English 5001 Studies in Old and Middle English Literature: Chaucer
Section 001 CRN 93626
Raybin
Studies in Old and Middle English Literature: Chaucer 1900-2130 W
Chaucer is one of the great poets, those writers whose language and wide-ranging interests have delighted and instructed readers across many centuries. Each generation, though, has its own Chaucer, as critics respond to his thought and expression according to the tenor of their own time. We will read some of Chaucer’s poetry (dream poems and large selections from the Canterbury Tales) in conjunction with essays treating current directions in Chaucer scholarship. Our goal will be to explore both what the poet wrote and how our contemporary moment determines the significance of his poetry.
Requirements: careful reading of the literature and criticism, lively participation in discussion, various formal and informal reports and presentations, and a substantial seminar paper.
