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2008/09 Undergraduate Module Catalogue

ENGL2012 Civil War and Restoration Literature

20 creditsClass Size: 280

School of English

Module manager: Dr Robert Jones
Email: r.w.jones@leeds.ac.uk

Taught: Semester 1 (Sep to Jan) View Timetable

Year running 2008/09

Pre-requisite qualifications

Grade B at 'A' Level in English Language or Literature or equivalent or an achieved mark of 56 or above in a Level 1 module in English.

Please note: This module is restricted to Level 2 and 3 students.

This module is approved as an Elective

Module summary

This module is designed to provide an opportunity to study in detail selected works from the period 1630 until 1700 within their political and cultural contexts. This period experienced the tumults and dislocations of the English Civil War, the restoration of the monarchy in 1660, and the revolution of 1688. Throughout these events, writers were deeply involved in the political issues of the day, and debates about forms of domestic, national, colonial and religious authority feature prominently in this module. At the same time, the later seventeenth century saw radical changes in the discourse of love and sexual relations and in the presentation of urban culture. The writings of numerous authors will be considered (some of which will be supplied in a module handbook), including poetry by the cavalier poets, Andrew Marvell, John Milton, Aphra Behn, Jane Barker, Katherine Philips and the Earl of Rochester, as well as political works by Mary Astell, Robert Filmer, Thomas Hobbes, John Locke and extracts from Samuel Pepys' Diary and Jeremy Collier's "A Short View of the Immorality and Profaneness of the English Stage".

Objectives

The aim of this module is to provide an opportunity to study major works from the period 1640-1700 in their political and cultural contexts. The period which saw the civil war, the restoration of the monarchy, and the revolution of 1688, was one during which the country's major writers were deeply involved in the political issues of the day, and the war of ideas will figure prominently in this course. At the same time, the later seventeenth century saw radical changes in religion, and in the discourse of love and sexual relations.

Learning outcomes
Students will have developed:
- the ability to use written and oral communication effectively;
- the capacity to analyse and critically examine diverse forms of discourse;
- the ability to manage quantities of complex information in a structured and systematic way;
- the capacity for independent thought and judgement;
- critical reasoning;
- research skills, including the retrieval of information, the organisation of material and the evaluation of its importance;
- IT skills;
- efficient time management and organisation skills;
- the ability to learn independently.

Skills outcomes
Skills for effective communication, oral and written.
Capacity to analyse and critically examine diverse forms of discourse.
Ability to acquire quantities of complex information of diverse kinds in a structured and systematic way.
Capacity for independent thought and judgement.
Critical reasoning.
Research skills, including information retrieval skills, the organisation of material, and the evaluation of its importance.
IT skills.
Time management and organisational skills.
Independent learning.


Syllabus

This module will focus on major poets of the period, notably Marvell, Milton and Dryden, whose work will be studied in detail, and on a selection of Restoration comedies. Other material, including more minor poetry, and prose works which provide a political, philosophical and cultural context, will be represented through extracts.

Teaching methods

Delivery typeNumberLength hoursStudent hours
Lecture221.0022.00
Seminar101.0010.00
Private study hours168.00
Total Contact hours32.00
Total hours (100hr per 10 credits)200.00

Private study

Seminar preparation, reading, essay writing.

Opportunities for Formative Feedback

Seminar contribution.

Unassessed assignment.

Methods of assessment


Exams
Exam typeExam duration% of formal assessment
Standard exam (closed essays, MCQs etc)3 hr 00 mins100.00
Total percentage (Assessment Exams)100.00

One unassessed essay of approximately 1700 words (including quotations and footnotes) is required, for which the deadline is given in the Undergraduate Student Handbook. This does not form part of the examination for this module, but is a module requirement and MUST be submitted. Students who fail to submit the unassessed essay will be awarded a maximum mark of 40 for the module (a bare Pass).

Reading list

The reading list is available from the Library website

Last updated: 06/08/2008

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