Spring 2014 Course Descriptions
English 3801 - Chaucer
English 3801 Section 001 CRN 31626
Chaucer 1830-2100 T
Geoffrey Chaucer is a magnificent poet. His characters are memorable, his stories compelling, his moral vision vast and humane, and his words—the sounds and structures of his language—perfect. By turns witty, philosophical, learned, spiritual, and bawdy, sometimes all of these at once, Chaucer created in his poetry a scintillating portrait of the men and women of late fourteenth-century England and of their myriad, often conflicting beliefs and values.
We’ll read The Canterbury Tales in its entirety. Plan on joining in open discussion of the texts. Early-semester translation quizzes and much reading aloud will help you to get comfortable with Chaucer’s Middle English. Additional requirements include careful reading, study sheets, a midterm, a paper, and a final. (Group 3D)