Introduction to Literature
MODULE CODE
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Module Aims
Aim 1
Introduce all students to English literary studies at undergraduate level.
Aim 2
Provide all students with an initial encounter with the study of the principal literary genres: poetry, fiction and drama.
Aim 3
Introduce students to models of literary theory and to consider ways of reading texts
Aim 4
Facilitate the assessment of each student’s potential to progress in the study of Literature
Aim 5
Enable students to recognise the importance of historical and cultural contexts.
Aim 6
Enable students to acquire skills and confidence in reading, speaking, and writing about ‘literature’, however that is defined.
Module Content
Students will read and discuss a selection of poems, prose fiction and drama, from the early modern period to the present day. The introduction to drama may include the viewing and discussion of film texts.
The module will compare and contrast a range of literary works and introduce various significant contexts for the study of literature. The module will also provide the opportunity to discuss the construction and constitution of the subject ‘English Literature’.
Learning Outcomes
On successful completion of this module, a student will be able to:
Teaching Methods
This module is delivered through a range of lecture, seminars, workshops and review session, including film showings and documentaries. We will also make use of online resources, including digital archives as primary resources, as well as scholarly articles for your research. Lectures will foreground the wider theoretical and generic issues appropriate to the module, and seminars will follow up these issues with reference to specific texts (both primary and secondary), providing the opportunity for more detailed application and discussion of these debates. Workshops will be an opportunity for you to participate in the delivery of learning information, through your own presentations and through informal exercises set by your tutor. In seminars and workshop sessions, you will be expected to offer opinions, listen to the opinions of others, and debate key points that enhance your understanding of the literary texts and its importance to academic study. In seminars, therefore, you develop key skills in debating, critical thinking, close reading, analysis and negotiation, as well as subject-specific knowledge and understanding.
Assessment Methods
This module is assessed through one Critical commentary and one Research essay.
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Compulsory
Optional
