ENGL 025 - The Age of Chaucer

Institution:

University of Pennsylvania

Subject:

Description:

Distribution Course in Arts & Letters. Class of 2009 & prior only. In this class we come to speak as people spoke in England some six centuries ago: in medieval or 'Middle' English. We do this by reading the poetry of Geoffrey Chaucer, a great poet who has influenced everyone from William Shakespeare to Sylvia Plath. Since Middle English takes some getting used to, class assignments are not heavy: usually about 800 lines per class. A typical class might begin by looking at a few of the easier passages in the Canterbury Tales, proceed to reading the greatest poem of love in the English language (Chaucer's TROILUS AND CRISEYDE), before moving on to other contemporary writers in medieval culture. We will likely compare representations of medieval Christianty, Judaism, and Islam, as well as aspects of film adaptation by Italian filmmaker Pasolini (and perhaps by Chaucer scholar Terry Jones). We will consider what it might have been like to live secure in an age of faith; yet to live insecure, as a dizzying new profusion of trades and occupations sprang up in unprecedented "divisions of labor." We will imagine being a medieval woman, and may visit and handle medieval manuscripts. Above all, we will enjoy the poetry. See the English Department's website at www.english.upenn.edu for a description of the current offerings.

Credits:

3.00

Credit Hours:

Prerequisites:

Corequisites:

Exclusions:

Level:

Instructional Type:

Lecture

Notes:

Additional Information:

Historical Version(s):

Institution Website:

www.upenn.edu

Phone Number:

(215) 898-5000

Regional Accreditation:

Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools

Calendar System:

Semester

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