Reminder: Essay #3 is due Tuesday, December 19 at 5:00 p.m.
All journal entries must be posted to Blackboard by 5:00 p.m. on the due date.
Journal #1 — Friday, September 1
The Middle Ages: What comes to mind? Are there certain images from popular books, television, film, video games or other media you tend to think of? Tell me about a piece of media you've engaged with set during the Middle Ages, featuring medieval characters, or inspired by the medieval period. Did you find it exciting? Intimidating? Unsettling? Boring? Why do you think it left you feeling this particular way?
Reflect on these questions, and record your response on Blackboard in 100-200 words.
Journal #2 — Friday, September 8
Paraphrasing Criticism: Using the template below as a guide, paraphrase Davies's article, "The Middle Ages as Property," which we read together in class, or a chapter from Whose Middle Ages? (This can be the chapter you present on this semester.). Essentially, your paraphrase should note the article or chapter's argument ("argues that"), evidence ("demonstrates" and "use"), and implications ("speaks to"). Your entry should be between 100 and 200 words.
Template:
In his/her/their article, "__________," X argues that __________. He/she/they demonstrates __________, which challenges __________. He/she/they use __________ to __________. X's argument speaks to __________ about the larger issue of __________.
Journal #3 — Friday, September 15
Assessing and Reflecting on Criticism: In class, we learned that annotations include a summary or paraphrase, an assessment, and a reflection. Briefly assess and reflect on one of the articles we've read in class together or a chapter from Whose Middle Ages? (This can be the same article or chapter you used last week.) You can use the template below as a guide, and your entry should be between 100 and 200 words.
Template:
X, an experienced __________, recognizes (or fails to recognize) __________ in his/her/their article. He/she/they hopes to __________ in his/her/their article.
This source is useful for me because it __________. I could use this source to support my own argument that __________ by highlighting __________.
Journal #4 — Friday, September 29
In Unit One, we learned about "inspectional reading." That's when we pre-read and skim to get a sense of what the text is about. This process asks who, what, when, where, and why?
Now, in Unit Two, we're moving into "analytical reading." The first step in the process of analytical reading is to "pigeonhole" the text. So, let's do this for Edward II, the text assigned for next week. In 100-200 words, answer the following questions:
1) What kind of text is Edward II? (Classify the text. Thing genre, but be specific.)
2) What is Edward II about? (This isn't a full plot summary. Keep it brief.)
3) How is the text structured? (Are there divisions?)
4) What is the problem or conflict in the text?
Journal #5 — Friday, October 6
We apply analytical skills to not only literary texts, but critical texts as well. This week, we're going to "come to terms" with an author. We looked at Bert Cardullo's "'Outing' Edward, Outfitting Marlowe: Derek Jarman's Film of Edward II" in class. Pick a paragraph from that article. We're going to unpack a term, locate a proposition, and discern the argument. We've practiced locating an author's argument in our annotations. Now, we're going to really dive in and find the argument in a specific paragraph.
In the paragraph you've selected, answer the following questions in 100-200 words.
1) What is a key term in the paragraph, and what does that term mean?
2) What is a key proposition, particularly one using this term (directly or indirectly)? Restate that proposition in your own words.
3) What is the author's argument in this paragraph? The proposition you've unpacked is evidence for this argument. Restate the argument in your own words.
Journal #6 — Friday, October 13
The midterm is Monday, October 17. We're going to finish our work on analytical reading in preparation for the midterm.
Suppose you wanted to write a paper on Don Quixote. How would you go about finding facts to better understand the text? What extrinsic aids might you use? Suppose you have a particular argument in mind for that paper based on your initial reading of the text. How would you go about finding ideas to help you unpack this?
Journal #7 — Friday, October 20
Select a passage from one of the texts we have read, are reading, or will read this semester. Now, pick a word you find particularly striking or compelling in that passage. Look that word up in the OED. (You may need to access it through the Fordham Library Resource Guide.) What can that word mean today? What did that word mean at the time the work was written and/or translated?* Are those meanings the same or different? Using the definitions of that word and the historical examples in the OED, how might earlier audiences have read that passage? What does the passage mean to you? In total, your journal entry should be between 150 and 300 words.
*Note: For works that were originally in a different language, you can focus on the Modern English translation for this Journal Entry. However, if you want to use part of this journal in your Close Reading Essay and have selected an earlier work or work in a different language, you can also write about the original language and that word's particular meaning. Feel free to see me after class, see me during office hours, or shoot me an email if that's the case, and I'll direct you to the original and its definition.
Journal #8 — Friday, October 27
Return to the word you selected for Journal #7. We're going to now examine the syntactic and thematic contexts where that word appears. How does the word fit into the sentence or line? How does it fit into the paragraph, stanza, chapter, or scene? What theme emerges from the episode?
For example, in "'Let it Come Down: On Banquo's Murder in Macbeth," John Henry unpacked the First Murderer's line "Let it come down" in Act 3, Scene 3. He noted that "it" is an impersonal pronoun that is open to interpretation. In the context of the line, "it com[ing] down" fits as a response to Banquo's previous line: "It will rain tonight." However, the subsequent action shows that the First Murderer does not mean literal rain. And, when we examine other possible meanings, the theme of some supernatural, doomed fate comes to light.
In 200-300 words, consider a possible theme (thematic) that emerges when you read a particular word (semantic) in the context of a the text surrounding that word (syntactic).
Journal #9 — Friday, November 10
Select a text we have read, are reading, or will read in class. Pick two passages in the text where a character, place, thing, or idea/concept are described and then described again. This is iteration. How does the second iteration or description change? How is it different from the first? Does this re-iteration draw your attention to a particular theme? Does it indicate or complicate the genre?
In total, your journal entry should be between 150 and 300 words.
Journal #10 — Friday, November 17
Return to the text you selected for Journal #9. What genre is that text? (Remember our analytical reading exercises? How would we classify this text?). How does that genre limit meaning in the iterations you discussed for Journal #9. In other words, what are some examples of meanings that would not be possible because of the text's genre? How does the text push the limits of its genre, though? In other words, where - if the author pushed the text a tad further - might we not believe them within the context of the world they've created?
Your journal entry should be between 150 and 300 words.
Journal #11 — Friday, December 1
In class, we discussed finding secondary sources that can inform and support our close readings. Find one academic source (e.g., a journal article or book chapter) that could help you better understand the literary text you're writing about for Essay #2. What kind of source have you chosen? How can this source frame how you read the literary text? What is the source's argument? (Note: As we discussed, even if your source is a collection of data, there can still be an implicit argument; you may just need to articulate it.) How could the source's argument inform one of your own propositions about the text?
Your journal entry should be between 100 and 200 words.
Journal #12 — Friday, December 8
You've written two short close reading essays. In the second essay, you considered the perspective of another scholar in your own interpretation, but now you're going to join the conversation! Don't worry, though: you are informed. In addition to the source you used for Essay #2, you paraphrased four pieces of criticism for your Annotated Bibliography. You also presented a piece of criticism to class. Further, we've read criticism every week this semester.
Think about all of those voices and arguments. How can you forge a conversation here in writing and join it? In class we discussed ways for bringing this conversation to life in your paper. Three possible ways to start with what others are saying include (1) summarizing their arguments, (2) describing how their arguments inform your method of reading, and (3) saying who cares and why it matters. This is not an exhaustive list, of course, but these are useful ways to start.
Using one of the templates below, put a couple of the critics' arguments together and join that conversation, noting your own position/contribution. Your journal entry should be between 150 and 300 words.
Summary
In discussions of _________, one issue scholars continue to grapple with is _________. X argues that _________ in their book _________. Y echoes this position, saying that _________. Z maintains that _________. My view is that _________ but/because _________.
Methodology
X's theory/argument that _________ is useful for considering _________ because it sheds light on _________. Indeed, Y says that _________. Since this text concerns __________, I propose reading it through this lens.
Who cares? What's at stake?
Scholars agree that __________. For instance, X argues that _________ in her article _________. As she herself puts it, "_________." Y supports her argument; he says that _________. In other words. _________.
If we are to _________, then we should _________.
Content
For the Annotated Bibliography, you will use the Chicago Manual of Style (CMOS) as your citation style. Refer to Owl Purdue’s Chicago Style Guide for formatting your bibliographic entries. Note: This is not MLA or APA.
For the annotations themselves, refer to the Owl Purdue Annotated Bibliography Guide. Annotations have three possible parts: 1) Summary, 2) Assessment, and 3) Reflection. The annotation for each of your sources must summarize, but they must also assess, reflect, or assess and reflect. In other words, you must do at least two of the three possible parts, but you can do all three. Use the samples provided on the Owl Purdue site as a guide. (You may also use the templates from Chapter 1 of They Say / I Say for help in summarizing.)
Your annotated bibliography must contain four sources/annotations. You may select those four from the following readings:
• Headley’s “Introduction” to Beowulf: A New Translation
• Any chapter from Whose Middle Ages? (You can use multiple chapters from Whose Middle Ages?)
• Davies’s “The Middle Ages as Property: Beowulf, Translation, and the Ghosts of Nationalism”
• Thomas's “Remembering the Old North in Ninth- and Tenth-Century Wales”
The point here is to consider sources for use in a hypothetical research paper. Each annotation should be roughly 200 to 300 words. In total, then, your annotated bibliography should be between 800 and 1,200 words, or 3-4 pages.
Format
Your submission must be a Word doc. The document’s margins must be one inch. The font should be Times New Roman, 12 pt. The document should be double-spaced.
Deadline
Your annotated bibliography must be uploaded to Blackboard by Friday, September 22 at 5:00 p.m.
The midterm exam is on Tuesday, October 17 at 8:30 a.m.
The midterm exam is a reflection of your journey through Units One and Two. This isn't a test of rote memorization of literary texts, but rather an exploration of your reading and analytical processes. As such, this is an in-person blue book exam.
The exam is not open-book. However, for questions that require engagement with specific literary texts or criticism, relevant excerpts will be provided. You won't need to recall exact passages, but you'll be expected to demonstrate your understanding and critical thinking skills.
You'll be asked to write both short answers and longer essay responses. These questions are designed to assess your ability to engage with, interpret, and contextualize both literary texts and criticism in the light of the themes we've explored.
As you prepare, think not just about the texts themselves, but about the lens through which you view them. How do you approach, decipher, and relate to the narratives or arguments in a text? More broadly, how do you begin to approach, decipher, and relate to unfamiliar texts?
This is an exam to demonstrate your growth as readers and thinkers, not just your memory. Approach texts intentionally; then, dive deep into those texts, let your thoughts evolve, and most importantly, enjoy the process!
Essay #1 – The Semantic, Syntactic, and Thematic Contexts
Content
The semantic context refers to the range of possible meanings an individual word (or individual words, plural) can have. The syntactic context refers to the effects generated by the order or arrangement of words. The thematic context refers to the idea(s) being explored.
To analyze the semantic context, you can look at the situation in the passage; you can look up the historical meanings in the OED (Oxford English Dictionary); or, you can consider whether the language is figurative, using metaphor, metonymy, simile, synecdoche, etc.
To analyze the syntactic context, you can consider the grammatical structure, particularly a sentence’s clause order; or, you can consider the sentence order within a paragraph (e.g., Is there a series? Is there repetition? Is there contrast?)
To analyze the thematic context, you interpret, based on your consideration of the semantic and syntactic and your own existing knowledge.
Now, pick one of the texts we have read or are going to read this semester. You will write a short essay that considers the semantic, syntactic, and thematic contexts of a short passage from that text.
Feel free to use Journals #7 and #8 as a starting point and include that work in your essay. You are not required to, though, if you’d prefer to go in a different direction.
State your thesis first. What are you arguing about this passage? (E.g., X’s soliloquy speaks to [theme]; the description of X in episode Y shows [theme]; or, the play on the meaning of X and use of metaphor allows Y to be interpreted as [theme] as well as [theme].) This does not need to be a grand thesis! The more narrow, the better! Focus on the passage itself! What do you notice?
Now, support that thesis with evidence for your argument that considers semantics, syntax, and theme. You do not need to do outside research beyond possible use of the OED. Focus on the passage itself! Read it closely, describe what you notice, and interpret it accordingly. (If you do use the OED, make sure to cite properly!) In total, your Close Reading should be between 1,200 and 1,500 words (4-5 pages).
Format
Your submission must be a Microsoft Word doc. The margins must be one inch. The font should be Times New Roman, 12 pt. The document should be double-spaced.
Deadline
Your essay must be submitted on Blackboard by Friday, November 3 at 5:00 p.m.
Revisions
If you want to bring your essay grade up, you can schedule an appointment with the Writing Center to discuss revisions. If you choose to revise, you must send me the revised essay by Tuesday, November 21 at 5:00 p.m.
Essay #2 – The Iterative, Generic, and Adversarial Contexts
Content
The iterative context refers to the ways repetition and patterning affect meaning. The generic context refers to the way the kind of work (its genre) affects how we read. The adversarial context refers to the ways historical, political, and/or theoretical concerns shape (or reshape) meaning.
In Journal #9, you analyzed how iteration (repetition) can draw the reader’s attention to particular ideas or themes. I also asked you to consider whether or not the repetition indicates or complicates the genre of the work. In other words, is the author using repetition to exploit the conventions of the genre, or does the repetition perhaps make the piece seem a bit unsettled, as though it’s not a “proper” epic poem, history play, romantic novel, etc.?
Our critical readings have all addressed the adversarial context; they consider history, politics, and/or theory in their readings of literary works. For example, Davies considers how early approaches to reading and translating works like “Beowulf” were colored by nationalism. Henry says that in Macbeth, Shakespeare clearly intended “Let it come down” to mean “raining blood” because it was a trope available to him in his sources, and he exploited it for theatrical effect on the Elizabeth stage. Cardullo says that Jarmon’s 1991 film adaptation of Edward II was more in the political spirit of Marlowe’s original play than most stagings, even though the film’s aesthetic is classic New Queer Cinema with a gay rights politics figured heavily into the imagery.
Now, you’ll write a short essay that considers the iterative, generic, and/or adversarial contexts of a short passage of your own choosing in one of the literary texts we have read or will read this semester.
Feel free to use Journals #9, #10, and #11 as a starting point and include any/all of that work in your essay. You are not required to, though, if you’d prefer to go in a different direction.
State your thesis first. Then, read a passage closely, considering at least two of the following: iterative, generic, and/or adversarial. You do not have to do all three. If you do want to consider the adversarial (the historical, political, or theoretical), you can absolutely use an article we’ve read or discussed in class as evidence. (In fact, you probably should!) If you don’t want to do the adversarial, you do not need to do outside research if you don’t want to.
In total, this close reading should be between 1,200 and 1,500 words (4-5 pages).
Format
Your submission must be a Microsoft Word doc. The margins must be one inch. The font should be Times New Roman, 12 pt. The document should be double-spaced.
Deadline
Your essay must be submitted on Blackboard by Tuesday, December 5 at 5:00 p.m.
Revisions
If you want to bring your essay grade up, you can schedule an appointment with the Writing Center to discuss revisions. If you choose to revise, you must send me the revised essay by Friday, December 15 at 5:00 p.m.
Essay #3 – The Academic Conversation
Content
For Journal #12, you related three pieces of literary criticism, putting them in conversation with one another. I asked you to briefly paraphrase key propositions from each and make an argument (a thesis statement) with a particular literary text (or texts) in mind. Do you agree, disagree, or “agree but” with these authors? Now, I want you to flesh out your own argument a bit. Think about the different ways we can read a text – the different contexts. Then, describe how a particular passage (or passages) supports your argument – the argument you’re making in conversation with these other scholars.
You can use work from your Annotated Bibliography to summarize what “they say,” and you can pull from one of your own close readings to more clearly articulate what you say (“I say”). You are also free to start from scratch with brand new ideas, but do not feel as though you should.
This paper is about synthesis. We are reading syntopically and in conversation with others! And that work happens when we go back, reread others, and revise our own written ideas.
In total, this essay should be between 600 and 1,000 words (2-3 pages).
Format
Your submission must be a Microsoft Word doc. The margins must be one inch. The font should be Times New Roman, 12 pt. The document should be double-spaced.
Deadline
Your essay must be submitted on Blackboard by Tuesday, December 19 at 5:00 p.m
Revision
Note: Tuesday, December 19 is the absolute deadline for this paper. HOWEVER, if you want extra points added to your grade, you can send me a draft by Tuesday, December 12, and I’ll provide feedback for you to incorporate into your final submission.
Please sign up for your preferred presentation date/text on this form. Select a first, second, and third choice.
In-Class Presentations
Each Tuesday, one or two students will give in-class presentations. These presentations will be on a chapter from the book Whose Middle Ages? This is not a pair/group project, though. Each student will present separately, so there is no need to collaborate. You can write a script for your presentation or prepare notes and speak extemporaneously. If you want, you can prepare a handout, a PowerPoint presentation, or some other visual aid, but you are not required to do so. This can just be a talk. If you are uncomfortable presenting in front of the class, you may even pre-record a video presentation to be watched by the class instead. (You’ll learn that academic talks take all these forms.)
Your presentation should be no more than five minutes long, and you should be prepared to engage in a Q&A/discussion afterwards. (If you pre-record a video, you should still be prepared to engage in a brief discussion afterwards.)
When reading the text and preparing your presentation, consider the following:
Who is the author?
What is the author’s argument?
What evidence do they use to support their argument?
What is the significance of or reasons why the discussion is important?
Does the article relate to anything else we’ve read in class?
What else does the chapter call to mind for you personally?
Use the exercises we did in class writing annotations as well as your own Annotated Bibliography to help prepare for your presentation.