ENG 202: Schedule of Readings, Meetings, Lectures, and Assignments

This schedule is subject to change, sometimes with small but significant adjustments being made only a week or two before a reading is due. Do not download or otherwise copy down this schedule—refer to this webpage directly, so you can be sure you're getting the most recent version. Do not start readings more than a week ahead of their due date.

Always bring a copy of the assigned reading to tutorial sessions, whether in hard copy or electronically on a tablet or laptop (never read off of a phone or smaller device); for full-class sessions, instructions for what to bring will differ each week.

Because this is a survey course, we will not dig into every text we cover in the same way, or with the same depth.  It's important to focus as much as you can in class on whatever text is scheduled for discussion or coverage that day – but connections drawn from that day's text to prior texts we've covered are especially welcome.

Make sure you know in advance how to access Syllabus Service readings through Quercus; know that almost all of those readings are also available online in excellent TEAMS editions (linked below), except for one, from Marie de France, which will only be accessible through the Syllabus Service.

WEEK I

Before our full-class meeting on Mon Jan 6,

During class on Mon Jan 6, we’ll work from some passages from Cavendish’s Blazing World that Prof. Sergi will present on slides. There’s nothing to bring or read ahead of this class meeting—I’ll provide the readings and we’ll do them together.

Before your tutorial on Wed Jan 8,

  • Read Cavendish, Blazing World, pages 57-102 (from “To the Duchesse of Newcastle, on her New Blazing World” through “nor is it so sure a means to keep them to their duties, as Love”). 

    You may skip pages 84-91 if you wish (from “all animal Creatures within the Seas and other waters” through “dissolution or production of other parts and Creatures”), but I recommend reading the whole thing.



WEEK II

During our full-class meeting on Mon Jan 13, we will close read two poems in class (a short one by John Donne and a longer one by John Milton). You need not bring anything to this meeting; Prof. Sergi will introduce the poems using a handout.

Before your tutorial on Wed Jan 15,

  • Read Cavendish, Blazing World, pages 102-141 (from “Last of all, when she saw that both Church and State” through “two loving Souls did often meet and rejoice in each others Conversation”).



WEEK III

Before our full-class meeting on Mon Jan 20,

During our full-class meeting on Mon Jan 20, students in the Embodied Track will present a staged reading of Shakespeare’s Twelfth Night, Acts 1-4. Unless you are a member of the Embodied Track, you need not bring anything to this meeting.


Before your tutorial on Wed Jan 22,

  • Finish Cavendish, Blazing World, pages 143-164 (from “The Emperess having now ordered and setled her Government” through “to create another World for another Friend”). 

    • Read Shakespeare, Twelfth Night, Acts 4 and 5 — in the free online Folger edition (click here); when you get to the final song in the play, listen to this track on Spotify, if you are able to do so. Assuming all goes well in our first in-class performance, we will have already covered Acts 1-4 of the same play; if we haven’t (live performance is unpredictable!), please also use the Folger edition to read from where we left off.

During your tutorial on Wed Jan 22, students in the Discursive Track may present some thoughts and provocations about Cavendish’s Blazing World; those students (or, if there aren’t any, your TA) will lead a final discussion on Cavendish.

 

WEEK IV

Before our full-class meeting on Mon Jan 27,

  • Read Robin Hood and the Potter, accessible through the Syllabus Service or by clicking here. If you wish, you can read it while simultaneously listening to my Audio Accompaniment to Robin Hood and the Potter (click here). If you find the audio accompaniment too easy or too intrusive, though, I challenge you to try reading some (or all!) of the early text without the help of the audio.

  • Read A Gest of Robin Hood, accessible through the Syllabus Service or by clicking here. If you wish, you can read it while simultaneously listening to my Audio Accompaniment to A Gest of Robin Hood (click here). If you find the audio accompaniment too easy or too intrusive, though, I challenge you to try reading some (or all!) of the early text without the help of the audio.

  • (Note: Wednesday’s reading assignment is a bit heavy, so you may want to start it early.)

During our full-class meeting on Mon Jan 27, Prof. Sergi will give a series of short lectures that will contextualize Robin Hood and Other Outlaw Tales. If you have a laptop or tablet on which you can refer to our electronic Robin Hood readings, please bring it with you (never read off of phones, or smaller devices, in my classes).

Before your tutorial on Wed Jan 29,


WEEK V

During our full-class meeting on Mon Feb 3, we will close read two poems in class (a short one by Thomas Wyatt and a longer one by John Skelton). You need not bring anything to this meeting; Prof. Sergi will introduce the poems using a handout.

Before your tutorial on Wed Feb 5,


WEEK VI

Before our full-class meeting on Mon Feb 10,

During our full-class meeting on Mon Feb 10, students in the Embodied Track will present four staged readings from the York and Chester Plays. Unless you are a member of the Embodied Track, you need not bring anything to this meeting.

Before your tutorial on Wed Feb 12,

During your tutorial on Wed Feb 12, students in the Discursive Track may present some thoughts and provocations about all the Robin Hood and Cloudesley Tales we’ve been reading; those students (or, if there aren’t any, your TA) will lead a final discussion on Robin and outlaw tales.

The day after your tutorial, on Thu Feb 13 by 11:59pm, students on the Philological Track must submit Philological Essay 1, following their TA’s instructions for essay submission.

There is no class (nor Office Hours) on Mon Feb 17 and Wed Feb 19 (Reading Week).



WEEK VII

Before our full-class meeting on Mon Feb 24,

  • Read the following sections of Chaucer’s Canterbury Tales: The General Prologue, The Miller’s Prologue, The Pardoner’s Prologue, and lines 904-968 of The Pardoner’s Tale. If you wish, you can read it all while simultaneously listening to my Audio Accompaniment to the General Prologue, Miller’s Prologue, and Pardoner’s Prologue (click here). If you find the audio accompaniment too easy or too intrusive, though, I challenge you to try reading some (or all!) of the early text without the help of the audio.

During our full-class meeting on Mon Feb 24, Prof. Sergi will give a series of short lectures that will contextualize The Canterbury Tales. Bring your copy with you (electronically or otherwise).

Before your tutorial on Wed Feb 26,

  • Read, in Chaucer’s Canterbury Tales, The Miller’s Tale. If you wish, you can read it all while simultaneously listening to my Audio Accompaniment to the Miller’s Tale (click here). If you find the audio accompaniment too easy or too intrusive, though, I challenge you to try reading some (or all!) of the early text without the help of the audio.



WEEK VIII

During our full-class meeting on Mon Mar 3, we will close read a few passages of prose in class (two by Julian of Norwich and one by Margery Kempe). You need not bring anything to this meeting; Prof. Sergi will introduce all the passages using a handout.


Before your tutorial on Wed Mar 5,

  • Read, in Chaucer’s Canterbury Tales, The Wife of Bath’s Prologue and Tale. If you wish, you can read it all while simultaneously listening to my Audio Accompaniment to the Wife of Bath’s Prologue and Tale (click here). If you find the audio accompaniment too easy or too intrusive, though, I challenge you to try reading some (or all!) of the early text without the help of the audio.


WEEK IX

Before our full-class meeting on Mon Mar 10,

During our full-class meeting on Mon Mar 10, students in the Embodied Track will present staged readings of The Pride of Life and of Dame Sirith, The Fox and the Wolf, etc. from MS Digby 86. Unless you are a member of the Embodied Track, you need not bring anything to this meeting.

Before your tutorial on Wed Mar 12,

  • Read, in Chaucer’s Canterbury Tales, The Nun’s Priest’s Prologue, Tale, and Epilogue. If you wish, you can read it all while simultaneously listening to my Audio Accompaniment to the Nun’s Priest (click here). If you find the audio accompaniment too easy or too intrusive, though, I challenge you to try reading some (or all!) of the early text without the help of the audio.

During your tutorial on Wed Mar 12, students in the Discursive Track may present some thoughts and provocations about Chaucer’s Canterbury Tales; those students (or, if there aren’t any, your TA) will lead a final discussion on Chaucer.


WEEK X

Before our full-class meeting on Mon Mar 17,

  • Read Marie de France’s Prologue and Guildelüec et Guilliadun (Waters translation), accessible through the Syllabus Service or by clicking here.

  • Read The Liflade ant te Passiun of Seinte Margarete (Huber and Roberston translation), accessible through the Syllabus Service or by clicking here. (Note: This very violent story is also a bit too long for our use; if you wish, you can read only from paragraph 1 through 54—note paragraph numbers at the left side of the online edition—and you’ll get the general idea.)

  • Read Beowulf, lines 1-498, twice—once in the Heaney translation, once in the Headley translation (Note: Yes, we’ll be reading both translations alongside each other!  Flip a coin to decide which translation to start with; you can toggle back and forth if you wish, but you must read both through line 498.) 

During our full-class meeting on Mon Mar 17, Prof. Sergi will give a series of short lectures that will contextualize Marie de France, the Life of St Margaret, and Beowulf. Bring your two Beowulf copies with you.


Before your tutorial on Wed Mar 19,

  • Read Beowulf, lines 499-883, twice—once in the Heaney translation, once in the Headley translation (Note: This time, start with whatever translation you didn’t start with last time.) 

WEEK XI

During our full-class meeting on Mon Mar 24, students in the Embodied Track will present staged readings of Beowulf, lines 883-914 and 1049-1698. Then, once they’re done, Prof. Sergi will present Part 2 of Lecture ENG 202-8. Unless you are a member of the Embodied Track, you need not bring anything to this meeting.

Before your tutorial on Wed Mar 26,

  • Read Beowulf, lines 1698-2998, in either the Heaney or the Headley—you choose. In tutorial, please discuss all of Beowulf through line 2998, including Monday’s in-class performance.


WEEK XII

Before our full-class meeting on Mon Mar 31,

During our final full-class meeting on Mon [date TBA], we will close read the final lines of Beowulf, with help from our Embodied Track readers. Bring both your copies of Beowulf.


Before your tutorial on Wed Apr 2, there are no readings due.

During your tutorial on Wed Apr 2, students in the Discursive Track may present some thoughts and provocations about Beowulf; those students (or, if there aren’t any, your TA) will lead a final discussion on Beowulf.

The day after your tutorial, on Thu Apr 3 by 11:59pm, students on the Philological Track must submit Philological Essay 2, following their TA’s instructions for essay submission.

During Finals Week (the date will be announced by campus administration), we will convene one last time for your Final Test.