Roman Elegiac Poetry AP/LA 3030 3.0 A F 2012 and AP/LA 4030 3.0 A F 2012

Course Director: Prof. Anne-Marie Lewis Department of Languages, Literatures, & Linguistics Office: 520 Ross South Phone: (416) 736-2100 x 66291 e-mail: [email protected]

Office Hours Fall Term: Wed. 9:30-11 a.m. or by appointment

Course Webpage http://www.yorku.ca/amlewis/index.html [click Latin 3030/4030 at left]

Course Secretary Trisha Mitchell Humanities, 210 Vanier College Phone: (416) 736-2100 x 77389 e-mail: [email protected]

Course Meeting Times Stong College 220, M and W, 1-2:30 p.m.

Calendar Course Description

A study of the love poems of Propertius, Tibullus and Ovid. Prerequisite: AP/LA 2000 6.00 or equivalent or permission of the director of classical studies. Course credit exclusion: AP/LA 4030 3.00. PRIOR TO FALL 2009: Prerequisite: AS/LA 2000 6.00 or equivalent or permission of the director of classical studies. Course credit exclusions: 3030 3.00, AS/LA 4030 3.00.

Course Focus

This course focuses on the elegiac poetry written by the three major Roman elegiac poets of the Augustan Age: Propertius, Tibullus, and Ovid. Emphasis is placed on reading, understanding, and appreciating selected poems in their literary, historical, social, cultural, and thematic contexts. Poems will be studied with attention to the mastery of grammar, syntax, morphology, vocabulary, scansion, translation, and reading aloud. In addition, students will have the opportunity to do a close reading of an elegiac poem and a critical essay that involves the consultation of both primary and scholarly sources. Students will also be given the opportunity to demonstrate various skills on in-class tests.

Required Texts (available in the York Bookstore)

Robert Maltby, ed., Latin Love Elegy (Bolchazy-Carducci)

Charles William Dunmore, ed., Selections from Ovid (Focus)

Evaluation: Graded Work

Elegiac Vocabulary List I Oct. 1 5% In-Class Test: Propertius and Tibullus Oct. 10 15% Elegiac Vocabulary List II Nov. 5 5% Close Reading Assignment Oct. 29 20% Essay Dec. 3-7 20% In-class Test: Ovid Dec. 3 15% Preparation, Attendance, Class Work Fall Term 20%

General Course Expectations

Students must attend class every day, and attendance will be taken. Students must bring the selections specified for the day. For each class, students are expected to have completed the reading selections specified for that day and to be prepared to actively read, translate, and discuss the selections. For your own reference, you may write out complete English translations of the poems being read as you are preparing. Reliance on an English translation (your own or someone else’s), however, is a hindrance to learning to read Latin with speed, accuracy and enjoyment. As you work through the poems, keep the Latin texts clean (put any absolutely necessary grammatical comments off to the side). The expectation is that students will always read the Latin; students will not be permitted to read from any English translation in class.

Other Requirements

 A grammar/style guidebook of your choice for your work at home and tests: CLST recommends Allen & Greenough’s New Latin Grammar (also on-line at http://www.perseus.tufts.edu/hopper/text?doc=Perseus%3atext%3a1999.04.0001); you will not be able to use the computer version for tests

 A desk dictionary for your work at home and tests: CLST recommends Cassell’s New Latin Dictionary; a good portable dictionary (e.g. Bantam’s New College, Langenscheidt, Oxford); Lewis and Short’s Latin Dictionary is online at http://www.perseus.tufts.edu/hopper/text?doc=Perseus%3atext%3a1999.04.0059; you will not be able to use the computer version for tests

 Access to e-mail (for course listserv announcements) AND Access to the internet: for checking the course website: http://www.yorku.ca/amlewis/index.html (Click LA3030/4030 at left) and for access to online resources; the reading schedule will be announced each class and will then appear for reference on the course website

 Passport York for Scott Library website access to online anthology: Barbara Gold, ed. A Companion to Roman Love Elegy, 2012 (Wiley-Blackwell)

 Highlighters or markers or pens of different colors for Elegiac Vocabulary Lists

Grading Scheme for the Course Grades in the course are kept in numerical format and translated into a final letter grade using the 9-point York system (see below). The final grade for the course is calculated using the weightings listed above under “Evaluation: Graded Work.” A+ 90-100 Consistently exceptional work overall, a real achievement A 80-89 Excellent work in general B+ 75-79 Very good work; more strengths than weaknesses B 70-74 Solid work, some weaknesses or inconsistencies C+ 65-69 Work demonstrates more than a minimum level of understanding; many inconsistencies are evident C 60-64 Work demonstrates some level of understanding; grasp of basic skills is shaky D+ 50-54 Work demonstrates little understanding of basic skills D 55-59 Work only marginally passing and shows only the barest understanding of basic skills E 40-49 Work is marginally failing and shows mostly no understanding of basic skills F 39-0 Work is failing and does not demonstrate any understanding of basic skills at all

Important Administrative Dates for the Course (Fall Term 2012)

Sept. 5 Classes begin Oct. 31 Co-curricular day: no class Sept. 19 Last date to enrol without permission Nov. 9 Last date to drop course without Oct. 2 Last date to enrol with permission receiving a grade Oct. 8 Thanksgiving: no class Dec. 3 Classes end

Graded Work: Details

Elegiac Vocabulary Lists I and II

It is important to continue working on Latin vocabulary and, in particular, on developing an understanding of what constitutes the Latin elegiac lexicon.

As you read the poems assigned for reading, from the beginning, create a computer list of any Latin word that you look up in a dictionary. For each word, include principal parts (nouns: nom and gen and gender; adjectives: dictionary forms; verbs: principal parts; cases governed by the word) and relevant English meanings. Organize the list according to your own preference (different parts of speech together or alphabetical or in order of your readings, etc.).

As you continue reading and looking up Latin words, check your list. If you have already looked up the word, make a mark to indicate this. When you have looked up a word three or more times, highlight it in some way as a word you should work on especially.

For maximum effectiveness and your own development, your work should be totally your own. The amount of words on your list does not determine your grade. Ultimately the list is for your own usage. It is important for me to be able to see the diligence and care with which you have been doing the assignment as we read and to see that you have created an accurate list for your own review and future use.

In-class Tests Propertius and Tibullus (Oct. 10) and Ovid (Dec. 3)

The tests will be 1hour 20 minutes in duration. Guidance about the test will be given in class before the test.

General Information: Written Work

Assignments sent by e-mail or fax will NOT be accepted under any circumstances.

Assignments should be handed in on the date specified. You must, therefore, arrange your schedule to meet these deadlines. Requests for extensions will be considered on an individual basis but (in fairness to other students who do work to meet the deadlines) will only be given for serious problems such as illness or serious personal/family issues. Work that is due for other courses is not considered an acceptable excuse. Assignments late without an acceptable excuse will be penalized one grade per class week or part of a class week (e.g., an A will become a B+ and so on).

A specific full title page must be used for all assignments (a template sheet is provided)

Assignments should be carefully proofread for errors and unclear or illogical writing. Proper bibliographical format must be used (MLA or Chicago are standard).

The essay and assignment are written and (with the exception of your close reading notes) must be typed or word- processed and double-spaced in Times New Roman 12 point, black ink on white paper. Please include an accurate total word count on the title page for the close reading and essay. As you are working, back up your computer work frequently. Always keep a copy of the assignments that you submit.

Academic Honesty. The Department of Humanities and the Faculty of Liberal Arts and Professional Studies at York University treat very seriously any accusations or intimations of academic dishonesty such as plagiarizing, purchasing essays, downloading essays from the Web, working on essays in common and submitting them separately for a grade, submitting the same essay for this course and another course you are taking or have taken at York University, impersonating a student, or cheating on exams or tests. For the York Senate Policy on Academic Honesty, please see http://www.yorku.ca/univsec/policies/document.php?document=69. In addition, York students must adhere to the York Student Code of Conduct; see http://www.yorku.ca/scdr/studentconduct.html.

Close Reading Assignment

LA 3030: typed 1000 words MINIMUM-1250 words MAXIMUM (including title page and bibliography) – please give the word count on the title page; include also your rough notes and the poem (these notes do not need to be typed) LA 4040: typed 1300 words MINIMUM-1550 words MAXIMUM (including title page and bibliography) – please give the word count on the title page; include also your rough notes and the poem (these notes do not need to be typed)

Close reading (known also as explication) is an analytical method of literary criticism that allows one to read deeply into a text, analyze it in detail, and better appreciate the connection between style and content. This assignment will give you the opportunity to analyze an elegiac poem in depth. For your close reading, choose as follows:

for LA 3030: Ovid, Amores 2.7 (Maltby, Latin Love Elegy, p. 51) for LA 4030: Tibullus, Poem 1.7 (Maltby, Latin Love Elegy, pp. 43-45)

Begin by creating a list of all possible critical categories you may wish to examine in the poem. For information about methodology and how to proceed, you may consult the articles in the anthology of readings edited by Barbara Gold or resources dealing with close reading (see the course home page for LA3030/4030 for some links)

Read the poem in Latin silently and aloud frequently at various stages.

Read the poem in Latin to understand it; look up every word to get the full range of meanings (to look up words, you should use a large Latin dictionary such as Lewis and Short, A Latin Dictionary or the Oxford Latin Dictionary, both available in reference in the library (Lewis and Short also available online; for the link see the course home page or the course outline); make sure you understand all sentence structures, grammar, syntax. Analyze the poem carefully using your list of critical categories and take detailed notes.

When you are finished your detailed critical analysis, review your notes, and construct a thesis statement that ties together details you picked out in your analysis. Introduce your poem and author briefly, state your thesis statement and proceed to your close reading written analysis which should discuss what you think the poem is communicating and how. Extensive scholarly sources are not required – the focus is on your interpretation.

Staple together:

 Title page; the title page is not numbered; number following pages starting with 1. Your name should NOT appear on any of the numbered pages;

 Your typed close reading written analysis (please keep to the word length noted above); use Times New Roman 12 pt. and black ink on white paper. Use proper margins (standard 1 inch around). Refer to your style manual for further details about proper formatting; include a bibliography page (poem from Maltby’s edition); use either MLA or Chicago Style formats; in your written analysis, refer to parts of the poem (Latin words, sentences, phrases, etc.) using imbedded line references: e.g. in nova crimina (Am. 2.7.1)

Include with the written analysis (clip everything together with a paper clip)

 A clean photocopy of the Latin poem (so I can follow along with your interpretation)

 A typed list of the categories you chose to consider in the analysis of the poem

 Your rough notes (no need to type these up – they will be returned)

Essay

The essay for this course is a written research essay that should deal with the primary sources covered in the course (the elegiac poems of Propertius, Tibullus, and Ovid). By writing a research essay, students will develop their skills in research, interpretation, and written analysis. Students will choose their own essay topics in consultation with the instructor – please make sure you get the approval of the instructor for your topic by October 22.

The essay must be typed or word-processed and should be 1100-1300 words maximum (LA 3030) and 1300-1500 words maximum (LA 4030) in length, with appropriate essay format, references; proper footnote/endnote and bibliographical format; and clear, logical argumentation and writing. Staple your essay together.

Preparation, Participation, Class Work

The required texts must be brought to class each day. Through your attendance and participation, you will be able to give evidence that you are prepared for class and engaging with the material of the course.

Daily attendance will be taken. Students are permitted two (2) unexcused absences in the course without penalty. Missed classes beyond the two permitted will seriously affect not only the grade for this component but also the opportunity you will have to work with fellow students reading and discussing the poems.

If you have a valid written excuse (serious illness, serious personal or family problems, for example) that documents your valid absence from class, please see me. Requests for consideration of an absence as an excused absence will be considered on an individual basis. Acceptable written documentation for valid absences are, e.g., medical notes, court notes, police reports, and copies of death certificates. Unacceptable excuses for absences are, e.g., paid work, work for other courses, and vacations taken during class times.