SYLLABUS FOR E242 WORLD LITERATURE 400-1600 CE
CHAPMAN UNIVERSITY, SPRING 2009

*2023 Note. Most links have been removed from this archival version of the syllabus.

COURSE INFORMATION. E242 World Literature 400-1600 CE. Spring 2009 T/Th 8:30 – 9:45 a.m. Location: Beckman (BK) 204. Instructor: Alfred J. Drake, Ph.D. Office hours: T/Th 10 – 11:15 a.m. in Cyber Café (Beckman). e242_at_ajdrake.com. Catalog: “This course will feature non-Anglophone literary texts from Western and non-Western traditions. . . . This course can be used to satisfy either the diversity or the pre-1850 distribution requirement for English majors. (Offered alternate years.) 3 credits.”

REQUIRED TEXTS AT CHAPMAN UNIVERSITY BOOKSTORE

Glidden, Hope, ed. Lyrics of the French Renaissance: Marot, Du Bellay, Ronsard. Trans. Norman Shapiro. Chicago: University Of Chicago Press, 2006. ISBN-13: 978-0226750521.

Lawall, Sarah, ed. The Norton Anthology of World Literature. 2nd. ed. New York: Norton, 2003. Package 1: Volumes A, B, C: Beginnings to 1650. ISBN-13: 978-0393924534.

Zenkovsky, Serge A. Medieval Russia’s Epics, Chronicles, and Tales. New York: Penguin, 1974. ISBN-13: 978-0452010864.

COURSE RATIONALE AND ACTIVITIES

FOCUS AND OBJECTIVES. This course will cover a selection of texts by authors from various ancient literary and cultural traditions in Europe, Asia, the Middle/Near East and the Americas from the fifth century CE through the Early Modern Period (circa 1600 CE). A survey should help you build your knowledge of the periods, authors, and movements studied and point you towards further exploration of the literature that most interests you. My comments will provide historical and thematic background knowledge, but the course will center on discussion of the specifics of our assigned texts. Rather than trying to impose claims of universal coherence, thematic unity, etc. on such wide-ranging material, I prefer to follow a roughly chronological order and to discuss themes and issues as they occur throughout the course, making connections where appropriate.

ACTIVITIES. In class, there will be a mix of lectures, student presentations, whole-class and smaller-group discussion, occasional quizzes, an essay, and a final exam. I encourage questions and comments—class sessions improve when students take an active part. Outside class, do the assigned readings before the relevant discussion dates, complete your journal sets as outlined below, start planning and drafting your essay early, and work on your presentation drafts. In literary studies, the aim is to read and discuss actively and thereby to develop your own voice in response to the texts you read. Insightful interpretation and the ability to make compelling connections are central goals. The essay, discussions, presentations, and journal-keeping should combine to help you work towards these goals.

HOW YOUR PERFORMANCE WILL BE EVALUATED

COURSE POLICIES. Please review the course policies page early in the semester since it addresses matters such as attendance, incompletes and withdrawal, late or missing work, and academic integrity.

PRESENTATIONS REQUIREMENT. At the beginning of the course, students will sign up for two or three (depending on class size) three-to-five-minute in-class presentations on authors of their choosing (if possible). I will provide presenters with specific questions to address (from among those on the author questions pages) and within a few days after sign-up I will post a schedule on the Presentations page. Each session will feature several presentations. Required: Several days before you present, email me as full a draft as possible of what you intend to say in class. I will email you back with advice. I will post your original draft to the students’ blog for this course, but if in my comments I suggested developing the remarks further, you should also send me a revised version within one week after your in-class presentation so that I can post the new version. (20% of course grade.)

JOURNALS REQUIREMENT. Responses to a choice of questions from the study questions page for each author. Three separate journal sets due by email as specified below in reading schedule. Electronic format required. (30%)

PAPER REQUIREMENT. By the end of Week 13, a one-paragraph description addressing the topic and argument of the projected paper will be due by email. (Full rough drafts are also encouraged.) Not providing this description on time for the paper may affect the final draft grade. Please read the term paper instructions carefully since they contain the general prompt, suggested topics, and advance draft comments. I reserve the right to require proof of the final paper’s authenticity, such as notes or an early draft. Final draft (5-7 pages) due as specified towards the bottom of the syllabus page. Follow MLA (Modern Language Association) guidelines. Research is optional for undergraduates. (30%)

FINAL EXAM REQUIREMENT. The exam will consist of substantive id passages, mix-and-match questions (match phrase or concept x to author/text y), and essay and/or short-essay questions. There will be more choices than required responses. Books and notes allowed for all sections, but no laptops. Exam date: see below. (20%)

EMAILING ASSIGNMENTS. Email journals, presentations, and term paper as attachments. Don’t send more than one document in the same email. Label subject lines appropriately: “E242 Journal 1, John Doe” etc. You can paste journal sets into a regular email or send them as an attachment. (Journal “sets” include responses to questions about several authors; do not send entries on each author in a given set separately—responses on the relevant authors should be combined into one document.) Contact me if you don’t receive an email confirmation within approximately three days.

QUESTIONS FOR JOURNALS AND PRESENTATIONS

*2023 Note. Visitors may download the following questions in PDF format: WORLD LITERATURE TO 1650 | WORLD LITERATURE SINCE 1650.

SCHEDULE: WORKS DISCUSSED ON DATES INDICATED

WEEK 1

Tu. 02/03. Course introduction.

Th. 02/05. Saint Augustine. Confessions (1121-36).

WEEK 2

Tu. 02/10. Saint Augustine. Confessions (1136-49).

Th. 02/12. Bhartrhari. Shatakatrayam (1332-37).

WEEK 3

Tu. 02/17. The Koran (1426-60).

Th. 02/19. Ibn Ishaq. The Biography of the Prophet (1460-76).

WEEK 4

Tu. 02/24. Faridoddin Attar. The Conference of the Birds (1528-41).

Th. 02/26. Jalâloddin Rumi. Selections (1544-49).

WEEK 5

Tu. 03/03. Anonymous. The Thousand and One Nights (1566-1591).

Th. 03/05. Anonymous. The Thousand and One Nights (1591-1618). Journal Set 1 Due by Email by Sunday, 03/08.

WEEK 6

Tu. 03/10. Murasaki Shikibu. The Tale of Genji (2174-2224).

Th. 03/12. Murasaki Shikibu. The Tale of Genji (2224-2270).

WEEK 7

Tu. 03/17. Sei Shonagon. The Pillow Book (2270-2300).

Th. 03/19. Yoshida Kenko. Essays in Idleness (2326-2342).

WEEK 8

Tu. 03/24. Zeami Motokiyo. Atsumori (2350-55) and Haku Rakuten (2356-61); K. K. Nobumitsu. Dojoji (2361-70).

Th. 03/26. Medieval Russia’s Epics, Chronicles, and Tales.

WEEK 9

Tu. 03/31. Medieval Russia’s Epics, Chronicles, and Tales.

Th. 04/02. Francis Petrarch. “Letter” and Sonnets (2476-90).

WEEK 10

Tu. 04/07. Spring Break: no classes.

Th. 04/09. Spring Break: no classes.

WEEK 11

Tu. 04/14. Niccolo Machiavelli. The Prince (2517-34).

Th. 04/16. Desiderius Erasmus. In Praise of Folly (2490-2517). Journal Set 2 Due by Email by Sunday, 04/19.

WEEK 12

Tu. 04/21. Ludovico Ariosto. Orlando Furioso (2534-49).

Th. 04/23. Baldesar Castiglione. The Book of the Courtier (2552-64).

WEEK 13

Tu. 04/28. Lyrics of the French Renaissance: Marot, Du Bellay, Ronsard.

Th. 04/30. Lyrics of the French Renaissance: Marot, Du Bellay, Ronsard. Paragraph on paper topic and argument due by Sunday, 05/03.

WEEK 14

Tu. 05/05. Michel de Montaigne. From Essays (2632-70).

Th. 05/07. Lope de Vega. Fuente Ovejuna (2783-2821).

WEEK 15

Tu. 05/12. Florentine Codex (3070-73), Cantares Mexicanos (3073-76).

Th. 05/14. Popol Vuh (3076-92).

FINALS WEEK

Final Exam Date: Friday, May 22 8:00 – 10:30 a.m. Due by Monday, May 25: Paper and Journal Set 3. I must turn in grades by Sunday, May 31st. For your other courses, check the Spring 2009 Chapman Final Exam Schedule.