Back to Course

British & World Literature

0% Complete
0/0 Steps
  1. Introduction & Materials

    What You Need To Know Before You Begin
    2 Steps
  2. Introduction & the World of Homer
    2 Steps
  3. The Odyssey
    Lecture - Exploring The Odyssey
    2 Steps
  4. Paper Presentations - The Odyssey
    2 Steps
  5. Augustine's Confessions
    Lecture - Augustine's World & Confessions
    2 Steps
  6. Lecture - Exploring the Confessions
    3 Steps
  7. Paper Presentations - The Confessions
    2 Steps
  8. The Divine Comedy
    Lecture - Introduction to the World of Dante
    2 Steps
  9. Lecture - The Divine Comedy "Hell"
    2 Steps
  10. Lecture - The Divine Comedy "Purgatory"
    2 Steps
  11. Lecture - The Divine Comedy "Paradise"
    2 Steps
  12. Sir Gawain & The Green Knight
    Lecture - Sir Gawain and the Green Knight
    2 Steps
  13. Paper Presentations - Sir Gawain and the Green Knight
    2 Steps
  14. Hamlet
    Lecture - Hamlet
    2 Steps
  15. Lecture - Hamlet (Pt. 2)
    2 Steps
  16. Paper Presentations - Hamlet
    2 Steps
  17. Poetry: Shakespeare, Donne, and the Cavalier Poets
    Lecture - Shakespeare, Donne, and the Cavalier Poets
    2 Steps
  18. Paradise Lost
    Lecture - Paradise Lost
    2 Steps
  19. Lecture - C.S. Lewis on Paradise Lost
    2 Steps
  20. Pride & Prejudice
    Lecture - Pride & Prejudice and Introduction to Literary Criticism
    2 Steps
  21. Lecture - Pride & Prejudice and Q&A on Literary Criticism
    2 Steps
  22. Paper Presentations - Pride & Prejudice
    2 Steps
  23. Paper Presentations - Pride and Prejudice (Second drafts)
    2 Steps
  24. Poetry: Romantic
    Lecture - The Romantic Poets
    2 Steps
  25. A Tale of Two Cities
    Lecture - A Tale of Two Cities
    2 Steps
  26. Poetry: Victorian
    Lecture - The Victorian Poets
    2 Steps
  27. Heart of Darkness
    Lecture - Heart of Darkness
    2 Steps
  28. Paper Presentations - Heart of Darkness
    2 Steps
  29. Poetry: Modern
    Lecture - The Modern Poets
    2 Steps
Lesson 1 of 29
In Progress

What You Need To Know Before You Begin

I have to admit I’m excited about this class. I haven’t read many of these books in some time, so it will be good to get back into them. I do recognize, however, that this is a fairly aggressive reading plan.  In light of that, I’d encourage you to get as many of these books as possible and start reading.  Much of this class will be about teaching you how to teach yourself (which is the main way I’ve learned), so start early.

Although I wish we had time to read everything, I don’t think we will. Nevertheless, if you start with The Odyssey (I’ve chosen one of the most respected verse translations) and plow through it, you’ll be able to get more out of the class because you’ll have covered more material. The more you’ll be able to read, the more you will understand. This will also enable you to get ahead and stay ahead.

As for the books themselves, I have provided a list of specific titles and versions. This is rather important in order to be on the same page. In a number of instances, I’ve requested Norton Critical editions since I’ll be teaching you how to use secondary sources for understanding literature. Introduction to the Classics is a good introduction to all sorts of important books and provides a Christian perspective on literature.

Finally, as to purchasing books, I know they can be expensive if new, so I’ve provided links to my favorite used book sites, including links to the actual books themselves (often around $4 each).  My hope is that you will not have to spend any more than $100-$150 or so for all the books. My hope is to expand your library with this class. Nevertheless, if cost poses a problem, just let me know.

We will also have regular writing assignments, although they will generally be short (a few pages) with the exception of perhaps one or two longer research papers on your favorite book from the semester.  You can read your papers to a parent or willing friend. My approach to learning to write is to listen to yourself read your paper out loud to others: you will quickly realize your problems. There will be a number of classes where we discuss approaches to writing.

The goal of the class is to enjoy learning about the literature rather than to worry about grades. As I said before, I expect it to be a lot of reading. Some of it will be challenging, but I hope it stretches the mind God gave you.