Autumn 2009     Call Number: 27001     Credit/Hours:UG 5
Instructor: Knapp      Location: Denney Hall 206
Days: Tuesday, Thursday
Start Time: 9:30am     Length: 2 Hours

Course Description:

Study of the history of literary criticism and of special topics in critical theory. Study of the developments and basic texts in literary criticism and critical theory from Plato to Oscar Wilde. 2 2-hr cl.
What is the nature of literature? What is the purpose of interpretation? This course will introduce students to key classical explorations of these problems, through a survey of texts and thinkers from Plato and Aristotle to Coleridge and Nietzsche. To give focus to such a wide survey, we will linger a bit on three particularly fascinating moments: first, the rise of literary theory in Greek antiquity; second, experiments with allegorical reading in the Middle Ages; and, third, the rise of Romantic literary criticism in England and Germany. This course should be of interest to students focusing in theory, in any of these historical periods, or any considering graduate work. The text for this class will be Hazard Adams, Critical Theory Since Plato, supplemented with two short novels as our case studies. Requirements will include a midterm, final, quizzes and final paper.