ENGL 4200: 17th century poetry
Dr. Lilly Berberyan
Dr. Lilly Berberyan
Dr. Lilly Berberyan
Email: BerberyanL@nsula.edu
Bookings Page for Appointments
Google Voice: (318) 228-1971
ENGL 4200 is an intensive study of 17th century English poetry. In addition to engaging with poets and their work, we will consider how these poets work in networks of influence and patronage. While John Donne inspires metaphysical poetry, Ben Jonson influences a group of poets who call themselves "the sons of Ben." Mary Sidney Herbert both produces her own poetry but also plays a pivotal role as a patron in supporting the creations of other poets. Poets respond to the political upheavals in and to scientific developments. From the personal to the political, poetry becomes the medium of choice.
The following textbook is available at the NSULA bookstore:
Seventeenth-Century British Poetry, 1603-1660. Edited by John P. Rumrich and Gregory Chaplin. W. W. Norton. ISBN: 978-0-393-97998-5
Additional readings will be posted as PDFs
Because this is an online course, you will need to have access to the following technology/ apps to be able to meet the SLOs below and complete your work:
Computer and Reliable Internet Connection: While many tasks can be completed on mobile devices, I would strongly suggest using a computer for completing your coursework because computers will ultimately streamline your experience and work (AND! You won't have to type up an entire paper on your phone!).
Email: I will use Moodle and Email to communicate with you.
Microsoft Teams: Your student account at NSU gives you access to Microsoft Teams. If you haven't already downloaded Microsoft Teams on your computer and phone, I would recommend doing so.
Perusall: Perusall is a social annotation and discussion tool that allows students to work through a text together. You will need to create an account on Perusall (while it is not integrated with your university login information, you can use your NSU address. Links and detailed instructions are available on Moodle.
Syllabus: This syllabus is compatible with computers as well as electronic devices. Please bookmark this page and refer to it weekly to keep track of the work you need to complete.
Moodle: While all of the tools above will help us throughout the semester, Moodle is where all of your work, your grades, and assignments will be posted. Please check Moodle often!
Students who complete this course will be able to:
Develop knowledge of seventeenth century poetry and relevant scholarship
Demonstrate orally, in writing, or by some other means a fundamental ability to use some of the techniques and/or methods of literary analysis
Identify and/ or describe some of the various social, historical, cultural, and/or theoretical contexts in which literary texts have been written and interpreted.
Apply theoretical texts in the development of textual interpretation and analysis
Practice and improve advanced research and information literacy skills, applying scholarly research methods to course content; and
Develop critical arguments that at once represent individual insight and engage effectively with numerous critical voices of systems of scholarship
Your final grade will be calculated out of a possible 1000 points:
Responses (x 10) 250
Lecture Slides/Videos 150
Final Project 100
Commonplace Book 300
Discussions/ Annotations 200
Total: 1000
Assignment prompts, with detailed explanation of the assignment above, will be available on Moodle.
A: 900-1000
B: 800-899.9
C: 700-799.9
D: 600-699.9
F: 0-599.9
Please check Moodle regularly for your grades and let me know if you have any questions or concerns about your grade!
Attendance and Participation: You are expected to log in to Moodle regularly and to keep up with all assignments and readings at least once a week. If you fail to log in to the course Moodle page for a week or several weeks, you are still responsible for completing the work you missed and staying current. Should you need to miss time from the course, you should consult with me ahead of time about what will be missed and make all reasonable efforts to submit the assignments before the absence.
Email: Email is the best way to reach me outside of office hours. I will normally respond within 48 hours, except for weekends, evenings, and university holidays. If you haven't heard back from me within this time, please re-send the message.
Incomplete Policy: The university policy regarding the grade of Incomplete (I) is that it be used only for students who were passing the course prior to a documented emergency communicated in advance and agreed to by the professor. Should you find yourself unable to complete the coursework because of an emergency, you should contact the professor before the semester has ended to discuss possible options for completing the course. Incompletes will be dealt with on a case-by-case basis and will depend solely upon the professor’s discretion.
Late Work: Usually, assignments in a given week's Module will be due on by 11:59PM on Sunday; I will typically grade your submission on the following Tuesday. All assignments submitted AFTER the assignment has been graded will accrue a late penalty of 10% for each day it is late (including weekends and holidays)
The information below is an overview of the assignments you'll submit throughout the semester; more detailed information and detailed assignment prompts will be available on Moodle.
Perusall Annotations/ Discussions (200 points): Perusall is an online tool that will allow you to collectively annotate and have a discussion about each week's readings. You will need to create an account on Perusall and join my class (links and more information available on Moodle). You will be graded on your active participation of the readings.
Lectures/ Videos (150 points): Once you've had a chance to read each week's readings, be sure to review the lecture materials (in the form of narrated Powerpoints and Youtube videos). Moodle keeps track of your engagement with course materials so you do not need to submit anything to me for this category.
Commonplace Book (300 points): The Commonplace Book is a project that you will work on throughout the semester: each week, you will select at least two passages from the week's readings and include them in your Commonplace Book. You will turn in your Commonplace Book along with a Reflection Note at the end of the semester. Please see Moodle for a detailed assignment prompt.
Responses (250 points): Throughout the semester, you will compose 10 Responses: these assignments will allow you to practice writing in various genres. Assignment prompts will be posted on Moodle.
Seminar Paper/Final Project (100 points): At the end of semester, you will write a research paper on a topic of your choosing (approximately 5-7 pages long): your Discussions posts, Commonplace Book, and Responses will help you generate a topic. A more detailed prompt will be posted on Moodle.
The guidelines below are suggestions that should help you for all of your classes: these suggestions are based on my own experience as student and a professor.
Be kind to others and yourself: Whether this is your first or last semester in college, you are in for something new: the global pandemic is a situation that none of us have dealt with before. Your first priority in this context should be your overall well-being: this includes mental, physical, and emotional health. I have included links to some of the resources (on Moodle) available to you as a student at NSULA, as well as some tools and resources that might help you best navigate the challenging situation we find ourselves in.
Communicate early and often: If you're having a hard time keeping up with the class or understanding any of the texts we're discussing, please let me know ASAP. I am better able to help you early on in the semester: if you wait until the second half of the semester to address your concerns, it may be too late!
Take advantage of Student Hours and Check-In Sessions: I will hold regular Student Hours and Weekly Check-Ins to best meet your educational needs. Please take advantage of these resources!
Read any emails and announcements: I try to keep emails to a minimum so as not to inundate your mailbox. That being said, I frequently communicate important information with you. Please take the time to read any emails you receive from me.
Complete all assignments: The assignments in this class range from smaller Tasks and Discussion Boards to Exams. It is imperative that you complete all of the assignments for two reasons: 1) the smaller assignments are meant to help you out with the larger ones and 2) the assignments that make up a smaller portion of your final grade do eventually add up to influence your final grade.
Have a Plan: Keep a planner/ schedule. This can be something like a physical planner or an app, but you should have some kind of a tool that you can use to keep track of all of your assignments/ obligations in your various classes.
Weekly Participation: Please plan to log into the class Moodle at least once a week; ideally, you'll log in a few times a week to complete assignments and communicate with me and your peers. In the case of an illness or an emergency that would prevent you from completing your work, please let me know ASAP.
Watch Lecture Videos: Each week's readings will be accompanied by lectures (in the form of Youtube videos or narrated PowerPoints): it is imperative that you watch these videos. I will regularly check your activity reports to make sure you're viewing these materials.
Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and Office of Accessibility and Disability Support
Northwestern State University and the Office of Accessibility and Disability Support (OADS) are committed to making students with disabilities full participants in university programs, services, and activities through its compliance with Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 and the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) of 1990. For further information the services offered through the OADS, please refer to page 47 in the 2021-2022 University Catalog, or visit: https://www.nsula.edu/disabilitysupport/
Student Academic Honesty Statement
If knowledge is to be properly evaluated, it must be pursued under conditions free from deceit and misrepresentation, which are incompatible with the fundamental activity of this academic institution. Northwestern State University expects students to fulfill academic requirements independently and with integrity. Academic integrity is founded on values of honesty, trust, fairness, respect, and responsibility. Violations include, for example, cheating or deception in any form, plagiarism (including duplicity), misuse of resources, falsification, and facilitating another student’s academic dishonesty. Acts of academic dishonesty violate the ethical principles of the University community and compromise work completed by others. For violations of academic honesty, a student may receive a grade of zero on the assignment and/or a grade of F in the class and will be referred to the Office of Accountability & Student Conduct to create a disciplinary record and/or receive any additional sanctions. For further information on Academic Honesty, please refer to pages 35-36 of the 2021-2022 University Catalog. For a comprehensive description of Academic Infractions, refer to Article 4 Section 1 of the Student Handbook which includes:
1.1 Cheating or deception in any form: Misrepresenting one’s mastery of course content or experiential learning as a requirement for a course (i.e., internship, field work, practicum, service-learning, student teaching, clinical experience, etc.).
1.2 Plagiarism (including duplicity): Misrepresenting another’s words, ideas, phrases, sentences, or data as one’s own; the failure to properly acknowledge source material with citations and references; or the submission for credit substantially unchanged work in more than one course.
1.3 Misuse of resources: Acquiring or distributing, without permission, any academic material, which includes stealing, selling, posting, buying, blackmailing, or otherwise accessing or sharing any content used to fulfill academic requirements.
1.4 Falsification: Submitting false information to deceive, including substituting for another person, or permitting another person to substitute for oneself, using another’s identification, or forging proctor information.
1.5 Facilitating another student’s academic dishonesty: Collaborating, conspiring, or cooperating to fulfill academic requirements so as to misrepresent individual effort and knowledge.
Sexual Harassment & Assault
Northwestern State University is committed to eliminating sexual misconduct in our community, advocating for students who have experienced sexual assault or sexual harassment, and respecting the rights of both complainants and respondents. Northwestern State prohibits discrimination and sexual misconduct on the basis of sex, which includes sexual harassment, sexual assault, dating violence, domestic violence, stalking, and coercion. NSU also prohibits discrimination based on sexual orientation, gender identity, or gender expression. This policy includes protection for women, men, and all members of the LGBTQIA+ community. Reporting and Assistance: NSU strongly advocates reporting sex discrimination, sexual assault, intimate-partner violence, or sexual harassment. If a student discloses an incident, they will learn options for assistance, such as health and wellbeing counseling, residence and class accommodations, and options for filing complaints or criminal charges. Disclosure to University personnel will not obligate the complainant to file a grievance or criminal charge, nor will it subject the complainant to scrutiny or judgmental opinions.
Students have two options:
1. Reporting to the Title IX Coordinator, Christie Price (318) 357-5570 or University Police (318) 357-5431. For emergencies or a 24/7 Confidential Advisor, please call University Police.
2. Confidential Disclosure to Campus Counselor or Confidential Advisor (318) 357-5621
For a comprehensive list of parish-wide resources for assistance, please visit https://www.nsula.edu/notalone/.
Confidentiality: All reporting of sex discrimination and sexual misconduct is treated as confidential to the greatest extent possible; the privacy of all individuals involved is important to Northwestern State University. In most situations, only individuals involved in the resolution of the situation will have access to the information about the case. If there is a risk of the alleged perpetrator committing additional crimes, if a student is in immediate danger, or if there has been expressed intent to harm others, or other risks such as involvement of a weapon or the age of the students involved, the University may determine that it is necessary to compromise the level of privacy provided.
For more information and assistance in case of sexual assault or harassment, please see Title IX Coordinator’s NSU: Not Alone webpage: https://www.nsula.edu/notalone/.
Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972
Prohibits discrimination based on sex in educational programs and activities that receive federal financial assistance. NSU is committed to equal opportunity for student success by providing access to educational programs, tuition assistance, and social and recreational activities for all students without regard to race, color, gender, religion, sexual orientation, national origin, disability, genetic information, age, pregnancy or parenting status, veteran status, or retirement status. Student complaints or inquiries related to Title IX should be directed to the Director of Student Advocacy/Title IX Coordinator, Christie Price, (318-357-5570 or pricec@nsula.edu), located in room #308 of the Friedman Student Union.
Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Statement
Northwestern State University defines diversity as including, but not limited to differences in age, gender identity and expression, religion, language, sexuality, socioeconomic status, ethnicity, race, mental and physical abilities, and geographic background. In our mission to understand our differences, we also hope to realize our commonalities and recognize how all these parts of our identities shape each of our experiences of the world. We are dedicated to fostering a community based on empathy, thoughtful dialogue, personal growth, and action.
Social Media
Every Northwestern State University student is encouraged to help create an environment that promotes learning, dignity, and mutual respect for everyone in classrooms and on social media. Students should be aware of their association with and responsibilities to NSU while using social media, whether on official NSU sites or in personal communication. Students must also keep in mind that once digital content is created, they have very little control over how that content is shared or how permanent it becomes, and so the impact of statements and the online persona must be considered, especially in regard to potential classmates and employers. Students should exercise their freedom of speech to communicate online with respect, which includes adhering to the Student Code of Conduct and reading and responding carefully to others in order to understand their point-of-view. Students must take responsibility for their words and criticism should be constructive, respect diversity, and show tolerance of differences. Students should make it clear that they are stating an opinion and not acting as an official representative of NSU when using social media for personal communication. When that may seem unclear, it may be useful to use a disclaimer such as, “views and opinion expressed are my own and do not reflect those of NSU.”
Classroom Civility
Northwestern State University students, faculty, and staff are expected to create an environment that promotes academic excellence, personal dignity, mutual respect, and individual responsibility in both face-to-face and electronic educational settings regardless of the content of the ideas and opinions being shared. Our diverse backgrounds as individuals combined with ideas and concepts being taught and discussed require that we demonstrate respect for ideas and opinions that may differ from our own. It is part of the educational process to think critically about our own reactions, beliefs, and opinions, and examine why we hold them. Students who use inappropriate language, are verbally abusive, display defiance or disrespect to others, or behave aggressively toward others, speak at inappropriate times, take frequent breaks, interrupt the class by coming to class late or leaving early, engage in loud or distracting behaviors, use cell phones or other noise-making electronic devices like watches with alarms, listen to music on headphones, or play with computers or hand held games during the class period may be asked to leave the class and may be subjected to disciplinary action. The instructor of a course may deem additional behaviors or actions inappropriate; these actions or behaviors will be outlined in the course syllabus. Students who are online and make others feel unwelcome, disrespected, harassed, use inappropriate language, are verbally abusive, or display defiance or disrespect to others may also be subjected to disciplinary action under the Northwestern State
University Student Code of Conduct and Sanctions (Article VII Sanctions). Copies of the infractions and sanctions are available on the NSU website at NSU Student Handbook.
Attendance
Class attendance is an obligation and a privilege. All students are expected to attend their enrolled classes. Students in professional degree programs (e.g., Nursing, Allied Health, Education) are required to meet the minimum number of attendance or clinical hours each semester in each course. Failure to attend classes or clinical hours may jeopardize the students’ scholastic standing in their courses and may lead to suspension from the University.
Students are responsible for all class activities missed during their absences or tardiness, whether excused or unexcused. In the case of planned absence, students are responsible for anticipating such conflicts and discussing them with their instructors in advance, preferably at the beginning of the semester. In the case of unplanned absence, students shall submit documentation to their instructors upon their return to the respective class. In the case of long-term absences due to quarantine, medical treatments, military orders, or other situations, students must contact their instructors at the beginning of the period of absence to discuss a plan for completing the semester. Students tardy for a class meeting should resolve the matter with their instructors at the end of the class period during which the tardiness occurred.
Course instructors are required to state expectations regarding class attendance during the first week of classes in writing to the students and must maintain a permanent attendance record for each class. Instructors may establish grading policies that incorporate attendance requirements, including policies and penalties for class absence, tardy attendance, make-up work, and late coursework. Instructors may excuse an absence for documented illness and doctor appointments, personal and family issues, and other similar situations at their discretion pursuant to the class attendance policy and shall excuse absences for official University-excused activities reported by University personnel, for religious observances supported by students’ religious beliefs, for official military orders and for first responder orders during emergencies, scheduled court appearances, and jury duty. The instructor may treat the tardiness as an absence pursuant to the class attendance policy.
Acceptance of make-up work and penalties for late work are determined by instructors’ discretion pursuant to the written attendance policy for the course. For students with excessive unexcused absences (ten percent or more of the total class meetings), instructors may complete the Non-Attendance Report of Grade Form and submit it to the academic dean of the course recommending that the student be dropped from the roster of that class. A grade of “F” shall be given if a student has unsatisfactory academic performance in the course and may be given if the student has five or more unexcused absences for MWF classes, four or more unexcused absences for MW or TR classes, two or more unexcused absences from classes that meet for three hours one time a week (Monday-Saturday), and two or more weeks of unexcused absences from Internet classes.
Official University-excused absences shall be sanctioned by the academic dean, dean of students, or the athletic director or the dean or director designee. Course instructors shall be notified in advance when students are participating in official University activities.
*Updated August 9, 2021
Note: The schedule below is subject to change anytime to better accommodate learning objectives specified in the SLOs. Should such changes be necessary, I will update the schedule below and inform you via email/ Moodle.
The Doleful Lay of Clorinda
To the Angel Spirit of the Most Excellent Sir Philip Sidney
Psalm 52
Psalm 139
from Salve Deus Rex Judaeorum
To the Queen's Most Excellent Majesty
To all Virtuous Ladies in General
The Description of Cookham
The Author's Dream to the Lady Mary, the Countess Dowager of Pembroke
The Good Morrow
The Sun Rising
Love's Alchemy
The Flea
The Bait
A Valediction: Forbidding Mourning
The Ecstasy
The Relic
To His Mistress Going to Bed
Holy Sonnets: 1, 6, 7, 10, 14
The Apparition
Secondary Sources
T.S. Eliot: The Metaphysical Poets
Janel Mueller: Women among the Metaphysicals: A Case, Mostly, of Being Donne
To the Reader
To My Book
On My First Daughter
On My First Son
To John Donne
Song: To Celia
A Sonnet to the Noble Lady, the Lady Mary Wroth
To the Memory of My Beloved, The Author, Mr. William Shakespeare, and What He Hath Left Us
Ode to Himself
Penshurst
An Epistle Answering to One that Asked to Be Sealed of the Tribe of Ben
Secondary Sources
Ann Baynes Coiro: Writing in Service: Sexual Politics and Class Position in the Poetry of Aemilia Lanyer and Ben Jonson
Ian Donaldson, "Jonson's Poetry"
Pamphilia to Amphilanthus
#1: When night's black mantle
#16: Am I Thus Conquered?
#25: Like to the Indians
#68: My pain, still smothered
Song "Love, a child.."
77: In this strange labyrinth
103: My Muse, now happy
Secondary Sources:
Naomi Miller: "Between Women: Becoming Visible"
When He Would Have His Verses Read
Delights in Disorder
Corinna's Going A-Maying
To the Virgins, to Make Much of Time
How Roses Came Red
His Prayer to Ben Jonson
The Night-Piece, to Julia
Upon Julia's Clothes
Upon Prue, His Maid
Upon Ben Jonson
Duty to Tyrants
Secondary Sources:
William Kerrigan, “Kiss Fancies in Robert Herrick”
The Altar
Redemption
Easter Wings [I]
Jordan [I]
Church-Monuments
Denial
Vanity [I]
The Collar
The Pulley
Upon the Infant Martyrs
The Flaming Heart
To the Noblest and Best of Ladies, The Countess of Denbigh
Secondary Sources
Michael Schoenfeldt: "That spectacle of too much weight": The Poetics of Sacrifice in Donne, Herbert, and Milton
Joseph H. Summers, “The Poem as Hieroglyph”
On Shakespeare
L'Allegro
Il Penseroso
Sonnet 7: How Soon Hath Time
Lycidas
Sonnet 19: When I Consider How My Light is Spent
Sonnet 23: Methought I saw my late espoused saint
Disdain Returned
To Ben Jonson
An Elegy upon the Death of Dr. Donne, Dean of Paul's
A Session of the Poets
Sonnets: I, II, III
A Ballad upon a Wedding
Out upon it! I have loved
The Constant Lover
A Barley Break
The Wits
A Candle
The Dream
The Prologue
A Dialogue between Old England and New
The Flesh and the Spirit
The Author to Her Book
To My Dear and Loving Husband
Some Verses upon the Burning of Our House, July 10th, 1666
To My Dear Children
Secondary Sources:
Eavan Boland: "Finding Anne Bradstreet"
To Lucasta. Going to the Wars
To Lucasta. From Prison.
On the Death of Mr. Crashaw
To Mr. Hobbes
To the Royal Society
All Sorts of Men
To His Coy Mistress
The Definition of Love
The Mower Against Gardens
The Coronet
The Garden
An Horatian Ode Upon Cromwell's Return from Ireland
Upon Appleton House
On Mr. Milton's Paradise Lost
Secondary Sources:
William Empson: "Marvell's Garden"
Raymond Williams, “Pastoral and Counter-Pastoral”
The Retreat
I walked the other day
The Book
The Rhapsody
Joy of My Life
The Knot
To His Books
Secondary Sources:
Leah Marcus: "Children of Light: Vaughan and Traherne"
The Poetess's Hasty Resolution
An Apology for Her Poetry
An Apology for Writing so much upon this Book
All Things are Governed by Atoms
The War Betwixt Atoms
The Weight of Atoms
The Joyning of Several Atoms Make Other Figures
A World Made by Atoms
Of Loose Atoms
The Discourse of Beasts
The Duchess to Her Readers
SECONDARY SOURCES
Eric Lewis, "The Legacy of Margaret Cavendish"
Upon the Double Murder of King Charles I
Friendship's Mystery, To My Dearest Lucasia
To Mrs. M. A. at Parting
Against Love
An Answer to Another Persuading a Lady To Marriage
A Married State
To My Lady M. Cavendish, Choosing the name of Policrite
On the Death of My First and Dearest Child, Hector Philips
To the Excellent Orinda
SECONDARY SOURCES
Paula Loscoco: "Manly Sweetness": Katherine Philips among the Neoclassicals
Claudia A. Limbert, "Katherine Philips: Controlling a Life and Reputation"
No Class: Thanksgiving Break
The Disappointment
On the Death of the Late Earl of Rochester
A Pindaric on the Death of Our Late Sovereign: With an Ancient Prophecy on His Present Majesty
To the Fair Clarinda, who Made Love to Me, Imagined More than Woman
The Imperfect Enjoyment
Upon Nothing
Commonplace Book Project Due
Final Project Due