Winter 2007; PAC C-18; MTWRF 12:00-1:50

 Dr. Gavin Richardson

Office: A-17

Office Phone: 661-5317

Office Hours: MTWRF 9:00-10:00

E-mail: grichard@uu.edu

http://www.uu.edu/personal/grichard/

Pre-requisites: English 111, 112, 201, 202

 Required Texts:

Seamus Heaney, trans., Beowulf: A New Verse Translation.

Daniel Donoghue, ed. Beowulf: A Verse Translation  (Norton Critical Editions).

Jesse L. Byock, trans., The Saga of the Volsungs: The Norse Epic of Sigurd the Dragon Slayer (Penguin Classics).

S.A.J. Bradley, trans. Anglo-Saxon Poetry (Everyman Paperback Classics).

Course Description: All Beowulf, all the time.

ell, not exactly.  In this course we will engage in a deep reading of the Anglo-Saxon epic, pausing to chase the scop’s “digressions” in ways not possible in traditional survey courses.  We will read entire works that the Beowulf-poet only alludes to; we will read other works of Anglo-Saxon literary culture to provide context; we will explore crucial aspects of the Old English language even as we read Beowulf in translation; we will examine how archeology offers a number of insights into the poem; and, beginning with J.R.R. Tolkien’s seminal essay, “Beowulf, the Monsters and the Critics” (1936), we will read select critical essays.

 Attendance:

You may not earn an A with more than 1 unexcused absence.

You may not earn a B with more than 2 unexcused absences.

You may not earn a C with more than 3 unexcused absences.

You may not earn a D with more than 4 unexcused absences.

If you are absent while representing Union in an official capacity, you may have this absence excused with a written statement from an appropriate authority.  If you are absent due to illness, I will excuse the absence provided that a physician or nurse provides a statement saying that you were too ill to attend class.  Even excessive excused absences may prevent you from fulfilling basic requirements of this course, so please stay healthy! 

Evaluation:

Critical Essay 1..................................................................................................20%

Critical Essay 2..................................................................................................25%

Exam 1................................................................................................................20%

Exam 2 (Final)....................................................................................................25%

Attendance, participation, OE memorization, and study questions.........10%

The grading scale for this course is detailed in the Union University Undergraduate Catalogue, p. 17 (A 95-100; B 85-94; C 75-84; D 65-74; F 64 and below). All assignments are due at the beginning of class. Late assignments are penalized 1/3 letter for each school (not class) day late. You are responsible for getting me your papers regardless of unfavorable circumstances such as computer glitches. All work must be submitted in order to pass the course. Notify me if accommodations need to be made for disabilities of any kind.

Academic Integrity:

Plagiarism can be broadly defined as using the ideas or words of others in your paper without proper acknowledgment. Using information from other term papers, websites, or even standard research tools without source citation is a serious breach of academic integrity, and ignorance of what constitutes plagiarism is no excuse. When in doubt, please consult your instructor about the appropriate use of quotation marks, paraphrase, and parenthetical citation. Flagrant acts of plagiarism (e.g., downloading all or portions of a paper from the Internet without proper citation, handing in the work of another as your own, repeated instances of plagiarism, etc.) shall result in a failing grade for the course and possible further disciplinary action taken by the University. Punishment for other forms of plagiarism may range from failing the assignment to failing the course. Union University "upholds the highest standards of honesty" (2002-2003 Undergraduate Catalogue 22), and the English department's policy regarding plagiarism is an attempt to preserve these standards.

Critical Essays:

You will write one 5-7 pp., typed and double-spaced critical essay, and one 7-10 pp. researched critical essay in this course.  Details on these assignments are to follow, but some tips and samples can be found at my homepage at the “If you're going to write a paper for me, click here” link.

Exams:

There will a mid-term and a final in this course; the exams will likely consist of objective short-answer questions, language exercises, passages to identify and comment upon, and an essay.  A portion of the final will be cumulative, as required by the University.  There will be no alternates given for these exams.  If you anticipate that an excused absence will conflict with an exam, please speak with me well ahead of time.  You are responsible for furnishing your own bluebooks (exam booklets), which can be purchased at Lifeway.

Study Questions:

In lieu of quizzes, I will assign a study question per class meeting to help guide your reading and make sure all students are keeping up. On occasion I will ask to see your responses, which will be graded on a √-,√, and √+ basis, roughly equivalent to an C, B, and A.  However, the Study Question is not merely a policing measure; often the question will deal with a core concern, a critical term, or a key passage which will help you better engage the text and which you will see again on an exam or as part of a writing assignment option.  Study questions also serve as springboards into class discussion. If you are absent on the day I take up these questions, you may hand in a late assignment only if your absence is excused.

Cell Phone Etiquette:

This class is a “No Cell Phone Zone.” Please turn off all cell phones.  If you must have your phone on, please set it to buzz/vibrate.

Email:

I often use email to communicate information regarding this course to the class at large, and I email the class via a Webadvisor option that allows me to send a note to all student accounts at once.  You should regularly check your student email account, or you should make sure that all Union email is forwarded to an account you do check (e.g., Hotmail, Yahoo, etc.).  See computing services on how to forward email.

About Our Texts:

A required text means precisely that—required.  Each student is required to have his or her own copy of the required textbook in the appropriate edition.  The admittedly high cost of textbooks has prompted some students to consider “book sharing.”  However, in an English course, such a plan is not good in theory, and even worse in practice.  I am skeptical that a shared book can serve two students well, especially when one student has it at midnight on Tuesday and the other hasn’t finished his/her reading yet for the next day. 

Furthermore, your course text provides you with more than just the subject matter.  Each student ideally will engage in dialogue with the textbook, jotting notes, questions, reactions in the margins, not merely highlighting passages.  If your textbook pages are clean and blank, you’re doing something wrong.  A shared book does not allow for this individuated engagement with the text.  In college, this is how we read—with pen or pencil in hand.  If you’re concerned about the buyback potential of your book, use a pencil.  But hopefully you will be more concerned about how much you’re learning in this class, which is why you came to Union instead of going to a much cheaper university a few miles down the road.  Does it make sense to pay $20,000/ year to go to college, only to go cheap on the main thing, your course material?

While I am sympathetic to the cash-strapped student (I was one too not long ago), I do require each student to have his or her own textbook.  After the third day of class, failure to possess your own copy of the required text will result in a 5 point participation grade penalty for each day you do not have a book. 

Snow:

Please request a snow schedule from Union Station in case of inclement weather.

Miscellany:

As per a departmental requirement, I keep all exams and papers for one year. You should also keep a copy of all out-of-class work in case I lose anything. This syllabus and first-day handout may be revised as necessary. I encourage you to call me in my office or at home (668-4888; 8:00 am-10:00 pm, please) if you need anything. If you have any concerns about this course, don’t wait until the last minute to voice them—talk to me while we can take steps to make this course a positive experience for you.  My office, A-17, is located in PAC in the glassed-in Humanities Vestibule near the art gallery and wellness center, across from the language lab.  Once you enter the humanities area my office is down the second corridor to the left, the last office on the left.

This course counts toward the Major Writers requirement for majors.