Milton
Litt-3106-001
Spring 2008
TR 6:00-7:50
meeting as evening falls in lovely F-245
Thomas Kinsella
kinsella@earthlink.net
J-230, Ext. 4419
Office Hours: TR 2:45-4:45; and by appointment.
I'm on campus most days.
This is a Writing-Across-The-Curriculum-Course.
Required Texts
John Milton. Selected Poems. Penguin, 2007. ISBN: 978-0-140-42441-6
John Milton. Paradise Lost. Ed. Barbara K. Lewalski. Blackwell, 2007. ISBN: 978-1-4051-2929-9
Further Suggested Readings
From Dartmouth's Milton's Reading Room
"Areopagitica"
"Of Education"
Milton Weblog
http://titania.stockton.edu/Milton/
Goals & Focus of Course
The first goal of this course is to enable all participants to engage in close and intelligent reading of John Milton's poetry. Appropriate biographical, historical, and cultural details will be discussed along with various critical and theoretical approaches. Most importantly, we will consider the intrinsic artistry of Milton's poetry, striving for careful and sensitive aesthetic readings.
The second goal is for students to present intelligent readings of Milton's poetry through well-constructed critical writing. The expectations of this course are high.
Course Policies
Excellent attendance is mandatory. More than 3 absences and your grade will drop one full letter grade; more than 5 and it will drop two.
Understand that computer assignments cannot be done at the last moment. I intend to rigorously enforce the due dates in this syllabus. You will need to plan accordingly. If you need extra help, ask for it. E-mail is an excellent way to contact me.
All writing should be error-free. You are expected to proofread for typographical, spelling, mechanical, and grammatical errors. On take home examinations and essays, I will mark down substantially for mechanical and grammatical errors. Proofread and revise vigorously.
It is not my responsibility to make sure that you have handed in all assignments; it is yours.
Academic Honesty
The Literature program expects students to maintain the highest standard of academic honesty. Please review Stockton's Academic Honesty Policy, which can be found in the Student Handbook. You should also make yourself familiar with the penalties for violations of the policy and your rights as a student.
All work that you turn in must be your own. Please be aware that plagiarism (one form of academic dishonesty) includes, but may not be limited to, using all or part of a source, either directly or in paraphrase, either intentionally or unintentionally, whether that source is published, or online, or taken from a fellow or former student, without proper acknowledgment. If you are found to have plagiarised, intentionally, or unintentionally, you will face serious consequences, as follows:
1. If this is the first time the student has been found to have plagiarized, he/she will receive an "F" for that paper or assignment and/or the course.
2. For second offenses of plagiarism, the student will receive an F for the course.
3. Whenever possible, a student who is found to have plagiarized a paper or assignment, in full or in part, should meet with the professor of the class for which the paper is written in order to review and discuss the suspect work.
Additionally, in accordance with Stockton College policy, literature faculty will report all instances of plagiarism to the Provost of Academic Affairs. Students may be subject to discipline by the college, such as being placed on academic probation or expelled.
If it is the final assignment that is plagiarized, although I will not necessarily meet with the student, I will report the incident to the Provost of Academic Affairs. If you have any questions about plagiarism, I will be glad to discuss them with you.
Email
Email is the best way to contact me. Please remember to provide a coherent subject line. Also, remember to include your name in the text of the email.
January
22 Introduction; "Song: On May Morning"; Video: Milton by Himself.
24 "On the Death of a Fair Infant Dying of a Cough"; meter and form.
29 "On the Morning of Christ's Nativity"; meter and form. Deadline to drop course with 100% refund.
31 "On the Morning of Christ's Nativity"; Friday February 1st is the deadline to file for Spring 2008 graduation application without financial penalty.
February
05 "On Shakespeare"; Take home examination handed out.
07 "On the University Carrier"; "Another on the Same" (copy supplied).
12 "L'Allegro" and "Il Penseroso."
14 "L'Allegro" and "Il Penseroso."
19 Take home examination on all poems to date due; "L'Allegro" and "Il Penseroso."
21 "Sonnet VII: How Soon Hath Time," "On Time," "When I Consider How My Light is Spent"; Introduction to Paradise Lost. Friday February 22 is the deadline to withdraw from a full-term course with a 50% refund.
26 A period of illness and plague attacks the professor of this course. He is staggered. The remaining class opens its "Great Consult."
28 The period of illness and plague continues; the "Great Consult" appears to have come to a conclusion.
March
04 Paradise Lost I; you should have read the introduction to Lewaski's edition by this date.
06 Paradise Lost II.
11
Paradise Lost III.
13 Paradise Lost IV; "The Bible, Religion, and Spirituality in Paradise Lost by Achsah Guibbory.
18 Spring Break.
20 Spring Break.
25 Paradise Lost V and VI.
27 Paradise Lost; first essay on Paradise Lost due. Paradise Lost VI and VII.
April
01 Preceptorial Advising.
03 Paradise Lost VII and VIII.
08 Paradise Lost IX.
10 Paradise Lost X; "Gender, Sex, and Marriage in Paradise" by Karen L. Edwards.
15 Paradise Lost XI and XII.
17 Paradise Lost; second take home examination handed out. April 18th is the deadline to withdraw from a full-term course with a W grade; final deadline to file for Spring 2008 graduation application.
22 "Lycidas"; "The Lives of Lycidas" by Paul Alpers.
24 Second essay on Paradise Lost due; "Lycidas"; further remarks on poems written before Paradise Lost.
29 Samson Agonistes
May
01 Samson Agonistes; "The Nightmare of History: Samson Agonistes" by Louis Schwartz.
06 Take home examination on "Lycidas" and Samson Agonistes due. Spring Term Classes End.
Evaluation
1st take home exam 20%
1st essay on Paradise Lost 20%
2nd essay on Paradise Lost 30%
2nd take home exam 15%
Weblog Project 15%
First Take Home Examination. This examination will ask students to consider several questions calculated to elicit careful and detailed readings of several of Milton's earlier poems. The keys to a successful examination include close and intelligent readings, well-structured arguments, and prose that is mechanically correct, precise and concise.
First Essay on Paradise Lost. A six to eight page essay considering a well-focused aspect of literary significance within the first four books of Paradise Lost. Again, successful essays will convey close and intelligent readings through detailed arguments and prose that is mechanically correct, precise and concise. If outside sources are used, appropriate citation is mandatory.
Second Essay on Paradise Lost. A ten page essay considering a second, well-focused aspect of literary significance within Paradise Lost. If you contact me during office hours (or at another appointed time), I will be happy to review essay proposals or partial drafts for this important essay. Use of some outside sources is expected, although not necessary. Appropriate citation is mandatory.
Second Take Home Examination. This examination will ask students to consider questions on the final two readings. As with all other commentary within the course, close and defensible readings are expected.
Milton Aloud Weblog Project. Reading Milton's poetry aloud is essential to a careful understanding of his artistry. Accordingly, students will work both in groups to place large portions of Paradise Lost on line in oral form. During the initial weeks of the semester, I will provide a list of in-class reading (dates when individual students will be expected to read from 30 to 40 lines of poetry aloud to the class); it is expected that you will complete your assigned reading on the assigned date. Groups will be responsible for practice in reading and then recording individual books in Paradise Lost. Readings are not expected to be perrfect, but they are expected to be good, and will be graded according to their quality. Finished recordings will be given to me (on a cd or thumb drive) and I will place them on the class weblog. Additionally, students are expected to record at least one 2 to 3 minute commentary on Paradise Lost, which will also be uploaded to the weblog. I will be happy to help students record these shorter commentaries; make an appointment to see me during office hours and bring along a script of your commentary.