103 – Reading Literature: The "Body Electric"

103 Reading Literature: The “Body Electric”

Course Objectives

This course is designed to develop techniques for reading and writing effectively and sensitively about literary works. We will explore different historical, cultural, ideological, and linguistic methods of interpretation with the goal of gaining fluency in discussing a range of poems, stories, plays, and novels, from Shakespeare to the 21^st century. Doing so will sharpen our intellectual tools so we can become better readers, writers, and thinkers. Of central concern will be the relationship between form and content in literary expression.

There are multiple, overlapping objectives of this course that we will try to hold equally in our minds during the semester. To pursue curiosities, generate questions that challenge you, and take risks. To improve your critical skills as readers, writers, and thinkers. To appreciate reading as a creative act – and a privilege. To approach writing as a process of intellectual inquiry, creative reflection, and social action. To develop a personal writing style characterized by coherency, clarity of expression, and confidence. To understand the consequences of ideas, and the rhetorical, creative, and effective power of words. To participate fully in and learn from a seminar—that is, to learn from one another. To leave your comfort zones. If you apply yourself, you can look forward to reading more intelligently, writing with more ease and pleasure, and speaking more comfortably in class and in public.

Course Requirements & Policies

DISCUSSION / PARTICIPATION

Attendance: Attendance is mandatory. Poor attendance and lack of participation will adversely affect your final grade. Class begins promptly. Lateness due to last-minute work (or printing issues) is unacceptable. Late arrivals accumulate as an absence. Please notify me prior to class with a legitimate explanation if you will not be present or will be late. In the case of absence, you are still responsible for turning in assigned work on time. If you are absent more than three times for any reasons other than religious holidays, documented medical problems, or events designated by official college policy, I will contact your Dean and you will receive a course warning.

Participation: Because this course relies on the lively exchange of ideas, full participation is expected. Come to class ready to propose questions and share responses to readings. Feel free to initiate or join new directions in our discussion. Students may be asked to lead discussions. You will earn a daily participation grade between 0 (absent) – 10 (prepared, engaged) for each class meeting.
Readings: You must do all assigned reading prior to the corresponding class and be prepared to discuss texts in depth. Always bring readings/book to class with you. No Book = Absence. Critical and/or theoretical essays to supplement primary readings will be added to the syllabus throughout the semester, as we go.
Reading Responses: Frequent reading responses will allow you to focus on specific aspects of the work under discussion in exploratory ways, and to prepare for discussion. These include: explications (selecting a line/passage for close-reading and examining its significance to the whole text; see details below); unraveling a question that compels you; approaching the text from an angle of your choice; following a prompt that I provide; creative writing responses; brief blog reflections. Please do not summarize – I’ve already read these texts, I’m interested in your ideas. Guidelines: 1 page single-spaced, typed, with upper left header (name, date, original title), unless stated otherwise or replaced with mandatory blog post. These will be assessed along the “check +/-” scale. There will also be occasional creative writing and in-class writing exercises
Film Responses: You will be required to contribute a brief response on the class blog prior to our class discussion.
Class Blog: Our class website will host the syllabus, course materials, assignments, related links, news updates, etc. You will also be asked to occasionally share and turn in writing here, and to contribute blog posts/comments as we go.
Conferences: You will meet with me at least twice during the semester to discuss ideas and drafts, and anything else relevant along the way. These conferences can be extremely beneficial to your brainstorming and revision process, but only if you are prepared for them, and only if you take responsibility for directing them.

A Note about Respect: I expect you to listen carefully, respond thoughtfully, and challenge each other respectfully. I value honesty in our communications, timeliness to class, open-mindedness in moments of discomfort, attention to detail, and commitment to pushing your own boundaries.

A Note about Technology: Discussion is impossible to follow if you are digitally distracted. For this reason, I require that you leave laptops, iPads, Apple watches, and all other devices at home, and keep cellphones silenced and out of sight from the moment you enter the classroom until the moment you exit. No exceptions.

PAPERS

You will write four formal essays, plus revisions. Papers will range from 4-5 pages to 6-8 pages. Prompts may be provided in advance, though you may be free to create your own prompts with my approval. Papers will be peer-edited and occasionally workshopped. Drafts should not be “rough”; they must represent serious effort if you are to benefit from conferences, peer review, and workshops.
Guidelines: Papers must be: typed, double-spaced, 1-in margins (left-justified), 12-pt Times or Garamond, black ink, hard-copy, stapled/clipped, titled (center), numbered (upper right), header with name/date/draft # (upper left), and adherent to MLA format for citations. Block quotations should be single-spaced, indented on the left and right. Use the footnote feature of your word processing program to create/edit footnotes or endnotes. It is important that you proofread all work thoroughly; excessive errors in grammar, syntax, formatting, and spelling will negatively affect your grade. I may ask you to resubmit any piece that seems rushed or careless. Incomplete drafts will not be accepted. Accompanying each draft you MUST include a brief note regarding (1) what you are trying to accomplish in the essay; (2) what you think works well in the draft; (3) elements that, you believe, need work. This can only help us as we work out, in conference, what you need to do next. Revisions should be turned in with all previously submitted drafts attached by clip, and MUST include a brief note regarding (1) what you have done to address the issues you raised in your letter to me regarding your draft, as well as any other considerations that have occurred to you since, and (2) what you have done to address my overall comments on your draft; if you wish, you may also discuss what you still think might still need work in the paper and in your writing. I will not read drafts/revisions without these accompanying notes. Late papers will not be accepted without my prior approval, and will be marked down 1/3 of a grade per late day, including weekends. If you are having a problem, talk to me before the due date. Papers over 1 week late will receive an F. Extensions will rarely be granted, but if for some compelling reason you feel that you must request an extension, you should do so well in advance of the due date. A late paper may receive a low grade, but the absence of one of the four major papers means a failing grade for the course. No work will be accepted via email. Please submit a hard copy to my box in the English department office by required due date/time. Please note that grading will become more rigorous as the semester proceeds.
Grading – You must complete all assignments to receive credit for this course. Your final grade will be based on your papers, class participation, final portfolio/exam, and on the good faith with which you have performed all assignments and attended class and conferences – all counted about equally. In general, paper grades are assigned as follows: A=truly exceptional work, in both form and content. B=good work. C=adequate work. D=marginally adequate work. F=inadequate work, in both form and content. (See my more detailed grading rubric below.)

Email Policy: I will respond to emails within 24 hours during the week. I will not respond to emails over the weekend. I will not respond to any questions about papers 24 hours before each paper is due or after each paper is returned with feedback, nor will I read multiple drafts of your paper in entirety. If you have complicated questions, please meet with me during office hours; this is often more productive than exchanging emails. Don’t wait until the last minute.
Final Self-Reflection: You will be required to write a 2-3 pg. final self-evaluation, details TBA.

Note About Academic Integrity and the Honor Code

Your ideas matter – trust your own mind. Plagiarism, cheating, or dishonesty in any form will not be tolerated in this course, and will lead without exception to disciplinary action on the administrative level. Plagiarism is defined as using another person’s language, ideas, or thoughts and representing them as your own without proper citation. This includes dishonest duplication of your own work from previous courses. You may talk with one another (and with tutors) about course texts, assignments, and your writing, but all words in your written work must be your own unless they are included in quotation marks with sources cited. You must provide a source for ideas you have borrowed as well as for words. Lifting pieces of text from common internet suspects (Wikipedia, SparkNotes) will not be accepted – the skill of critical close-reading involves deciphering internet junk. You will consult secondary sources in preparing some essays for this course, and you must list everything you have read in a bibliography or “Works Cited” list, and give specific page references for quotations and ideas you have used. The accepted citation style guide in literary study is The MLA Handbook for Writers of Research Papers, which gives models of proper citation for both paper and electronic sources. It is available at the library, at the college store, and on-line via a link on the Middlebury Library and Information Services (LIS) web page. Purdue OWL is a helpful online site. You must write and sign the full Honor Code Statement on each essay you prepare for this course, indicating that you have followed these guidelines. Middlebury College Honor Code

Americans with Disabilities Act. Students with documented disabilities who believe that they may need accommodations in this class are encouraged to contact me as early in the semester as possible to ensure that such accommodations are implemented in a timely fashion. Assistance is available to eligible students through the ADA Office. Please contact Jodi Litchfield, the ADA Coordinator, at litchfie@middlebury.edu or 802-443-5936 for more information. All discussions will remain confidential.

Extra Assistance in Writing

If you need extra assistance from someone other than me (either because you would rather consult someone else or because my schedule doesn’t match yours, you may contact a Peer Writing Tutor or consult Mary Ellen Bertolini at the Writing Center in the Center for Teaching, Learning, and Research (ground level, all the way at the back of the library). Do not be shy about asking for assistance. You can benefit from intelligent readings of your drafts and help with your thinking, whatever your writing level.

Reminders

Contacting Me: I encourage you to discuss your ideas and your writing with me during office hours. Please email me if you have questions or will miss class. I always prefer honesty and directness.

Final Note: Expect change. I will freely adapt the syllabus and modify assignments as we proceed throughout the semester.

Required Texts

The Norton Anthology of Poetry, 6^th edition, Ferguson et al.
Toni Morrison: Sula
Virginia Woolf: To the Lighthouse
William Shakespeare: Twelfth Night (Penguin Classics, ISBN 0140714898)
All other readings will be linked on website or emailed.

*If you plan to purchase texts on Amazon, please confirm correct editions.

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Grading Standards

Please note that, at the moment I determine your grade, I no longer consider myself a teacher of rhetoric and literature looking for improvement or effort but a judge; I try to grade what is actually written, not what we have talked about in conference, or what you or I had hoped the paper might be. At this point, I am applying the standards set below, not arbitrary personal preferences. Before I have given the grade, I offer feedback (imagining what you might work on for a 3^rd draft, though this is not expected), which again reflects my role as teacher, rather than judge. One of the problems with articulating standards for paper grades is that there are too many variables to account for all possibilities. No template, therefore, is absolutely reliable. Below is a set of reasonably accurate descriptions of what A, B, C, and D papers look like:

“A”-range essay (excellent–and therefore, by definition, rare): ambitious, and also succeeding at what it tries to do. Thesis is clear and interesting, agenda is compelling and clearly articulated, style is admirable, structure is graceful, tone is confident, argument is nuanced and plausible, taking into account potential opposition and reflecting honest, studious, and generous examination of ample evidence. Such an essay usually teaches me something, and no intelligent reader in another part of the world would know you had written it because you were required to. An “A” essay is, among other things, one in which the writer makes the assignment her own.

“B”-range essay (good): also ambitious, yet not completely successful; or, alternatively, not ambitious in its motivating questions but completely successful in addressing them. A “B”-range essay typically features excellent ideas but is vulnerable to significant questions regarding its expression of agenda, its analysis, its transitions, or its clarity. Sometimes the thesis is inspiring, but not expressed as well as it might be. Structure is plausible, but often could be improved.

“C”-range essay (not bad): often has basic logical or rhetorical problems in the articulation of thesis and agenda, but reflects some sense of what these might be. Sometimes the thesis is hard for the reader to determine; sometimes it isn’t arguable in full; sometimes it’s too obvious, or simply repeats the thesis of source material, or isn’t conducive to a motive for the reader to read; sometimes the structure appears to inhibit the progress of the argument; and sometimes the analysis doesn’t follow from the evidence, or the thesis doesn’t follow from the analysis. Serious problems in syntax and grammar (which usually result in problems in logic) may also lower an otherwise “B”-range paper to a “C”.

“D”-range essay: fails to address the expectations of the assignment, but does deal with some aspect of it.

(adapted and borrowed from James Berg)

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Tips for Explications (Close-Readings) of Poetry

Examine the language of the poem. Look up any words that seem important or unclear in the OED. How does the text make use of the particular connotations of its words? Are there patterns of word choice (diction), for example, language associated with everyday speech or with broader ideas (religious, social, political)? What images and image patterns are prominent? What are the associations of these images? Do the images take on larger significance as symbols? What other metaphoric language contributes to the poem’s meaning? Similes? Puns? Are there larger patterns of allegory or allusion?
How is the author using the form? How does the form suit the poet’s content? What variations are there in meter and rhyme scheme? How do these variations affect the meaning? How does the poet use the break between octave and sestet or quatrain and couplet? What other sound effects do you notice (alliteration, assonance, etc.) and how do they fit the larger effects of the poem? How does the poem use line and stanza breaks and enjambment? How does it use syntax to emphasize or enact its meaning?
Who is the speaker of the poem? How would you characterize the speaker? What is the point-of-view? What is the tone of the poem? How does it change? Does it use irony? What techniques does poet use to get this tone across? What is the relationship between the speaker and the reader? How does this relate to the meaning of the poem?
What are the main ideas, themes, or concepts in the poem? Does the poem have a point you could summarize? Does it set up a contrast or debate or paradox? If so, does it resolve or reconcile it somehow? How does this relate to the sense of closure, if any, in the poem? How do the other elements of the poem support or enhance this theme?
What is the meter of the poem? Why might the poet have chosen this meter or what does it add to the poem? Choose a few instances in which the meter does something unexpected. How does the poet use rhythm to add meaning to the poem?
What is the shape of the poem? Is it one block of text or does it use stanzas, couplets, or other variations of format? How are spaces uniquely used on the page between words, lines, or stanzas? How does the structure or shape of the poem relate to the themes; how does it create and/or reinforce its meaning?
Other elements to discuss: the title; type of poem (narrative, lyrical, elegy, ode, etc.); context (time period, literary history, relation of poem to other arts); punctuation; soundscape; scansion; etc.

Note: To “explicate” comes from a Latin word meaning to unfold. The purpose of an explication is to unfold the significance of a poem, paying close attention to the parts of the poem in order to support a larger argument about the whole poem. Keep in mind the idea of synthesis. Even as you closely read the composite elements of the poem, you’ll want to discuss how these elements come together to form the whole. Your explication must: a) provide an argument about the meaning of the poem; b) provide evidence of how poetic techniques (tone, speaker, form, rhythm, figurative language) create that meaning. DO NOT structure the response as a list of poetic devices (for example, making each paragraph correspond with a different device). DO NOT make an argument about the observation of poetic devices — this is not an argument. Consider HOW the devices construct meaning, and ask the most important question: SO WHAT? Remember: texts are not the things they talk about, they are representations of the things they talk about, so ask not just what a text is conveying, but how it works to do so, and why it’s important to read it through a certain lens.

Consider this exercise a mini-paper practice for formal Papers.

(adapted from REED)