Course type: optional / elective

Prerequisites: Course in English Literary History, Part I and II ( from Old English to Romanticism, inclusive)

Course objectives  and content

The aim of the lecture is to make students familiar with the most important poetic texts of the 18^th century which belong to two groups: satirical and meditative poetry. Analysis of  selected poems will reveal the thematic richness of the English Enlightenment poetry and its use  for satirical and meditative purposes. Various ways of employing the popular poetic forms (such as ode, epistle, hymn, essay et al.) reveal great linguistic sophistication of the poetry of that age, the erudition of the authors and readers, as well as a lively intellectual climate of the English neoclassical period.

1. Satirical themes in selected poetic texts by A. Pope, S. Johnson, T. Gray and W. Cowper; literary, political, social satire ( short mock-heroic poems and extracts from longer satires); sources of poetic imagery ( classical mythology, Biblical texts).
2. Variety of themes in meditative poetry (philosophical, religious, political, social,  description of nature and rural life in the poetry of Pope, Thomson, Young, Johnson). Read the rest of this entry »

Course type: option / elective

Prerequisites:  Credit for History of English Literature

Course objectives  and content:
 The aim of the course is to present the historical, cultural and philosophical aspects of religion and its illustration in English religious poety in the 18th century.

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Course type:  elective 1st-5th year

Course objectives  and content:

The aim of the course is to look closer at T.S. Eliot as one of the major figures of the twentieth century English literature. The focus will be on the versatility of T.S.Eliot as a poet, dramatist and critic of literature and culture. The attempt will be made not only to understand  and better appreciate T.S.Eliot’s creative output, but also to see the impact of his writing on the literature of the 20^th century. Texts discussed and analysed in the optional course will include selections of poetry, drama and criticism. Read the rest of this entry »

Course type: elective

Course objectives  and content:

The aim of the course is to complement and extend the basic Literature Survey Course in the area of poetry; therefore it may be useful for all students who need some help and guidance in understanding  poetry, or those for whom poetry is a subject of special interest. The focus of the course will be on close reading of poetry combined with a detailed  analysis of  all relevant aspects of the poetic text. Special attention will be given to metaphor and symbol as modes of expression especially pertaining to poetry. Thus students will be helped to appreciate poetic imagery and to see potential for diverse interpretation lying in ambiguity of poetic language. In the choice of poems priority will be given to major twentieth century British poets both those studied in the English Literature course and those who are not included in the obligatory reading list for the English Literature course. Read the rest of this entry »

Course type: elective

Course objectives  and content:

The course will seek to explore the relation of its primary texts to a number of key issues associated with the Cold War politics and culture. It will aim at the development of close reading skills in peer-group and individual work in order to help students draw the features of fictional narratives into alignment with sociological and historical backgrounds. Upon successful completion of the course students will be able to draw parallels between the study and interpretation of twentieth-century American literature to American history in both written and oral formats. They will be expected to have learned to appreciate and identify key facets to Cold War history and culture essential to understanding the long term effects of the Cold War on the American fiction, poetry, and drama. Read the rest of this entry »

Course type: Mandatory elective

Course objectives  and content and content:

The course will focus on analysis and interpretation of selected nineteenth-century novels. Close attention will be paid to the evolution of the genre and to the development of realism in fiction. Read the rest of this entry »

Course type: optional/ elective

Prerequisites: Course in English Literary History, Part I ( from the Old English to the Elizabethan period)

Course objectives and contentand content:

 The aim of the course is to make students familiar with characteristic themes and language techniques used in late-Renaissance poetry ( 1^st half of the 17^th century) known as Metaphysical and Cavalier poetry .Students should master the methods of analysis of these types of lyrical poetry, whose main characteristic is the imagery based on extended similies ( ‘conceits’) and argumentative discourse.

The course embraces: an analysis of selected poems by the Metaphysicals (Donne, Vaughan, Herbert, Crashaw, Marvell) and Cavalier Poets (Ben Jonson and “the Tribe of Ben”: Herrick, Carew) in the form of individual prssentations and general discussion in class. We will attempt individual interpretations and evaluations of the poetic language with the help of comparisons of Polish versions of the discussed poems. Read the rest of this entry »

Course type: Mandatory elective

Course objectives  and content:

The course is an introduction to Shakespearean drama and theatre. It aims at teaching students to identify major Shakespearean themes and dramatic techniques in tragedy and comedy. Shakespearean texts will be read in the context of what is known about Elizabethan staging conventions. To understand the theatrical potential of Shakespeare’s dramatic dialogue students will be invited to stage fragments of the plays in class. Prerequisites: course on English medieval and renaissance literature. Read the rest of this entry »

Course type: obligatory for completion of the entire course of study

Course form: MA seminar

Course objectives:
This weekly seminar aims to introduce students to the techniques of doing research and writing about literature, and to foster independent critical thinking about literature. It provides opportunities for participants to present their own research to their peers and to obtain some useful feedback as they work towards a dissertation. Issues covered include: reading source texts and literary criticism; planning and organizing the MA thesis; developing a thesis; revising, editing, and formatting; documenting sources and compiling a bibliography. Special attention is devoted to the various critical approaches to literature and schools of critical thought. The course offers also the opportunity to study particular literary texts in some depth. The choice of texts depends on the interests and the dissertation topics of the participants.

Course: specialisation class

Course form: supporting seminar

Course objectives and content:

The course is meant as a supporting seminar on British literature and culture. The students will expand their knowledge of contemporary literature and culture, with a special emphasis on fiction exploring the problem of alienation, and the relation between the individual and the state. The course content includes issues in 20^th century British literature and culture, with the focus on well-known examples of dystopian and political fiction.

Class discussions and presentations will help the students develop their critical skills and prepare them for their final MA examination. Read the rest of this entry »