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Today in World Literature, we're going to take a stab at connecting Petrarchan lyric verse to South Asian vernacular devotional lyric--I asked students to write in their journals about similarities and/or differences they noted, so I really want to have a chance to discuss their ideas. I want to start, though, by going over the …
Continue reading "Petrarchan conventions, South Asian vernacular poetry"
I felt very good about the way EN203 went this afternoon--what a great way to start the new term! I've got a pretty full class, though a handful of folks were missing today, and about 7 or so students contributed something to the conversation. We discussed the syllabus, as per usual, and I went over …
Continue reading "Introducing the “Renaissance” in World Literature"
Tomorrow I will meet for the first time with two of my three classes, EN203: World Literature 1450-1800, and EN240: Introduction to Visual and Cultural Study. I've had the real pleasure of teaching EN203 a few times before, so I'm looking forward to adding some new texts and removing a couple I've grown--how shall I …
Instead of lecturing on the introduction--part of my larger goals this term to avoid lecture as much as possible, in favor of stimulating discussion that works outwards from the text--I'd like to focus our class time on Petrarch's letter in which he describes the mountainous ascent he undertakes with his brother, as well as some …
Continue reading "Petrarch, Interiority, and the Tensions between Earthly and Spiritual"
I'm determined, this term, to not fall into either the 1.) going-over-the-syllabus-the-first-day cop-out or the 2.) jump-right-in-to-lecture cop-out, both of which so often become standards (usually because we're so busy prepping courses, finishing syllabi, or participating in the pipe-dream of having all the basic course plans for the entire rest of the term in some …
One of my favorite readings of the term, Eliza Haywood's Fantomina. We had three presentations, and the essays the students presented did give us a good context for discussion; however, one student used a non-scholarly source, and I'm pretty sure another didn't actually read Haywood (at least, he didn't have the copy with him...)! I'm …
In world literature, we went over the Reply to Sor Filotea, which I was incredibly surprised to note that so many students had actually enjoyed! I thought it would be a "meh" reading, but it seemed to strike a note. In future classes, I'd like to be able to spend more time on it, and …
We're just beginning Tartuffe in EN203, and I think that students will be very interested in the play over the next meetings. In class, I went over some of the essential introductory context information, specifically the cultural and historical contexts of the "Enlightenment," and then considered the resonance between that context and first reactions to …
Finally having gotten miterm grades in, I took a bit of a breather, relaxed, and contemplated the last month and a half of classes. It seems to have gone so much more quickly than I thought at all possible, but there you have it! I'm immensely enjoying my world lit survey course, and the class …
So, this week was crazy with conferences.... I am utterly exhausted. Today, in lieu of class, I conferenced with my survey students for 15 minutes a piece, mostly about their first essay assignment. I asked everyone to bring in drafts, emphasizing that I could best help if I had something to go on, but only …
Continue reading "World Literature Survey, Individual Conferences"
Tonya Howe 