Standard syllabus
Intro to literature · Undergraduate · English / Reading / Writing
Topics
Close reading and genre
- Practice close reading of poetry, fiction, and drama
- Use literary vocabulary precisely (imagery, irony, narrative voice, etc.)
- Analyze how form generates meaning
- Compare genre conventions and expectations
- Situate readings with light historical context as assigned
- Distinguish interpretation from plot summary
Interpretation and theory intro
- Develop defensible interpretive theses
- Support claims with well-chosen textual evidence
- Engage secondary criticism carefully (intro)
- Survey critical approaches as taught (formalism, feminist, etc.)
- Discuss texts in seminar with prepared questions
- Reflect on how identity and context shape reading
Writing about literature
- Write short close-reading papers
- Produce a longer literary analysis essay
- Integrate quotations with MLA citation
- Revise for argument coherence
- Avoid plagiarism and over-reliance on online summaries
- Present an oral interpretation or paper abstract as required
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$60.00 · 60 min · Undergraduate · Online ($60/hr)
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