Current course offerings

Please Note: Course profiles marked as not available may still be in development.

Course description

¿Literary Classics: Texts and Traditions¿ is an introductory course that traces the development of the British literary tradition from the medieval period to the twentieth century. It provides students with a foundational understanding of how major historical periods have shaped the key literary forms and engages with a range of influential authors including, amongst others, Shakespeare, William Wordsworth, and Virginia Woolf. The course examines canonical¿texts as a response to or evolution of earlier works, periods, and cultures, encouraging students to consider how literature reflects and challenges its historical context. Through broader thematic frameworks like race, class, and gender the course interrogates the terms ¿classic¿ and ¿canonical,¿ inviting students to critically reflect on what it means to study the English tradition at university in the twenty-first century. Students will develop skills essential for literary studies, including close reading, research, and writing. These important skills will also allow students to read critically beyond the university and classroom environment.

Archived offerings