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.