a head
start on next (long) homework assignment – see homework on 9/11.
Sept. 11 Discuss Old English Poetry, Christianity & Paganism
HW: Read Arthurian Myth (163-164), Marie de France (181-198),
Sir Gawain and the Green Knight (200-258);
[NOTE: You may skim part 3 of Gawain]; and Malory (259-262)
Sept. 16 Discuss Arthurian Legend; Monty Python (291-293)
HW: Read Chaucer (293-298), Canterbury Tales (316-357)
[NOTE: THIS ASSIGNMENT IS NOT THAT LONG, AS YOU HAVE
MIDDLE ENGLISH AND MODERN ENGLISH VERSIONS OF THE
SAME TEXT ON FACING PAGES FOR EASE OF READING, THUS
DOUBLING THE PAGINATION]
Sept. 18 Discuss Chaucer
HW: Read “Wife of Bath’s Prologue & Tale” (375-403)
[NOTE: Modern English translations available online at: <http://www.canterburytales.org/canterbury_tales.html>]
Sept. 23 Discuss “Wife of Bath”
HW: Read Langland, Piers Plowman (466-495), John Gower, (505-508)
Sept. 25 Discuss Religion and Politics in Poetry
HW: Read Julian of Norwich (508-525), Margery Kempe (572-591)
Sept. 30 Discuss points of contrast between Julian and Kempe
HW: Read Introduction to the Early Modern Period (667-687),
Wyatt (pp. 695-700, end of “Some Time I Fled the Fire”), Surrey (706-
709, through Petrarch translation), and Isabella Whitney (1054-1067)
Oct. 2 Discuss Early Modern Period/British Renaissance, Poetry
HW: Read Spenser (822-23), Faerie Queene Cantos 1-4 (828-879)
Oct. 7 Discuss Spenser and 1st Essay Assignment
HW: Read Faerie Queene Cantos 5-8 (879-928)
Oct. 9 Discuss Spenser
HW: Read Faerie Queene Cantos 9-12 (928-979)
Oct. 14 Conclude Spenser, review for Mid-Term Exam
HW: Study for Mid-Term Exam
Oct. 16 MID-TERM EXAM
HW: Read Sidney (993-1028) [NOTE: You can skim lists of classical
References in his essay]. Post thesis statement for Essay 1 on Blackboard
by Monday, 10/20 at 3:00 p.m.
Oct. 21 Discuss Sidney, Political & Religious Issues with Poets, Playwrights
In-class workshop with thesis statements
HW: Read Mary Herbert (1067-1072, “Doleful Lay”1076-1078), QE1 (1114-1126), and Lanyer (1126-1137)
Oct. 23 Discuss women’s poetry, QE1 as ruler
HW: Read Marlowe (1157-1159), Raleigh (1230-1234 and “Guiana”
1239-1250)
Oct. 28 ESSAY #1 DUE IN CLASS, Discuss Raleigh & Marlowe, politics
HW: Read Marlowe, Doctor Faustus Acts 1-3 (1177-1207)
Oct. 30 Discuss Faustus
HW: Read Faustus Acts 4-5 (1207-1227)
Nov. 4 LAST DAY TO WITHDRAW FROM COURSE WITH A “W”
Conclude Marlowe
HW: Read Shakespeare’s Sonnets (1273-1288),
Jonson (1540-1542, and poetry 1642-1649)
Nov. 6 Discuss Marlowe, Shakespeare and Jonson – Publication of Plays, Poems
HW: Read Donne (1669-1671 & poems: “The Sun Rising,” “The
Indifferent,” “The Canonization,” “Break of Day,” “The Bait,” “A
Valediction: Forbidding Mourning,” “Elegy 19,” “Holy Sonnet #6”); Wroth (1692-1701), Herrick (1704-1705 & poems: “Delight in Disorder,” “To the Virgins to Make Much of Time,” “His Prayer to Ben Jonson,” “Upon Julia’s Clothes,” “To His Tomb-Maker”); Marvell (1743-1744 & poems: “To His Coy Mistress” and “An Horation Ode Upon Cromwell’s Return from Ireland”)
Nov. 11 Discuss Poetry, 2nd Essay Assignment
HW: Read Civil War (1768-1788)
Nov. 13 Discuss Political Prose, the British Civil War
HW: Read Milton Intro, poems (1796-1814); Paradise Lost (1823-
1870, through Argument, Book 3)
Nov. 18 Discuss Paradise Lost
HW: Read Paradise Lost (1888-1953 and Arguments for Books 7-8);
begin work on essay #2
Nov. 20 Discuss Paradise Lost
HW: Read Paradise Lost (1983-2010, Arguments for Books 10-11,
and Book 12, 2057-2072); post thesis statement for essay #2 on
Blackboard by 2:00, Monday 11/24
Nov. 25 Conclude Paradise Lost
In-class workshop with thesis statements
HW: Read “Restoration & 18th Century” (pp. 2121-2144) and
Behn (pp. 2267-2274 and “To the Fair Clarinda”)
Nov. 26-30 Thanksgiving Holiday ~ No classes
Dec. 2 Discuss Restoration Gender Relations
HW: Read Dryden (2209-2211 and “Mac Flecknoe” 2239-2245), Swift
(2498-2503, 2513-2526 and “A Modest Proposal” 2591-2599)
Dec. 4 ESSAY #2 DUE IN CLASS, Discuss Political Satire
HW: Read Pope (2599-2601 and The Rape of the Lock, 2631-2652)
Dec. 9 Discuss Socio-Cultural Impact of Satire
HW: Read Gay (2717-2768), Hogarth (2783-2792)
[NOTE: The Hogarth assignment consists of pictures!]
Dec. 11 Discuss Satirical Drama, Visual Art; Review for Final Exam
HW: Prepare for Final Exam
Dec. 18 Final Exam, 3:30-6:00 p.m.