English Language and Literature
English
Language & Literature courses
English Language & Literature department
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Director of undergraduate studies: Lawrence Manley; associate director of undergraduate studies: Amy Hungerford; 107 LC, 432-2233, english-dus@yale.edu
FACULTY OF THE DEPARTMENT OF ENGLISH
Professors
Elizabeth Alexander, Harold Bloom, Leslie Brisman, David Bromwich, Jill Campbell, Janice Carlisle, Michael Denning, Wai Chee Dimock, Anne Fadiman (Adjunct), Roberta Frank, Paul Fry, Louise Glück (Adjunct), Sara Suleri Goodyear, Langdon Hammer, Margaret Homans, Traugott Lawler (Emeritus), Pericles Lewis, Lawrence Manley, Donald Margulies (Adjunct), J. D. McClatchy (Adjunct), Alastair Minnis, Lee Patterson, Linda Peterson, Caryl Phillips, David Quint, Claude Rawson, Joseph Roach, Marc Robinson, John Rogers, Robert Stepto, Katie Trumpener, Michael Warner, Ruth Yeazell
Associate Professors
Ala Alryyes, Murray Biggs (Adjunct), Jessica Brantley, Wes Davis, William Deresiewicz, Laura Frost, Amy Hungerford, David Krasner (Adjunct), Christopher R. Miller
Assistant Professors
Tanya Agathocleous, Shameem Black, El Mokhtar Ghambou, Paul Grimstad, Hsuan Hsu, Sanda Lwin, Stefanie Markovits, Susan Miller, Diana Paulin, Nicole Rice, Caleb Smith, Elliott Visconsi, Brian Walsh
Senior Lecturer
Richard Maxwell
Lecturers
Jill Abramson, Amy Bloom, Steven Brill, John Crowley, Jill Cutler, Richard Deming, Andrew Ehrgood, Joseph Gordon, Karin Gosselink, Alfred Guy, Rosemary Jones, Penelope Laurans, John Loge, Allyson Polsky McCabe, Paula Resch, Timothy Robinson, Randi Saloman, Kim Shirkhani, Catherine Shufro, Joel Silverman, Margaret Spillane, Michele Stepto, Fred Strebeigh, Barbara Stuart, Deborah Tenney, Deborah Thomas, Suzanne Young
Courses offered by the Department of English are designed to develop students' understanding of important works of English, American, and other literatures in English; to provide historical perspectives from which to read and analyze these works; and to deepen students' insight into their own experience. Courses also aim to develop students' abilities to express their ideas orally and in writing.
Introductory courses. Courses numbered from 114 to 149 are introductory. Students planning to elect an introductory course in English should refer to the Freshman Handbook, which contains an explanation of the levels of placement and of the guidelines according to which courses should be chosen. The course listings in this bulletin contain a detailed description of each course.
Prerequisite. It is valuable for students majoring in English to have both a detailed understanding of major poets who have written in English and some acquaintance with the classics of European and American literature. The prerequisite for the major is ENGL 125. It is strongly recommended that prospective English majors take at least one term of ENGL 125 by the end of the sophomore year. If a student takes two terms of ENGL 125, then any two terms of ENGL 115–117, 127, 129, or DRST 001 in the Directed Studies program, or THST 110a and 111b, or ENGL 114a in combination with 115b, 116b, or 117b, may count toward the twelve remaining terms in the major. If ENGL 125 is not taken, two terms of ENGL 127 or 129 or DRST 001 may count as the prerequisite so long as the student also takes, as part of the major, four advanced courses that deal substantially and intensively with poets included in ENGL 125. Two of these courses should substitute for two of the three units in the first term of ENGL 125 (Chaucer, Spenser, and a Renaissance lyric poet), and two should substitute for two of the four units in the second term of ENGL 125 (Milton, Pope, a major Romantic poet, and a major modern poet). Courses that deal with more than one poet are acceptable for this purpose. Such courses may also count toward the requirement of three term courses in English literature before 1800 and one term course in English literature before 1900.
Regardless of how the prerequisite is fulfilled, the total number of term courses toward the major may not be fewer than fourteen, of which no more than four may be introductory (below the level of 150).
Advanced courses. Courses numbered 150 and above are open to upperclassmen after two terms of English or with permission of the instructor. Departmental seminars are intended primarily for junior and senior English majors. Sophomores and nonmajors may be admitted where openings are available. Seminar preregistration dates for some seminars will be posted in the office of the director of undergraduate studies, 107 LC, and on the English department Web site. During the first weeks of November and April, the department issues a booklet containing fuller course descriptions than those given in the YCPS and information about how to register for certain courses; it is available in 107 LC and on the departmental Web site. Students are strongly encouraged to consult the director of undergraduate studies, the departmental representative in their residential college, and their departmental adviser for advice.
When choosing courses, students should bear in mind that the English department's lecture courses and seminars play different roles in the curriculum. Lecture courses cover major periods and genres of English and American literature. They serve as general surveys of their subjects, and are typically offered every year or every other year. Seminars, by contrast, offer more specialized or intensive treatment of their topics, or engage topics not addressed in the lecture courses (for example, topics that span periods and genres). While seminars are often offered more than once, students should not expect the same seminars to be offered from one year to the next. Sophomores and juniors are encouraged to enroll in lecture courses in order to gain broad perspectives in preparation for more specialized study.
The major. Each student, in consultation with a departmental faculty adviser, bears the responsibility for designing a coherent program, which must include the following: (1) three term courses in literature written in English before 1800, and one term course in literature written in English before 1900, all representing a variety of figures and periods (courses satisfying this requirement are indicated by the phrase "Pre-1800" or "Pre-1900" in the course listings); (2) at least one seminar in both the junior and the senior years. The nature of senior seminars (400-level literature seminars) is discussed below. Certain residential college seminars, with permission of the director of undergraduate studies, may be substituted for a departmental seminar; courses in creative writing may not. ENGL 120a or b, LITR 120a, LITR 480a, and THST 110a and 111b may be among the four introductory courses allowed. Courses taken on a Credit/D/Fail basis may be counted toward the major.
A student whose program meets these requirements may count toward the major two upper-level literature courses in other departments, whether in English translation or in another language; such courses may not be counted toward the pre-1800 or the pre-1900 requirement. Two courses in creative writing may be counted toward the major. A student may petition the director of undergraduate studies for permission to include a third writing course.
In exceptional cases, a student whose interests and aims are well defined may, in consultation with the director of undergraduate studies, work out a program of study departing from the usual requirements of the major. Such a program must, however, meet the stated general criteria of range and coherence. For interdepartmental programs that include courses covering English literature, see the Literature Major; Directed Studies; American Studies; African American Studies; Theater Studies; Renaissance Studies; Women's, Gender, and Sexuality Studies; and Teacher Preparation and Education Studies.
Students considering graduate work in English should be aware that a reading knowledge of certain classical and modern European languages is ordinarily required for admission to graduate study.
Library requirement. The English department requires all majors either to complete a ninety-minute research session for English majors or to take a seminar that has a significant research component. Such courses are indicated by the designation "Libr" in the course listings. Students who elect to take the library research session must do so no later than the second term of their junior year, and they are strongly encouraged to take it during their sophomore year. Students should register on the Web. For questions, students should contact the director of undergraduate studies.
Senior requirement. All English majors must satisfy the senior requirement in one of two ways: by taking in their senior year a senior seminar, as described below; or by writing a senior essay (ENGL 490a or b).
Senior seminar. Senior seminars are open to interested juniors as well, but one must be taken in the senior year to fulfill the senior requirement. These courses, usually numbered 400–449 and 480–488, are listed in the section "Senior Seminars" in the course listings of the printed YCPS. Seniors, with the permission of the director of undergraduate studies and the instructor, may arrange to take a junior seminar for senior seminar credit. The final essay written for a senior seminar should provide an appropriate culmination to the student's work in the major and in Yale College. It should rest on substantial independent work and should be approximately twenty double-spaced pages in length. In researching and writing the essay, the student should consult regularly with the seminar instructor, and may consult with other faculty members as well.
The senior essay. The senior essay is an independent literary-critical project on a topic of the student's own design, which is undertaken in regular consultation with a faculty adviser. It should ordinarily be written on a topic in an area on which the student has focused in previous studies. See ENGL 490a or b for the procedure. Students who choose to write a senior essay must take a seminar during their senior year, but it need not be a 400-level seminar.
Writing courses. Besides introductory courses that concentrate on the writing of expository prose (ENGL 114a or b, 115a or b, 116b, 117b, 120a or b), the English department offers several introductory, intermediate, and advanced creative writing courses (ENGL 140–141 and 450–469). These courses are open to all students on the basis of the instructor's judgment of their work. Instructions for the submission of writing samples for admission to creative writing seminars and workshops are available in 107 LC. Students may in some cases arrange a tutorial in writing (ENGL 470a or b), normally after having taken intermediate and advanced writing courses. All students interested in creative writing courses should also consult the current listing of residential college seminars.
The writing concentration. The writing concentration is a special course of study open to students in the English major with demonstrated interest and achievement in writing. Admission is competitive. Interested English majors normally apply for admission to the concentration during the second term of their junior year. Application can also be made during the first term of the senior year. Every student admitted to the concentration must complete at least eleven literature courses as well as the other requirements of the major. Students admitted to the writing concentration may count up to four 400-level courses in writing toward completion of the B.A. degree in English; the four courses must include at least two courses in one genre and at least one course in another genre. As one of these four courses, each student must complete ENGL 489a or b, The Writing Concentration Senior Project, a tutorial in which students produce a single sustained piece of writing or a portfolio of shorter works. The senior project does not replace the senior requirement in the major (a senior seminar or senior essay). Residential college seminars are not acceptable for credit toward the writing concentration, unless the director of undergraduate studies gives permission.
Applications to the writing concentration are due by noon on November 16, 2007, for spring 2008; by noon on April 11, 2008, for fall 2008. Students are admitted selectively on the overall strength of their performance in the major and on the quality of their writing samples.
Advising. The student planning a program of study in English should consult as early as possible with the appropriate residential college departmental representative:
| BK | B. Walsh | MC | L. Brisman | |
| BR | R. Frank | PC | S. Markovits | |
| CC | E. M. Ghambou | SY | M. Robinson | |
| DC | A. Hungerford | SM | C. Miller | |
| TD | L. Manley | ES | P. Fry | |
| JE | J. Brantley [F]; D. Bromwich [Sp] | TC | J. Carlisle | |
Schedules for all majors must be discussed with, and approved by, a faculty adviser from the English department, the director of undergraduate studies, or the associate director of undergraduate studies. Only then may they be submitted to the residential college dean's office.
Applications and prospectuses for ENGL 490a or b and writing samples for admission to writing courses are received in the office of the English major in 107 LC. Prospectuses and applications for senior essays should be submitted during the designated sign-up period in the term before enrollment is intended. Enrollment lists for seminars with preregistration and lists of approved senior essays and individual writing projects are posted in 107 LC.
REQUIREMENTS OF THE MAJOR
Prerequisite: ENGL 125 or, with 4 addtl courses in major English poets, DRST 001, ENGL 127, or ENGL 129
Number of courses: 14 term courses (incl prereq and senior req)
Distribution of courses: 3 courses in English lit before 1800, and 1 course in English lit before 1900, all representing a variety of figures and periods; 2 departmental sems, 1 in junior, 1 in senior year; no more than 4 intro-level courses
Substitution permitted: 2 upper-level lit courses in other depts and 2 creative writing courses (ENGL 140–141, 450–469) may count toward the major; for departmental sem, college sems designated by DUS
Other: Library research session or Libr sem
Senior requirement: 1 senior sem (ENGL 400–449 and 480–488) in senior year, or senior essay (ENGL 490a or b)
