English 3371 Fall 2013 Syllabus

ENG 3371 – Studies in Early American Literature
Dr. Richard McLamore
Phone:  793-3894  Email:  mclamorr@mcmurryadm.mcm.edu
Library Hours: M-F:11-1, Library
Catalog Description: The student examines Colonial writings from a critical and historical perspective, with an emphasis on important developments in religious, political, and social thought.
Course Overview: In addition to studying some fundamentally important prose texts, students will examine how poetry helped established social networks and enabled the debate and transmission of ideas and values in Colonial America.
Pre-requisites:    At least one sophomore-level English course.
Students successfully completing this course will be able to: ·        Identify significant features of colonial American literary genres; ·        Discuss significant literary genres and authors of colonial American literature; ·        Examine the relationships between literary genres and cultural trends in colonial American literature; ·        Survey significant scholarship about an author or significant colonial American literary work;  ·        Correctly document information using MLA standards.
Required Course Materials: A Writer’s Reference.  Diana Hacker.  6th ed. Shields, David S. American Poetry: The Seventeenth and Eighteenth Centuries. Library of America, 2007. Rowlandson, Mary.  Of the Sovereignty and Goodness of God.  Bedford/St. Martins, 1997. Franklin, Benjamin. Autobiography and Other Writings,  Penguin, 1986. Brown, Charles Brockden.  Edgar Huntley.  Penguin, .
Course Policies:
Attendance:  Unexcused absences will result in a 0 for each day’s activity/participation grade.  I will drop students with more than 3 unexcused absences.   In case of a university-excused absence, medical condition, or family emergency, I require either be a note from Dr. Fabrizio's office (which will be sent by e-mail for all university excused absences), or a note verifying why you needed to miss class.  Work (essays, class assignments, etc.) must be turned in before an excused absence.  I will not excuse absences without documentation. Behavior: Treat your colleagues with respect by being prepared, focused, and engaged.  I will drop disobedient, disrespectful, and/or flagrantly unprepared students.
Grade Determination:
Each day of class is worth up to 20 participation points: 42 class days *20 =840 Two shorter analytical essays (100 points each) = 200 points Two reading retention and analysis tests over Poetry: (100 points each) =200 Longer Semester Term paper (300 points)  = 300 Your final grade will be the ratio of the number of points you accumulate divided by 1540. +/- Grade System:  I use the +/- grading system as described in the University Catalog.
Make-up Work:  A major writing task is due on the day listed on the assignment sheet unless for some reason I announce a change or unless you have made special arrangements with me (as in the case of excused absences). I will not accept major assignments late. Failure to turn in any major writing assignment will result in failure for the entire course.  I will not follow you around to make sure that all of your work is turned in – it is your responsibility to ensure that I have received your work.
Academic Dishonesty:  If you have someone else plan, draft, revise, edit, or even recopy your papers, you have committed plagiarism.  Dictating your paper to another person who "just recopies it" is also unacceptable.  And, of course, if you use someone else's paper, buy one from a "professional" source, or take material without documenting it, you have committed plagiarism.  Plagiarism is absolutely unacceptable in a college course of any kind.  I reserve the right to fail for the course any student who intentionally plagiarizes (or otherwise commits academic dishonesty).
Electronics Policies:  If I continually notice that you are distracted and/or unable to participate in class because of your phone, computer, or other electronic device, I’ll give you a choice:  either ditch the distracting device or I’ll drop you so you can spend more time with the device.  Your call.
Special Needs:     McMurry University abides by Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, which stipulates that no otherwise qualified student shall be denied the benefits of an education “solely by reason of a handicap”.  If you have a documented disability that may impact your performance in this class and for which you may be requesting accommodation, you must be registered with and provide documentation of your disability to the Disability Services Office, located in Old Main Room 102.   Arrangements will be made for students needing special accommodations.

Course Schedule: 17th and 18th Century American literature, Fall 2013

Date In Class Homework Assignment Aug 26 Literature in Colonial America: New Events + Old Habits of Experience = Strained Forms of Writing. Review of Genre: Conversion Narrative; Providential History Read Rowlandson, Sovereignty and Goodness of God  (1-55).  Attempt to identify features of conversion narrative and/or providential history in Rowlandson’s text 28 Critical Reading Skills: Using genre conventions and critical history to see with and beyond a First-Person Narrator: 1. Supplementing point of view; 2. Historical  and/or cultural contextualization Read Rowlandson (63-85 [10th Remove]) Try to identify places in Rowlandson’s text where you can see the events she recounts from an alternative perspective, like, say, that of her captors. 30 Problems in Literary Genre and Cultural Change: Providential History or Captivity Narrative? Read Rowlandson (85-112), Sep 2 Critical Reading Skills: Assessing Narrative function:  Differences and similarities between Providential history or captivity narrative. Write Short Critical Reading Skills Assignment. 4 Introduction to Colonial Poetry: Formal vs. Cultural vs. Chronological classification schemes Read Shields:  John Wilson, “To God our Twice Avenger” (8-9) W. Bradford, “A Word to New-England,” (12) C. Gardiner, “Wolfes . . .” (16) E. Hickeringill, “Jamaica Viewed” (67-70) 6 Poetic Genres Read: Bradstreet, “The Author to her Book,” (45) Alsop, “The Author to His Book,” (144) Tompson, “The Grammarians Funeral,” 148-150) Revel, “Sorrowful Account,” (156-163) 9 Forms of Poetry, Means of Distribution, and Class of Readers. Read Shields,  Wigglesworth, God’s Controversy with New-England, 74-110 11 Jeremiad Poetry Read:  Ed. Taylor, Prep. Med; 1 Med (164); 3 Med (164-166);  From God’s Determinations; Preface (191-192);  13 Poetry as Spiritual, Intellectual, and Emotional Vehicle Read: Taylor, Accusation, (192-193); Huswifery, (198); C. Mather,  Gratitudinis Ergo (225-231);  “Singing at the Plow,” (232) 16 Spiritual Poetry Read Shields,G. Seagood, “Mr. Blackmore’s Expedition,” (347-352);  R. Lewis, “A Journey . . .” (386-396)**;  J. Breintnall, “The Rape of Fewell,” (354-357) 18 Trans-Atlantic contexts and perspectives; pastoral Read: Shields, E. Cooke, “The Sot-Weed Factor,” (239-258)* 20 Satiric Poetry:  but where’s the standard London coffee-houses or Maryland court-rooms? Read Shields:J. Breintnall, “To the Memory of Aquila Rose” (357-365); A. Home, “An Elegy . . .” (425-427); J. Green, “The Poet’s Lamentation . . .” (430-432); Mary Pepperell, “A Lamentation . . .” (458) 23 Colonial American Elegies: how are the dead valued, remembered?. Review for First Poetry Exam 25 First Poetry Exam: Identifications and Analysis (100 points) Read: Franklin, Autobiography (3-42) 27 Trans-Atlantic Literary Forms: The Spectator, Free-Thinking, and the censor morum: Intrinsic vs. Extrinsic checks on human action and the emergence of print as the ‘public sphere’. Read Franklin, Autobiography (42-77) 30 Reading First-Person Narrative:  Mind the Narrator Gap Read Franklin, Autobiography (77-122) OCT 2 Free-Thinking and the Limits of Human Nature Read Franklin, Autobiography  (122-171) 7 Creating and Manipulating the Public Sphere; or Early Media Events. Write Franklin Essay: Narrative Analysis 9 Franklin Narrative Analysis Due (100 points) Read Charles Woodmason, “To Benjamin Franklin” (489-491) Read Shields: Anon, “The Convert to Tobacco,” (466-469)**;  Poor Julian, “”Poor Julleyoun’s Warnings” (470-476); John Osborne, “A Whaling Song,” (481-483); A.L.M. “A College Room,” (523-524); T. Clemson, “Ran Away” (526-527) 11 Working Class and Broad-sheet Poetry Read Shields: W. Livingston, “Philosophic Solitude”** (531-538); Jane C Turell, “To My Muse,” (454); “An Invitation . . .” (454-457)**;  “Phoebus has Thrice,” (456-457); Mercy Otis Warren, “A Thought . . .” (566-567) 14 Poems of ‘Contentment,’ ‘Competence,’ and a “Convictions” Read Shields: F. Hopkinson, “My Gen’rous Heart Disdains” (598); “The Battle of the Kegs,” (599-602**); J Odell, “The Word of Congress,” (604);  T Paine, “Liberty Tree” (614-615); P Freneau, “Libera nos,” (732-733) 16 Revolutionary Poetry Read Shields: E G Fergusson, “To Dr. Fothergill” (621-624)**; J Stansbury, “Verses to the Tories” (643); “To the United States” (644); “To Cordelia” (644-645);W Billings, “Chester” (646); J Andre, “The Cow-Chace” (647-656) 18 Revolutionary Poetry Read Shields: J. Trumbull, “The Progress of Dulness” (657-668)**; 21 Post-Colonial Poetry: New Realities, Borrowed Memes M’Fingal (668-679) 23 Post-colonial Poetry:  satire Read Shields: D Humphreys, “Mount Vernon: An Ode,” (758-760)  P. Wheatley, “To His Excellency . . .” (786-787); CB Brown, “Monody . . .” (828-830) 25 Post-Colonial Poetry: Washington Read Shields: P. Freneau “To Sir Toby” (752-754)**; P. Wheatley, “ . . .From Africa to America” (776); “On the Death of Whitefield” (777-778); SW Morton, “The African Chief,” (820-822); J Barlow, “The Conspiracy of Kings,” (796-799) 28 Post-Colonial Poetry: Slavery as reality and trope Read Shields:  P Freneau, American Liberty (723-731)**; 30 Post-Colonial Poetry: Glorification Read Shields: T Dwight, “The Triumph of Infidelity” (684-687)**; P Freneau, “The Indian Student,” (743-746); NOV 1 Post-colonial Poetry: Religion challenged by Free-thinking J Barlow, “Innumerable Mercies,” (796); R Tyler, “The Origin of Evil” (809-813); “An Irregular Address,” (815-817) 4 Post-Colonial Poetry: Religion and Free-Thinking Read Shields: T. Dwight, from Greenfield Hill (687-708) 6 The most important neglected poem in American literature and culture. Review for Second Poetry Exam 8 Second Poetry Exam (100 points) Read Brown, Edgar Huntly (3-33; chs 1-3) 11 Uncertain genre = fluid generic contents Read Brown, EH (34-94; chs 4-9) 13 Detective story, gothic fiction, ‘western,’ captivity narrative, conversion experience, autobiography, psychological ‘romance’ Read Brown, EH (95—150; chs 10-16) 15 Demolishing the “reasonable” paradigm of intention, control, behavior Read Brown EH (151-213; chs 11-21) 18 How symbolic and thematic conversions work Read Brown, EH (214-259; chs 22-27) 20 If genres are forms for shaping experiences into interpretable patterns, what does it say of a cultural period with fluid, developing, and unstable literary genres? Complete Brown, EH (260-285); Do Topic Selection Inventory; 22 Review and re-cap of Edgar Huntly Develop Research list. Research 25 Review and Research Prepare Prelim Works DEC 2 Draft Semester Paper 4 Editing 6 Course Review Edit and Revise Semester Paper