ENGL 331 - Romantic Nature

Institution:

Williams College

Subject:

English

Description:

"Nature" is a central concern of British Romantic-era writing, which engages and celebrates sublime prospects, tucked-away violets and field mice, bird song, stinging frosts and glorious morns. Indeed, "nature" could be said to have been invented, or at least constructed anew, in this period, partly in response to the ecological crises brought on by the rapid industrialization and imperial expansion occurring at the same time. This course will examine Romantic-era constructions of nature and the natural world; we will also attend to how these constructions have shaped our current environmental and ecological concerns and discourses. Primary readings will include texts by Jean Jacques Rousseau, William Blake, Charlotte Smith, Dorothy and William Wordsworth, Mary and Percy Shelley, John Clare, and at least some contemporary environmental writing; we will also read philosophical and theoretical essays by Edmund Burke, Friedrich Schiller, Michel Serres, Lawrence Buell, Timothy Morton and others.

Credits:

3.00

Credit Hours:

Prerequisites:

A 100-level English course, or a score of 5 on the Advanced Placement examination in English Literature or a 6 or 7 on the International Baccalaureate

Corequisites:

Exclusions:

Level:

Instructional Type:

Seminar

Notes:

Additional Information:

Historical Version(s):

Institution Website:

www.williams.edu

Phone Number:

(413) 597-3131

Regional Accreditation:

New England Association of Schools and Colleges

Calendar System:

Four-one-four plan

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