At the end of this course, the students; 1) know and discuss the historical and literary development of epic from classical antiquity to the modern times as one of the oldest literary genres, the changes it has undergone in form and content, and its genetic features; 2) discuss, and critically comment upon, sample texts; 3) understand and explain the importance of epic in American literature; 4) enhance his/her overall knowledge and appreciation of literature.
MODE OF DELIVERY
Face to face
PRE-REQUISITES OF THE COURSE
No
RECOMMENDED OPTIONAL PROGRAMME COMPONENT
No
COURSE DEFINITION
This course is a study, through various sample texts, of the definition and theory of epic as a literary genre, the origins and main characteristics of the European epic tradition beginning with Homer in classical antiquity, the use of epic and romance in medieval European literature, the development and practice of epic in English literature from the Renaissance period onwards, and also the significance, characteristics, and practice of epic in American literature.
COURSE CONTENTS
WEEK
TOPICS
1st Week
A general definition of epic as a literary genre; its generic features, and its differences from other literary genres;
2nd Week
The use and importance of epic in the oral literary tradition in ancient Greece; main features and literary aspects of the Homeric epic;
3rd Week
Study and critical analysis of sample passages from Homer?s epics;
4th Week
The use of epic as a literary genre in the Hellenistic Age; Study and critical analysis of sample passages from Apollodorus Rhodius? epic The Argonauts;
5th Week
Virgil?s idea of epic; Study and critical analysis of sample passages from The Aeneid;
6th Week
Midterm I
7th Week
The Anglo-Saxon and medieval epic: Beowulf and The Battle of Maldon;
8th Week
The emergence of romance in the Middle Ages as a form of heroic poetry; its main features and literary aspects with reference to form, content and genre; Study and critical analysis of sample passages from The Song of Roland.
9th Week
The popular use of epic in the Renaissance; main features and literary aspects of the Renaissance epic, and its comparison with the classical epic; study and critical analysis of sample texts from Spenser?s The Faerie Queene; Milton?s idea of epic, and critical analysis of sample passages from Paradise Lost;
10th Week
Midterm II
11th Week
Epic in the Neoclassical Age; Alexander Pope?s use of epic as a mock and comic form; study and critical analysis of sample passages from his mock epic The Rape of the Lock;
12th Week
The use of epic as a literary genre in American literature; main features and literary aspects of Freneau?s and Barlow?s epic writings;
13th Week
(Continued)
14th Week
Overall revision and review of the significant phases of the epic tradition.
RECOMENDED OR REQUIRED READING
Homer. The Iliad; The Odyssey (in translation); Apollodorus Rhodius, The Argonauts; Virgil, The Aeneid; Beowulf; The Battle of Maldon; The Song of Roland; Edmund Spenser, The Faerie Queene; John Milton, Paradise Lost; Alexander Pope, The Rape of the Lock; Philip Freneau, The Rising Glory of America; and, Joel Barlow, The Columbiad; Christopher N. Phillips, Epic in American Culture: Settlement to Reconstruction; Nardo, Don. Readings on Homer; Putnam, Michael C. J. Virgil's Aeneid: Interpretation and Influence. Jenkyns, Richard. Classical Epic: Homer and Virgil. Ogilvie, Robert Maxwell, Roman Literature and Society; Newman, John Kevin. The Classical Epic Tradition; Murray, Gilbert. The Literature of Ancient Greece.
PLANNED LEARNING ACTIVITIES AND TEACHING METHODS
Lecture,Discussion,Questions/Answers,Presentation
ASSESSMENT METHODS AND CRITERIA
Quantity
Percentage(%)
Mid-term
2
70
Attendance
1
5
Total(%)
75
Contribution of In-term Studies to Overall Grade(%)
75
Contribution of Final Examination to Overall Grade(%)
25
Total(%)
100
LANGUAGE OF INSTRUCTION
English
WORK PLACEMENT(S)
No
KEY LEARNING OUTCOMES (KLO) / MATRIX OF LEARNING OUTCOMES (LO)
