English 451 A: Milton, Donne, and Their Circles Office: 303 HH Dr. Jennifer W. Hall Phone: 471-3282 Spring 2011 Email: [email protected] Office Hours: MWF (9-10; 11-12) and TTH (10:30-12:00)

Milton, Donne, and Their Circles

Course Objectives: During the semester, we will study the works of two powerful writers— and John Milton. As we explore the work of these men, we will also investigate lesser known, but equally interesting women who also wrote during the period—Mary Sidney, Lady Mary Wroth, Elizabeth Cary, and Aemelia Lanyer. Our primary objectives will be to understand the complexities of the poetry, prose, and drama and to investigate the texts in light of the17th Century’s cultural, political, theological, and literary contexts. I hope that you will be challenged by the important issues with which these writers engage and that you will see how these issues still influence contemporary humanity. I know you will be inspired to evaluate your own opinions regarding culture, politics, religion, and truth. Please note, nobody ever said that reading this literature is easy, and I will not either! However, like all good things, it is definitely worth doing. I expect you to read the work and to be prepared to discuss it, ask questions, and offer comments in class. Milton insists, “Where there is much desire to learn, there of necessity will be much arguing, much writing, many opinions; for opinion in good men is but knowledge in the making.” Remember that.

Student Learning Objectives (SLOs): 1. Students will define and use key terms to analyze significant passages in the literature. 2. Students will connect literary texts to seventeenth-century cultural, political, theological, and ideological contexts. 2. Students will lead discussions of both the primary literature and the scholarly criticism available through current information technology. 3. Students will conduct college-level research to produce an original argument on a scholarly topic.

Texts: Donne, John. The Complete Poetry and Selected Prose of John Donne. Ed. Charles M. Coffin. New York: Modern Library Classics, 2001. Edson, Margaret. Wit. New York: Dramatists Play Service, 1999. Milton, John. The Riverside Milton. Ed. Roy Flannagan. Boston: Houghton Mifflin, 1998.

Course Requirements: 1. Attendance and active participation are vital to making this course work for you and for your classmates. Preparation and participation will comprise a large part of your final grade. We will meet for class discussions about 40 times this term. Each session will be worth 2.5 points. The total of these points will comprise the “Participation/Preparation” portion of your final grade. If you arrive on time and participate fully in class discussion and debate, you will receive the full day’s credit. Deductions will be made for tardiness, failure to participate in our class forum, or disrespect to your fellow scholars. If you arrive late, it is your responsibility to see me after class to request attendance/participation credit for the day’s work. Please note that I will also strictly follow both the College and the Humanities Division’s attendance policy (posted on Blackboard). Students may make up assignments and participation credit when they are absent for documented illness, death of a family member/family emergency, and certain college-sponsored events. To retain participation credit, students who miss class must submit a 2-page typed essay summarizing and analyzing the material covered in class that day. This essay must be submitted within one week of the absence.

2. Reading: You can neither understand nor appreciate the poetry if you do not read it (and reread and reread and . . . . ). So read it. I do not want to resort to giving reading quizzes to an upper- level course, so (please!) participate in class discussion to avoid such testing. Keeping a reading notebook of questions/comments/personal summaries of material will prove very helpful!

3. Scholarly Article Presentations: Each of you will make two presentations to the class based on your own outside reading, writing, and research. We cannot each conduct research on every primary text, so this is a way to join efforts and learn more than each of us could learn on our own. Your presentations will help guide class discussion. For each article read you must provide your classmates a critical analysis of the argument (3-4 pages). Provide (1) the full citation in correct MLA form, (2) a summary of the main arguments, (3) a developed, critical response or evaluation that also includes specific references to the work you and the article are addressing, and (4) 2 well constructed questions that you have designed to facilitate class discussion of the article’s claims. The first analysis must cover a study of John Donne, Lady Mary Sidney Herbert, or Lady Mary Sidney Wroth and should be ready for presentation by February 4th. The second article will cover John Milton and should be completed by April 11th. Use JSTOR, MLA Bibliography, or Literature Resource Center to find your articles. Chapters of scholarly books are also acceptable. Claim your article ASAP. Each student must present a different article. I have some articles that may be of interest to you if you would like to discuss them during office hours. I will post a sample on Blackboard.

4. Formal Paper: One formal paper (MLA format, 10 page minimum, 8 secondary sources) is required. You will be asked to compose a paper proposal (1 page; due March 18). At this point, I will discuss any suggestions or concerns I have about your chosen topic. You will then have until March 30 to create an annotated bibliography and then until April 29th to complete your project. Final papers must be submitted on the due date. Please note that I do not accept late work and that papers that fail to meet the minimum requirement will receiving a failing grade. I will be glad to discuss your paper during its development.

5. Exams: Three exams will be given to give you the opportunity to demonstrate your understanding of the texts and of the ideas, issues, and contexts that the texts address.

Course Grading: 3 Exams 50% A=93-100 Formal Paper 20% B=85-92 Article Presentations 20% C=75-84 Participation/Preparation 10% D=65-74

Carson-Newman College Services for Students with Disabilities: Any student with a special documented disability (sight, hearing, language, mobility, etc.) which may affect class activities should contact David Humphrey (Kathleen Manley Wellness Center) at 471-3268 and provide appropriate documentation.

Class Calendar

January 14: Introduction to 17th Century, Reform Protestantism, and the Protestant Poetic or Why you should be crazy in love with these texts!

Jan. 17: MLK Holiday

Jan. 19: Article, “Exhuming Early Donne” (Blackboard in John Donne Handout Folder) and John Donne’s Songs and Sonnets: “Song” (8), “Womans Constancy” (9), “The Sunne Rising” (11), “The Indifferent” (11), “” (31), “The Baite” (36), “Confined Love” (28), and from Juvenlia: A Defense of Womens Inconstancy” (295-97)

Jan. 21: Elegy 4 (“The Perfume,” p. 59), “The Legacie” (17), “A Feaver” (18), “The Apparition” (36), “The Anniversarie” (20), “The Funerall” (44), “The Relique” (47), “The Dampe” (48)

Jan. 24: Elegy 10 (“The Dream,” p. 67), “The Good-Morrow” (8), “The Undertaking” (10), “” (13), “A Valediction: Of Weeping” (30), “A Nocturnall upon St. Lucy’s Day” (34)

Jan. 26: Elegy 20 (“Love’s War,” p. 86), “A Valediction: Forbidding Mourning” (38), “The Extasie” (39), “To the Countess of Bedford” (155)

Jan. 28: Lady Mary Sidney Wroth, Pamphilia to Amphilanthus #1, 3, 5, 6, and 7 and A Crowne of Sonnets Dedicated to Love (Blackboard)

Jan. 31: (317), “To His Mother” (398-400), Meditation 1-5 (421-26), Mediation 17 (445), and Meditation 21 (456)

February 2: Mary Sidney’s trans. “A Discourse of Life and Death (Blackboard) and Donne’s (In this order!! 2, 4, 6, 7, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16)

Feb. 4: Holy Sonnets (complete previous discussion) Article #1 Due. Bring to class and bring copies for class. You will each present your article and then lead a discussion of the 2 questions you have created.

Feb. 7: Continue discussion of journal articles

Feb. 9: Wit (Read entire play. We will compare it to the Mike Nichols’ production starring Emma Thompson)

Feb. 11: Wit (view, discuss, and probably experience cartharsis)

Feb. 14: Wit

Feb. 16: Exam 1

Feb. 18: Milton, Areopagitica (997-1024)

Feb. 21: Comus, (lines 1-490)

Feb. 23: finish Comus

Feb. 25: Paradise Lost, Book 1

Feb. 28: Book 2 (lines 1-627)

March 2: Finish Book 2

Mar. 4: Book 3 (1-415)

Mar. 7: Finish Book 3

Mar. 9: Book 4 (1-535)

Mar. 11: Finish Book 4

Mar. 14: Exam 2

Mar. 16: Book 5 (1-543)

Mar. 18: Finish Book 5; Paper proposal due

Mar. 21-15: Spring Holiday

Mar. 28: Book 6

Mar. 30: Book 7; Annotated Bibliography due

April 1: Book 8

April 4: Book 9 (1-384)

April 6: Book 9 (385-784)

April 8: Finish Book 9 and reading selection from Aemelia Lanyer’s Salve Deus Rex Judaeorum (Blackboard).

April 11: Journal Article 2 Due

April 13: Book 10

April 15: Book 10

April 18: Book 11

April 20: Celebrating Easter: “Goodfriday, 1613. Riding Westward” (Donne 257) and Holy Sonnets, La Corona (Donne 242-45). Other readings provided in class.

April 22-25: Easter Holidays (“He is Risen; He is Risen, Indeed!”)

April 27: Book 12

April 29: Research Paper Due

May 2: Samson Agonistes

May 4: Samson Agonistes

Final Exam: Monday, May 9, 11:00-1:00