ENG 205 - Introduction to Literature
In this course, students will study works of fiction, poetry and drama during three units. The five elements of close/critical reading – summary, analysis, interpretation, synthesis, and evaluation – will be stressed so that students can more fully grasp and appreciate the text at hand. Terms key to each genre will be discussed sequentially so that by the end of each unit, students will be able to understand a text holistically. For example, plot is a fundamental element of a conventional work of fiction, whereas symbol is a more complex and varying element in works of fiction; thus, in the fiction unit, we will study plot first and symbol later. That said, students’ understanding of the many qualities at play in a particular literary work will be tested at the end of each unit. In addition, in this course we will also consider text (the written piece and its requisite devices) and context (the factors that influenced the creation of a text in particular ways) simultaneously.
Handbook of Rhetorical/Literary Devices
Required Textbooks (click book covers for information)
