BANKURA UNIVERSITY//Syllabus// Complete Note Links//B.A. WITH ENGLISH MAJOR//NEP//2023-24//-- A Message, Note Cluster, Minor Course, SEMESTER – I

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B.A. WITH ENGLISH MAJOR OR ENGLISH AS A MINOR SUBJECT OR A MULTIDISCIPLINARY OPTIONAL IN THE FOUR YEAR UNDERGRADUATE

PROGRAMME DESIGNED AS PER NEP, BANKURA UNIVERSITY, 2023-24

SEMESTER-I

Course Title (Minor Stream Course): Introduction to Literary Studies
Course Code: A/ENG/102/MN-1
Credit: 04 Contact Hours/week: 04
Maximum Marks: 50 (ESE-40; IA-10) Examination Duration: 2 Hours

Course Objectives:
• To inihate undergraduate students to a basic understanding of the domain of literature and its different genres
• To equip them to appreciate and interpret a given text with crihcal insight
• To enable students to situate a text as mirror and provocator of its socio-historical context
• To introduce them to foundational concepts and methods of critique as applied to different literary texts

Course Outcomes:
• On successful completion of this course, students will be able to recognise, classify and engage with the  different genres of literature.
• They would  be able to apply diverse literary tools and concepts to crihcally engage with different types of literary texts.
It would introduce them to processes of crihcal-creahve thinking in relation to literature as a field of reflechon and application.
• The foundahonal course would serve as a prerequisite for higher level coursework in diverse domains of English Studies.

Course Content:

Unit 1: Reading Poetry

a) Poetry – Elements of Poetry e.g. lexical, visual/metaphorical and rhythmic dimensions, and the various forms of poetry; e.g. Ode, Lyric, Sonnet and other forms (Klarer, Mario. “Major Genres in Textual Studies”, An Introduction

to Literary Studies, Chapter 2 sec. 2, pp. 27-43, and Brooks, Cleanth, and Robert Penn Warren. “Poetry as a Way of Saying”, Understanding Poetry 4th ed., pp. 1-16.)

b) Illustrative texts: Shakespeare’s “Sonnet no. 29”, John Donne’s “Ecstasy”, John Keats’s “The Terror of Death”, “Ode to a Nighhngale”, Jayanta Mahapatra’s “Grass”

(Illustrative Notes:

Shakespeare’s “Sonnet no. 29”

• Short Question Answer from Shakespeare's "Sonnet No. 29" (2 marks)
• Critical Appreciation of Shakespeare's "Sonnet No. 29" (10 marks)
• Who is W.H.? How is he a subject in Sonnet no 29? Answer it with textual references.(10 marks)
• What is called a sonnet sequence? How does Shakespeare’s “Sonnet No. 29” represent a part of the sequence? (10 marks)
• Examine the use of allusion and personification in Shakespeare’s “Sonnet No. 29.” How do these literary devices contribute to the emotional depth of the sonnet? (10 marks)
• Discuss the use of rhythm and meter in Shakespeare’s “Sonnet No. 29.” How do rhythm and meter contribute to the overall impact of the sonnet? (10 marks)
• Discuss the elements of a sonnet with reference to Shakespeare's "Sonnet No. 29."/ What are the defining features of a sonnet, and how do they manifest in this particular sonnet?
• Shakespeare's "Sonnet No. 29": Textual Analysis
• Shakespearean Sonnets: An Overview

John Donne’s “Ecstasy”

• Define "Ecstasy" in the context of John Donne's poem "The Ecstasy." Critical Analysis of Title of John Donne's "The Ecstasy" (10 marks)
• Explore the theme of mutuality in "The Ecstasy." How does Donne depict the lovers as equal partners in a shared spiritual experience?
• Short Question Answer (2 marks) from John Donne’s “Ecstasy”
• What is a Metaphysical Conceit? Write a Critical Appreciation of John Donne’s “The Ecstasy”.(10 marks)
• Analyze the structure and form of "The Ecstasy." How does the poem's structure reflect its themes, particularly the balance between physical and spiritual love?(10 marks)
• How does Donne employ "Platonic Love" in "The Ecstasy"? Analyzing John Donne's "The Ecstasy": A Love Philosophy (10 marks)
• What is paradox in metaphysical poem? Discuss the concept of paradox in John Donne’s “Ecstasy.”/ How does Donne use paradoxes to explore the relationship between the physical and spiritual realms? (10 marks)
• What is called metaphysical conceit? Examine the theme of spiritual love in John Donne’s “Ecstasy.”/In what ways does Donne explore the connection between physical and spiritual love in the poem? (10 marks)
• WHAT IS CALLED IMAGERY? Analyze the use of visual and metaphorical imagery in John Donne’s “Ecstasy.” How does Donne employ imagery to convey the themes of the poem? (10 marks
• John Donne’s “The Ecstasy”: Footnotes, Paraphrase with Stanza Breakdown, Title, Theme Analysis, Overall Message, Literary Devices, Historical Context & Comparison to Other Donne Poems

Unit 2: Understanding Fiction

a) Fiction – Types of Fiction and Elements of Fiction such as Plot, Narrator, Character, Point of View, newness and the novel. (Klarer, Mario. “Major Genres in Textual Studies”, An Introduction to Literary Studies, Chapter 2 Sec. 1, pp. 9-27, and Kaul, A.N. “A New Province of Wrihng”, The Domain of the Novel: Reflections on Some Historical Definitions, pp. 20-36.)

b) Illustrahve texts: Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein/Ruskin Bond’s The Room on the Roof, short stories e.g. James Joyce’s “Araby”, O Henry’s “The Last Leaf”, Mahasweta Devi’s “The Hunt”

Unit 3: Engaging with Drama

a) Drama - Types of Drama and Elements of Drama (Mayes, Kelly J. The Norton Introduction to Literature, pp. 1178 – 1186, and Klarer, Mario. “Major Genres in Textual Studies”, An Introduction to Literary Studies, Chapter 2 Sec 3, pp. 43-55.)

b) Illustrative texts: J.M. Synge’s Riders to the Sea/Girish Karnad’s Tughlaq

Marks Division:

The course will have an Internal Assessment Test of 10 marks.

Question Pattern for End Semester Examination: Total 40 marks

• 1 long question worth 10 marks out of 2 questions to be attempted from each of Units 1 and 3: 2x10=20
• 1 long question worth 10 marks out of 3 questions to be attempted from Unit 2: 1x10=10
• 5 short questions worth 2 marks each out of 10 questions to be attempted from Units 1, 2 and 3: 5x2=10