ENGL 2604: Introduction to Critical Reading
121 Randolph Hall M W 2:30

Mr. Radcliffe
drad @vt.edu
Office Hours: T Th 2-3:00 — 412 Shanks Hall

Introduction to Critical Reading introduces the skills necessary to analyse and write about literary works on the college level. The course is designed with English majors in mind, though it will be useful to anyone working in the humanities. We will study four writers working in four genres spread over four challenging works, each involving its own kind of interpretative issues. The small number of works will enable us to do s-l-o-w r-e-a-d-i-n-g—a great luxury in an English course.

Requirements consist of in-class participation and writing (25%), five 5-page essays, one on each of the works we will be discussion (75%). One essay may be rewritten for a new grade; late essays will be dropped a letter grade. Students are expected to abide by Virginia Tech's Honor Code: all writing done for this class must be your own. Students need special assistance should contact the professor; ditto for students needing ordinary assistance. It is important to bring your book to class.

Texts:

William Shakespeare: As You Like It (Oxford).
Henry Fielding: History of Tom Jones (Wesleyan).
William Wordsworth: Lyrical Ballads (Penguin).
Henry David Thoreau: Walden (Library of America).

Office Hours: Tuesdays and Thursdays 2:00, and by appointment. Come by to chat about literature, your essays, future plans, whatever. If you need an extension on an essay, come speak with me ahead of time.

Attendance: regular attendance is important for a variety of reasons. Most of the instruction in this course is delivered orally, and you need to be there to hear it. Participating in dicussions is a very good way to try out ideas and to get a leg up on analysis. You will benefit from hearing what your classmates have to say about the works. Attending class and speaking up is also a courtesy to others since group dynamics are important to successful education. Sometimes just being there is half the game. And as we will see, literary interpretation is a participatory act.

Week 1: (September 7): Begin Shakespeare