English (EN-UY)

Following (and challenging) William Carlos Williams’s definition of a poem as “a machine made of words,” this course examines how poems are made. The course explores questions of invention and innovation in poetic form and how “form” and “content” interact in a wide range of poetry—from the earliest English ballads to contemporary work. Students write five critical essays. Prerequisites: Completion of first year writing requirements. Notes: Satisfies a HuSS elective.

This course fulfills the requirements for a writing-intensive course. It is an introduction to the themes, structures, and techniques of the short story. Objectives: to introduce the short story as a literary form; promote research and critical reading and thinking skills; to promote written and oral communication skills; and to enhance cultural, social, and aesthetic understanding through intensive reading of and writing about short fictional texts written by American authors and by authors from other countries. | Prerequisite(s): Completion of first year writing requirements

This course introduces the origins, characteristics and innovative qualities of the novella from several countries and historical periods. The course compares this genre with the novel and short story. Students discuss and write about assigned works. | Prerequisites: Completion of first year writing requirements.

In this course, students learn how Shakespeare’s writings were influenced by his literary forebears and how he has inspired artists since his own time. Through this approach, the course explores the author’s particular creative genius and his legacy. | Prerequisites:Completion of first year writing requirements. Co-requisites: None. Notes: Satisfies a HuSS elective.

In this course, students learn how Shakespeare’s writings were influenced by his literary forebears and how he has inspired artists since his own time. Through this approach, the course explores the author’s particular creative genius and his legacy. | Prerequisites:Completion of first year writing requirements. Co-requisites: None. Notes: Satisfies a HuSS elective.

This course examines the role of a major international city in works of poetry, drama, and fiction. By way of contrast, we will take a brief look at what happens in works set outside of a city. Attention will be paid to historical context. This course satisfies HUSS elective requirements. | Prerequisites: Completion of first year writing requirements

This course examines the implications of medicine, mental or physical illness, and death in works of poetry, drama and fiction. Some attention will be paid to historical context. This course satisfies HUSS elective requirements. | Prerequisites: Completion of first year writing requirements

This course examines the implications of medicine, mental or physical illness, and death in works of poetry, drama and fiction. Some attention will be paid to historical context. This course satisfies HUSS elective requirements and HUSS writing-intensive requirements. | Prerequisites: Completion of first year writing requirements

This online course examines how diverse authors of literature have approached and continue in critically evaluate developments in both science and technology. This course will introduce students to major works in the literary canon through the lens of scientific developments. The historical topics that we will address are the advent of the printing press, the Copernican revolution, Enlightenment thought, the impact of the Industrial Revolution, the rise of modern warfare, medical advances, and ultimately, the age of the Internet. In particular, we will study how writers portrayed the individual and society as well as examined social interactions in the scientific world. How did the introduction of literature of the "masses" ultimately transform plot, character development, and the objective of narrative fiction? Authors and works we will read include: Anonymous, Everyman, William Shaespeare's Sonnets, Jonathan Swift's Gulliver's Travels, Voltaire's Candide, Stephen Crane's The Red Badge of Courage, Marcel Proust's Swann's Way, George Orwell's 1984, and Donna Tartt's The Secret History. | Prerequisites: EXPOS-UA 1 or EXPOS-UA 4

The poems of John Ashbery and the art of Richard Serra confront the respective reader/viewer: find a methodology based upon the structural configuration of the poem and sculpture to enable a "reading" of the work. The works that will be addressed reject impressionistic, subjective commentary. The beauty of word or artifact is not applicable. Post-1900 non-referential sculptures and paintings will be juxtaposed with poems that disassociate themselves from narrative content, poems whose only subject matter is language configuration – even when there is apparent thematic material – poems of Robert Creeley, John Ashbery, Emily Dickinson, Robert Frost, Wallace Stevens, Amy Clampitt, Susan Howe, Michael Palmer, Clark Coolidge, and Louis Zukofsky. The poets so listed complement preoccupations of artists such as Mark di Suvero, David Smith, Richard Serra, Anthony Caro, Donald Judd, Carl Andre, Vito Acconci, Robert Smithson, and Marcel Duchamp. | Prerequisite(s): Completion of first year writing requirements

The poems of John Ashbery and the art of Richard Serra confront the respective reader/viewer: find a methodology based upon the structural configuration of the poem and sculpture to enable a "reading" of the work. The works that will be addressed reject impressionistic, subjective commentary. The beauty of word or artifact is not applicable. Post-1900 non-referential sculptures and paintings will be juxtaposed with poems that disassociate themselves from narrative content, poems whose only subject matter is language configuration – even when there is apparent thematic material – poems of Robert Creeley, John Ashbery, Emily Dickinson, Robert Frost, Wallace Stevens, Amy Clampitt, Susan Howe, Michael Palmer, Clark Coolidge, and Louis Zukofsky. The poets so listed complement preoccupations of artists such as Mark di Suvero, David Smith, Richard Serra, Anthony Caro, Donald Judd, Carl Andre, Vito Acconci, Robert Smithson, and Marcel Duchamp. | Prerequisite(s): Completion of first year writing requirements

A workshop in writing fantasy, with extensive reading in the genre. | Prerequisites: Completion of first year writing requirements. Notes: Satisfies a HuSS elective.

An advanced course in English literature, open to all students, including those pursuing the cross-school English minor. | Prerequisites: EXPOS-UA 1 or EXPOS-UA 4. Notes: Satisfies a HuSS elective.

This course examines the implications of ethical questions posed in works of poetry, drama, and fiction. Attention will be paid to historical context. This course satisfies HUSS elective requirements. | Prerequisites: Completion of first year writing requirements

This course examines the implications of ethical questions posed in works of poetry, drama, and fiction. Attention will be paid to historical context. This course satisfies HUSS elective requirements and 3000-level writing intensive requirements for all Poly majors. | Prerequisites: Completion of first year writing requirements

In this seminar/workshop, students read a wide range of poetic forms or structures and practice making poems, focusing on the reading and composition of poems as forms of design. | Prerequisites: Completion of first year writing requirements.

Nature as an inspiration for writers is not new. Concern for the environment, both indoors and out-of-doors, is not new. Recently, however, the critical discipline of ecocriticism has emerged as a way to study the relation between the environment and poetry, drama, fiction, and non-fiction drawn from the traditional literary canon. This course will study some of those works and the many implications of this relationship. Works of art may supplement the readings. | Prerequisites: EXPOS-UA 1 or EXPOS-UA 4