Course Offerings by term

A series of topic-centered courses, introducing themes in Comparative Literature.

From the Romantic period, covers major examples of: prose - the transition from the 19th century models to Modernist experimentation; poetry - the development of modern poetic form and the fortunes of European hermetic influence in an increasingly politicized century; and drama - examples of absurdist and left-wing drama which have dominated the British stage since the 1950s.

In this course, students practice writing fiction, creative nonfiction, and poetry while exploring the boundaries between genres. The workshop format includes guided peer critique of sketches, poems, and full-length works presented in class and discussion and analysis of literary models. In Fall, students concentrate on writing techniques. In Spring, the workshop is theme-driven. May be taken twice for credit.

Presents the work of Chaucer in the perspective of the European philosophical, humanistic, and poetic developments of his age. The Latin philosophical background includes consideration of the Augustinian ideal of Christian humanism and the traditions of speculation on Divine Providence. Considers the French poetic tradition and multilingual poetic traditions supporting the generic diversity of The Canterbury Tales.