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Spring,
2016
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Calendar
of Assignments
COURSE
DESCRIPTION and OBJECTIVES:
ENGL 459, "Love and Death: The Tristan Tradition," explores medieval and modern versions of the first medieval blockbuster, the romance of Tristan and Isolde, a love story that has been eclipsed, in modern Anglo-American literature, by the better known saga of Lancelot and Guenevere. We will trace the development of the Tristan tradition from the middle ages to the 21st century, seeking to understand its ongoing appeal and to analyze the significance it has held for various periods and audiences. Of particular interest will be the author's treatment of the participants in the adulterous triangle -- King Mark of Cornwall; Tristan, Mark's nephew and Isolde's lover; and Isolde, Tristan's lover and Marc's queen -- as well as of peripheral characters such as Brangaine and Isolde of the White Hands.
The seminar focuses on the ways in which various writers and artists have used the legends to convey different "meanings." We will consider artwork, film and an opera in addition to broad range of literary works dating from the medieval period through the 21st century: medieval romance and lai, Victorian and modern poetry, modern and contemporary fiction. We will consider how they are the products of their specific historical and cultural contexts and shed light on the values and goals of the artists which produced them and the audiences which enjoyed them.
By the end of the quarter, you
should feel
confident of your ability to locate, access and correctly document
resources
for a literary research project found at Kennedy Library and in
the collections
other research libraries. Finally, I hope
that your
study of medieval and modern Tristaniana will inspire you to
read more
medieval and medieval-themed literature on your own -- or with
me in another
class!
REQUIRED TEXTS:
Some required textbooks have been ordered and are
available at the
bookstore. Do NOT substitute another edition or translation
for these
textbooks:
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 REQUIRED
VIDEO SCREENINGS: The curriculum covered
in this course includes
five films which are
on reserve for ENGL 380 and ENGL 459
at the Kennedy Library Circulation Desk:
These required films are the equivalent of readings and must be viewed prior to the class meeting at which they will be discussed. NOTE 1: Videos and DVDs on reserve do not
circulate outside the
library; they must be screened in the library during
normal library
hours. Group screenings will be scheduled in
Kennedy Library
and/or at Dr. Schwartz's house (dates and times will be
posted on the course
calendar), or you may see them on your own time.
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You
are expected to have an email account and to check it
regularly.
Important announcements will be sent over the class
email
alias.
The class email alias is automatically generated using the email
address
of each enrolled student found in the Cal Poly Directory server.
If your
Cal Poly email account is NOT your preferred email address, you must
Attendance
Policy: Due to the twice-weekly seminar
format, any absence
causes you to miss a substantial chunk of material. Regular
and punctual
attendance is required. Please note that EVERY
absence will
affect the participation component
of your
final
course grade.
Each student starts out with a 4.0 for attendance. This component of your final grade drops by .3 for the first UNEXCUSED absence; the penalty increases by .1 for each subsequent unexcused absence (from A [4.0] to A- [3.7] to B+ [3.3], to B- [2.8], etc.). Additionally, it drops .1 for the first EXCUSED absence (4.0 to 3.9) and .2 for the second excused absence (3.9 to 3.7). Excused absences in excess of two (a full week, 10% of the class) count the same as unexcused absences.
Please note that only absences resulting from illness, a family emergency, or circumstances truly beyond your control count as excused. Absences taken for personal convenience are a matter of choice rather than necessity; they will be recorded as unexcused. Please note that deadlines for other courses, work conflicts and job interviews are NOT valid reasons for missing class. Exception: a graduating senior will be granted ONE excused absence for an out-of-town job interview.
FOR ANY ABSENCE TO BE EXCUSED, YOU MUST SUBMIT A SIGNED, WRITTEN NOTE with course number, date missed and an explanation of the circumstances leading to your absence. (Although I do appreciate your courtesy in letting me know why you have missed a class, an Email or a phone message will not suffice; a written statement with your signature is required for an absence to be excused.)
Participation: in addition to regular class attendance, the participation component of the class grade will reflect two sorts of online participation.
Preparation:
Readings listed on the Calendar of Assignments are to be completed
BEFORE
coming to class on the date for which they are assigned.
Readings
are found in the required textbooks, on e-reserve in PolyLearn, or
may
be accessible through a link on the calendar of assignments.
Short
background assignments should normally be read first, since they
provide
a context within which the primary readings will be more
meaningful. But
when time is short, concentrate on getting through the primary
readings
which will be the focus of class discussion; you can always make
up the
background readings later.
Be prepared to discuss readings in class. Note that the length and difficulty of assignments vary, so look ahead in the reading list when you are planning your time. You will be responsible for ALL the assigned readings, whether fully discussed in class or not, as well as for the additional background material presented in lectures, online readings, or in student presentations and in class discussion.
Finally, get started on your research early, even if your presentation date falls towards the end of the quarter. To get started, come to an Office Hour (or make an appointment to see me) by the end of week 3 at the latest. Failure to do so will result in an "F" being averaged into the Research Report component of your final course grade. We will use this initial meeting to brainstorm, to discuss possible topics and approaches, to help you get the hang of some of the library research tools, and/or simply to get acquainted. After this initial meeting, feel free to come back! This means: if you feel confused about a research assignment, let me help you troubleshoot!
![Mac Harshberger, [Mark] Watched
Them as They Lay (1927 illustration to Bedier's Romance of
Tristan and Iseult)](MHWatched.jpg)
Four
guided research exercises will help you begin your research
for
your oral
presentation and your final
paper. Research progress reports are posted to a class
Research
Archive on each author or film to serve as a "roadmap" for
anyone who
wishes to incorporate the text or film you have researched into
their final
projects. Because your Research Progress
Reports
will be an important resource for your classmates, they factor
into your
participation grade.
There will also be two collaborative
forums
where you should post a list of all items you have ordered through
Link+
and an ILL Repository where you will upload Interlibrary
Loan
articles you have received electronically. The ILL
Repository
and the LINK+ Orders forums allow seminar participants to
pool their
resources and "share the wealth" without recalling each other's
books or
wasting the library's limited financial resources by placing
multiple
Interlibrary
Loan and Link+
requests for the same items. Because they are an important
resource
for your classmates, they factor into your participation
grade.
Starting in week three, each reading or film
will
be presented by one or more students (sign-ups the first week of
class).
This ORAL
PRESENTATION (no more than 20 min. per student!) will
be the
starting point for class discussion, led jointly by presenter(s)
and professor.
The Oral Presentation should discuss specific textual passages (or
scenes
in a film) that you find interesting or illuminating. You
may analyze
a particular episode, character, theme or motif; discuss the use
of imagery,
stylistic choices, or structural aspects of the text; or compare
one of
more of these elements with previous readings. In all cases,
the
presentation should be anchored by CLOSE READING of passages from
the text.
If you choose, you may refer in passing to a
secondary source
which you have found particularly interesting or useful, but you
should
NOT do a "book report" on the critics you have found in your
research;
keep the focus on the primary work (literary
text,
artwork or film).
Students are encouraged (but not required) to develop the presentation topic more fully in the final research paper. Please note: you are NOT expected to become a world expert on your assigned topic; you are merely responsible for helping to introduce it to your classmates!
Click
on link for ORAL
PRESENTATION SCHEDULE.
On the day of the oral presentation, Presenters will prepare and distribute an ANNOTATED BIBLIOGRAPHY of at least five secondary sources dealing with the primary reading/film and/or (for modern works) one or more of its medieval sources. The Annotated Bibliography will be graded for complete and correct bibliographic citations; for the distribution of items over the required types of sources and modes of access; and for the expression and quality of the summary. Your Oral Presentation and Annotated Bibliography count toward your in-class work grade.
Please note: you will need to start researching your topic well in advance of your presentation date in order to obtain materials through LINK+ and Interlibrary Loan. You should meet with Prof. Schwartz (and other presenters on same day, if applicable) no later than the third week of class for some research guidance and to discuss the focus of your presentation (possible topics, approaches, etc.).
MIDTERM
EXAM: a closed book,
two-hour exam
in class on day 1 of week 9 (T 5/24). The exam will
consist of
some combination of the following: factual questions (from
lectures, assigned
introductory materials, online readings and handouts, including
film criticism);
chronology of works studied; identification of key characters,
events,
objects and motifs; identification of significant and
representative passages
from readings; choice of essay questions.
PAPER PROSPECTUS: Normally ungraded; to be turned in to me in class on Th 5/12 or as an emailed Word attachment by MIDNIGHT on SUNDAY, 5/15. If submitted as an emailed word attachment, please save your document under the filename
[yourlastname]459prospectus.docxYour Prospectus must include a working title which clearly identifies the work(s) discussed as well as topic of your paper; a fully articulated thesis (not just a statement of general topic); a tentative outline of paper; and a working bibliography of at least eight sources (alphabetized and in correct MLA bibliographic citation format).
RESEARCH
PAPER: 12-15 pp. long, citing at
least 6 secondary
sources (Graduate Students: 15-20 pp. and 8 secondary
sources).
Final paper may be connected to
oral presentation.
Worth 30% of final course grade
(except
as noted
above). Unless an extension has
been arranged
in advance, Research Papers (along with the original,
marked
up prospectus) are due in hard copy at our last
class meeting or no later than the night of the final oral
exercise / class dinner on Tuesday, 6/7. Please
email me, also, an electronic copy of your paper, saved as
a .docx file under the file name "[your last
name]459paperS16.docx".
FINAL ORAL EXERCISE: starting during our scheduled Final Exam time (4-7 PM on Tuesday 6/7/16), there will be a required final oral exercise: a brief presentation to your classmates of the premise and conclusions of your final research paper. While the presentation will be ungraded, failure to complete the Final Oral Exercise will result in a grade of "F" being averaged with your Midterm Exam score. This required Final Oral Exercise will take place at my home. It will be followed by an (entirely optional!) celebratory meal.
NOTE: I do not typically include reading quizzes in my 400-level seminars. However, should it become apparent that students are not keeping up with assigned readings, I reserve the right to start! Reading quizzes in my classes typically consist of a combination of passage IDs; factual questions (based on assigned background readings, as well as character or event IDs); and content-specific questions based upon primary material (readings, films and artwork: significant plot developments, roles played by various characters, etc.) There is typically an element of choice on my quizzes, and they are typically unannounced. In the (unlikely) event that reading quizzes prove necessary, they will be incorporated into the in-class work component of your final course grade.
| 20% | Participation (including attendance, Discussion Board postings, archived research reports, and uploads to the Class ILL Repository); please note that failure to meet with Dr. Schwartz concerning your research topic by the end of week three at the latest will result in an F being averaged into this portion of your class grade! |  |
| 20% | In-class work: equal weight to Oral Presentation and annotated bibliography. (Should I determine that reading quizzes are necessary to ensure class members are keeping up with assignments, they will be factored into this portion of the final grade.) | |
| 30% | Midterm Exam. NOTE: Failure to participate in the final oral exercise will result in an F being averaged with this grade. | |
| 30% | Research Paper. NOTE: If an acceptable Research Paper Prospectus is submitted on time, it will be considered an ungraded exercise designed solely to provide feedback to help you write a stronger final paper. But if the prospectus submitted does not fulfill the requirements of the assignment, or if it is submitted late, it will be graded and will count for 5% of your final course grade. In that case, the research paper itself will be worth only 25%. NOTE: Failure to submit a prospectus will result in 5% of your final course grade = F!! |
OH MY GOSH . . . CAN I HANDLE THIS SEMINAR??
Sure you can -- if you keep up with the readings and don't put off starting your research! But DON'T assume that the class will "take care of itself." If you have a heavy course- and/or work-load, please be sure to budget time for this class . . . Finally. . . remember that I LOVE teaching this stuff, and I'm told that my enthusisam makes my classes more fun!
And WHAT ABOUT THOSE TWO-HOUR BLOCKS?
Rest assured, we'll take a break each day. Feel free to bring along a caffeinated (or non-caffeinated) drink -- whatever it takes to keep you alert through two hours. If there is sufficient interest, rotating cookie duty will be arranged!
WELCOME, AND ENJOY!!!
Contents of this and all linked pages Copyright Debora B. Schwartz, 2004-2016
Return to Dr. Schwartz's Home Page
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Class meetings:
T/Th 2-4, Rm. 14-251
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