ENGL 3101 is also offered in Fall 2023
ENGL 3101 is also offered in Spring 2023
ENGL 3101 is also offered in Fall 2021
Fall 2023 | ENGL 3101 Section 001: Knights and Pilgrims in Medieval Literature (32083)
- Instructor(s)
- Class Component:
- Lecture
- Credits:
- 3 Credits
- Grading Basis:
- A-F or Audit
- Instructor Consent:
- No Special Consent Required
- Instruction Mode:
- In Person
- Class Attributes:
UMNTC Liberal Education Requirement
- Meets With:
MEST 3101 Section 001
- Times and Locations:
Regular Academic Session
Tue,
Thu 09:45AM - 11:00AM
UMTC, East Bank
Pillsbury Hall 214
- Enrollment Status:
Closed (25 of 25 seats filled)
- Also Offered:
- Course Catalog Description:
- Medieval writers and readers were fascinated by stories about knights and about pilgrims. In this course, we study some of the best-known and most compelling narratives and poems from the Middle Ages. Although written hundreds of years ago, these literary works speak to us of the human desire to strive for meaning and excellence, to work toward shared ideas of community, and to explore worlds beyond the sometimes narrow confines of home. Knights and pilgrims appear as central figures in a wide range of literary works. Some of the texts are humorous, like Chaucer's Canterbury Tales in which pilgrims, from social classes ranging from knights to tradespeople, travel together and tell stories. Some are exciting and emotional, like Malory's retelling of stories about King Arthur and his knights. Others provide us with explorations of longing for change: in these works people search for new kinds of social and spiritual life such as Margery Kempe's autobiographical account of her experiences as a pilgrim to Rome and the Holy Land. Still others, such as Langland's Piers Plowman, which incorporates pilgrimage and chivalric quest, critique and explode static ideas about social problems such as poverty and hunger. Some draw our attention to the dangers and turmoil involved in love and relationships, such as Marie de France's courtly, aristocratic lays: Marie's knights and ladies take up the search for love and meaning. Some, finally, invite us to imagine ourselves in mysterious otherworlds, such as Mandeville's Travels and Sir Orfeo, both of which focus on travel and self knowledge. These exciting and challenging works continue to speak to us about the quest to pursue ideals and to change the world and ourselves.
- Class Description:
- In this course we study literary works from the English Middle Ages. Representative authors read may include Chaucer, the anonymous Gawain-poet, Margery Kempe, Julian of Norwich, and the anonymous authors of the morality and cycle plays. The course concentrates on formal elements of the literature and pays special attention to the language of the works under consideration, some of which will be read in the original language (Middle English). Students do not need prior training in the language but should be open to working on pronunciation and reading. In the course we attend to historical, literary, and theoretical concerns. Library research, individual and group projects, quizzes, and in-class writing are important components of the course. Active class participation is required and attendance (taken daily) is mandatory. Students will write interpretive essays and will take several exams.
- Textbooks:
- https://bookstores.umn.edu/course-lookup/32083/1239
- Instructor Supplied Information Last Updated:
- 13 October 2009
ClassInfo Links - Fall 2023 English Classes