ENGL 309 - Desire and Identity in the Renaissance:The Lyric Tradition

Institution:

University of Richmond

Subject:

Description:

A comparative investigation of Italian, French, and English Renaissance lyric poetry. (Same as Modern Literatures and Cultures 358.) General Education Requirement: (FSLT) Unit(s): 1 Additional Information: In this course we trace the development of lyric poetry from the 14th to the 17th centuries, a period of time that spanned the Italian, French, and English Renaissance. The nature of the self and of its relation to the other remains a central concern in all the works examined in this course, though the perspectives articulated differ widely. Some of the more specific questions or issues to be investigated include: 1) the relation between the poetic imagination and reality. To what degree does imagination reveal or occlude truth To what degree is the self an unstable poetic construct rather than a divinely constituted and fixed "essence" Does the self create its own fragmented and illusory reality, or does it inhabit a coherent universe structured by God 2) the relation between self and other, especially as played out in the context of romantic love. Is physical beauty a manifestation of the divine Can physical desire be sublimated into spiritual passion Is it possible to have both Is genuine contact with an "other" possible To what degree can the beloved survive the process of absorption into a poetic text 3) the relation between the poet and his predecessors, between imitation and originality. 4) the relation between ethics and aesthetics. What kind of knowledge does lyric poetry provide Can poetry be transformative or redemptive, or is it inherently about itself Is poetic creation an act that reflects or parodies/perverts divine creation What is the proper relation between art and nature 5) the relation between poet/poem and the social and political context out of which the work emerge

Credits:

3.00

Credit Hours:

Prerequisites:

Corequisites:

Exclusions:

Level:

Instructional Type:

Lecture

Notes:

Additional Information:

Historical Version(s):

Institution Website:

www.richmond.edu

Phone Number:

(804) 289-8000

Regional Accreditation:

Southern Association of Colleges and Schools

Calendar System:

Semester

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