British Literature: Anglo-Saxons to the Renaissance

Catalog description

The course provides a survey of British Literature, beginning with works from its Anglo-Saxon period, progressing through the Medieval Age in the work of such writers as Chaucer and the Gawain poet, into the height of the Renaissance in England, as exemplified by the poetry of Spenser, Sidney, and Shakespeare. Also explores the changes in the English language during this span of time. The course will also explore critical approaches to literature, especially those that emphasize the reading of literary texts within historical and cultural contexts.