ENGL 2330: Poetry: The Greatest Hits (Grady)
Time / Format: In-Person; Monday & Wednesday, 9:30-10:45
Topic: Narrative Before Novels
Before the invention of the novel in the 18th century, the default literary mode for telling stories in English was poetry, not prose. In this course we will investigate that extensive archive of narrative poetry, touching on some epic and less-than-epic stories from across the ages that feature monsters, devils, love, war, and iambic pentameter. We will explore their literary elements—often governed by quite strict expectations—and the cultural and historical contexts that also helped shape them. Plus maybe we’ll read some sonnets. This course satisfies the core curriculum requirement for the Literature in English area.
