Saturday, August 15, 2020

Syllabus for Classes Meeting on Monday

 

Hum 2123: General Humanities 1, “The Poetry of Time and Space”

Section 1: Meeting on Monday (W/F on the blog)

Fall 2020 / Dr. Joshua Grasso

 

Hours: M 10:00-10:50

Office: Horace Mann 348

Office Hours: After class or by appointment

E-mail: jgrasso@ecok.edu        (Phone: X430)

 

Course Blog: Be sure to bookmark our class blog, “ecuhum1.blogspot.com” for future reference. I’ll post all your daily readings, questions, and assignments (we don’t use Blackboard).

Course Description: This course is designed to explore five important works of poetry that have profoundly shaped the modern world—not just in terms of literature, but in our thoughts, ideas, expressions, and ideals. Though you might not be familiar with all (or any) of these works, they exist inside your cultural DNA, providing many of the characters and situations that we continue to find meaningful and ‘new.’ As we read each work, we’ll try to understand who wrote it and where the poet came from, and why ancient cultures responded so strongly to these works. Are they for the same reasons we find them compelling today? Or can we see new things in them that eluded their ancient audiences? Likewise, what do we miss in our own cultural blindness that only the skeleton key of literature can unlock? Hopefully, too, these works can offer you a little comfort and consolation from the outside world, as many of these poets were writing against plagues and catastrophes themselves (COVID would be very familiar to Shakespeare and his audiences).


Required Texts:  (note, you can get other editions, but they will be different translations, so some poems might have different names, and the poems may sound very different—which is okay, just don’t be surprised):

* Sappho, If Not Winter: Fragments of Sappho (translated by Anne Carson)

* Homer, The Essential Iliad (translated by Stanley Lombardo)

* Lao Tzu, Tao-te Ching (translated by D.C. Lau)

* Hafiz, The Gift (translated by Daniel Ladinsky)

* Shakespeare, Othello (translated by himself J )


Required Work (out of 100 points):

* Class Attendance: see below

* Reading/Discussion Questions: 30 pts.

* Lecture Video Comments: 25 pts. 

* Three Papers: 45 pts. (15 each)  

Class Attendance: Because of the COVID situation, we can’t meet as a normal MWF class. This means you only have to attend class on Monday, while the other two days are conducted on our class blog. Even so, there is the possibility that you or I could get sick, or that someone you know might get sick, and you might have any number of reasons for needing to miss class. Because of that, I won’t count absences in the course. That said, this is designed as a discussion-based class, so the more we can talk as a group and explore ideas, the more you’ll understand and appreciate the reading. So come as often as you can, and I’ll be here to guide you through these wonderful, but often challenging, texts. If you can’t come to class, or have to start missing classes, you’ll have a wealth of material on-line to help you, so don’t worry. And of course you can e-mail me with questions or simply to discuss difficult passages.

NOTE: If you come to class, wear a mask. It’s for your own safety and to put other people at ease. If you object to wearing a mask, remember, there’s no attendance policy. You can simply do the work on-line, even though you’ll miss the benefit of our discussions and connections. However, you won’t be penalized if you decide not to come for these (or other) reasons.

Reading/Discussion Questions: Once a week, I’ll post a reading from one of the books, along with a series of questions (always 4, and you get to choose 2 to answer). The questions are designed to help you read more actively (rather than skimming) and to engage in a dialogue with the book. Ideally, reading should be more about “thinking” and “looking” than simply skimming. The questions are due via e-mail by the next Discussion Class Day, which is always on a Monday (see course schedule). Even on Labor Day (when class is cancelled) the questions are still due on Monday, since you’re just e-mailing them to me.

Lecture Video Comments: Also once a week, I’ll post a short video lecture (no more than 12-18 minutes) on one of the readings in class. The goal of this lecture is to highlight a specific passage or idea that is particularly important to the reading. After you watch the video, I’ll give you a brief question to respond to, which is less focused than the normal discussion questions. Typically, the questions will connect to more modern issues or ask you to think about ‘big picture’ ideas related to the text. You should post your response as a COMMENT on the blog post (I’ll show you how to do this), so that other students can read your responses and we can replicate an in-class discussion.

NOTE: The temptation to simply read a few comments (instead of watching the video) and restating what others have said may be strong when you’re low of time and sleep. However, I’ll be reading all of these responses, and if you’re just cut and pasting someone else’s response, or simply repeating it, I won’t give you credit for the response. It’s always better to be honest and even to be confused than to cheat. I’m never looking for ‘right answers,’ so instead simply try to think out loud and grapple with the question. No one has to answer this question in quite the same way.

THREE PAPERS: You’ll be assigned a paper assignment for the first two pair of works (Sappho/Homer; Lao Tzu/Hafiz), and then a kind of final paper for Shakespeare. I’ll give you a detailed assignment sheet for each one, and you’ll get at least two weeks to work on the assignment before it’s due. Also, papers can be revised (following my comments) for a higher grade if you wish.

THE FINE PRINT

You must buy all the books for the course. Trying to use on-line summaries will doom you to vague, uninformed responses. If the goal of any class is to become more engaged with the material, reading the books is essential. Read and enjoy the material. :)

If you miss class, check the blog to see if there are any new assignments or material. You can also e-mail me if the blog hasn’t been updated to be sure.

When you e-mail work to me, check the attachments carefully. If I can’t open it (or it’s simply not attached) it doesn’t count. I will contact you if this happens, but the clock is ticking...if you turn in an e-mail without an attachment at 4:59 and the paper is due at 5, it might be late!

If you have any kind of emergency, please contact me as soon as possible. If I know you’re going through something difficult, I can work with you and help you get the work. If you only tell me weeks or months later, it’s too late.

The COVID situation can change our class dynamic at any time. If you’re confused by what’s going on or feel you can’t complete the work, etc., please contact me first. Let’s talk through it to make sure it’s not as bad (or as hard) as you think. I’m always available by e-mail and will respond within an hour or two at most (unless you e-mail me at one o’clock in the morning!).

Academic Integrity link: https://www.ecok.edu/sites/default/files/siteContent/administration/academic-affairs/documents/AcademicIntegrityPolicy.pdf

ADA Statement: East Central University is committed to providing equal access to University programs and services for all students. Under university policy and federal and state laws, students with documented disabilities are entitled to reasonable accommodations. If any member of the class has a documented disability requiring academic accommodations, he or she should report to the Office of Disability Services.  A student seeking reasonable accommodations originating from a documented disability must register with the Office of Disability Services so that said accommodations may be provided. Contact the Academic Affairs Office if any assistance is needed in this process.

Tentative Course Calendar (subject to change)

 

AUGUST

M 17                Introduction to the Course

W 19               Blog: Video, “Lost in Translation”

F 21                 Blog: Reading/Questions for Sappho, Part I

 

M 24                In-Class Discussion for Sappho, Part I

W 26                Blog: Reading/Questions for Sappho, Part II

F 28                 Blog: Video, Sappho, Part III

 

M 31                In-Class Discussion for Sappho, Part II & III

 

SEPTEMBER

W 2                 Blog: Video, Intro to Greek Mythology

F 4                   Blog: Reading/Questions for The Iliad, Books 1-2

 

M 7                  Labor Day: No Class

W 9                 Blog: Video, The Iliad, Book 3

F 11                 Blog: Reading/Questions for The Iliad, Books 6-9

 

M 14                Discussion: The Iliad Books 3, 6 & 9

W 16               Blog: Reading/Questions for The Iliad, Books 12-16

F 18                 Blog: Video, The Iliad, Book 18

 

M 21                Discussion: The Iliad, Books 12, 16 & 18

W 23               Blog: Reading/Questions for The Iliad, Books 19-22

F 25                 Blog: Video, The Iliad, Books 23-24

 

M 28                Discussion: The Iliad, Books 19, 22, 23 & 24

W 30               Paper #1 due by 5pm

 

OCTOBER

F 2                   Blog: Video, “The Eastern Tradition”

 

M 5                  Discussion: Tao te Ching, Poems I

W 7                 Blog: Reading/Questions for Tao te Ching, Poems II

F 9                   Blog: Video, Tao te Ching, Poems III

 

M 12                Discussion: Tao te Ching, Poems II & III

W 14               [Extra Day if necessary]

F 16                 Fall Break

 

M 19                Discussion: Hafiz and the Sufi Tradition

W 21               Blog: Reading/Questions for The Gift, Part I

F 23                 Blog: Video: The Gift, Part II

 

M 26                Discussion: The Gift, Part I & II

W 28               Blog: Reading/Discussion Questions for The Gift, Part III

F 30                 Blog: Video: The Gift, Part IV

 

NOVEMBER

M 2                  Discussion: Shakespeare and the Renaissance / Paper #2 due by 5pm

W 4                 Blog: Video, Othello, Act 1

F 6                   Blog: Reading/Discussion Questions for

 

M 9                  Discussion: Othello, Act 1

W 11               Blog: Reading/Discussion Questions for Othello, Act 2

F 13                 Blog: Video, Othello, Act 3

 

M 16                Discussion: Othello, Acts 2 & 3

W 18               Blog: Reading/Discussion Questions for Othello, Act 4

F 20                 Blog: Video, Othello, Act 4

 

M 23                Discussion: Othello, Acts 4 & 5

W 25               Thanksgiving Break

F 27                 Thanksgiving Break

 

M 30                Discussion of Final Paper/Wrap-Up

 

DECEMBER

W 2                 Work on Final Paper

F 4                   Work on Final Paper

 

Final Paper due TBA

 

 

 

 

 


No comments:

Post a Comment

Final Exam Paper, due by December 9th

The Final Exam paper is pasted below if you missed class on Tuesday (or simply lost it). Note the due date: no late papers will be accepted ...