British Literature (Second Semester)

Course Description

Course Description: Students will read Charles Dickens’ A Tale of Two Cities, a number of poems, short stories, and excerpts from other noted British works. While this is the second half of a full-year course, students entering at the halfway mark can easily assimilate into our online classroom. Students will learn the tools and gain the confidence to respond to literature in both written and verbal form. Students taking this course will extend their knowledge of literary devices used in both fiction and poetry.

Course Objectives:

• Provide students with a survey of English Literature from the eighteenth century to modern times.
• Explore the cultural and historic forces that fueled various literary movements in England, Ireland, and Scotland, and help students recognize the impact major literary voices have had upon English culture and thought.
• Provide ample opportunity for students to recognize how British authors used literary devices and how these devices affected their work as a whole.
• Equip students with the knowledge needed to construct an analytical essay in response to various types of reading selections.
• Provide guidance to help students learn to develop a clear and concise thesis. Additionally, students will learn how to best organize their ideas and how to incorporate transitions to allow their papers to flow smoothly.
• Students will be required to participate in class discussions and learn how to analyze literature and share that information verbally with others.
• Students will be given the opportunity to choose a subject covered in class and respond to it with a creative project of their choosing.

We will begin with Romantic Era poetry and end with an examination of contemporary British authors. Any questions can be directed to Mrs. Spivey.

Required Texts