This course thinks about the development and evolution of fundamental literary genres, including epic poetry, drama, the sonnet, and the rise of the novel. Through our studies together, we will consider how and why these genres have proved so enduring across time and place. Readings will span global cultural traditions, but following the genealogy of literary development from epic poetry, students should expect to synthesize American, British, and European readings. The course will conclude with the rise of the novel in the early 18th century, serving to prepare students for further study on the movement- periodization that subsequently begins to organize literary culture later in the century (ENG 303).
Prerequisite Courses