Courses

The following is a list of course descriptions only. For more details on any course, or to acquire a recent syllabus via email, please contact the Department Secretary at d-queen@neiu.edu or 773/442-5810.


ENGL-101 Writing I, 3 cr. Specialized instruction and practice in beginning writing. Work in usage, grammar, style, paragraphs, and short essays. Prereq.: Placement into ENGL-101, or completion of ELP-120 and/or 099 with a grade of "C" or better.

ENGL-102 Writing II, 3 cr. Continuation of practice in composition with emphasis on a variety of forms of writing and longer essays, culminating in the annotated research paper. Prereq.: ENGL-101 with a grade of "C" or better or advanced placement.

ENGL-200 Writing In Context, 3 cr. An intensive writing course with special focus to writing within designated thematic contexts. Students will read extensively about topics and write several short papers and one longer one. Students may take the course twice (6 hrs. total) when content changes. Prereq.: ENGL-101 with a grade of "C" or better, or consent of instructor.

ENGL-203 World of Fiction, 3 cr. A literature course which has three main objectives: 1) to familiarize students with the literary conventions of the short story and novel genres; 2) to develop in students a critical stance towards literature; and 3) to develop in students an appreciation of both western and non-western cultures as experienced through literature. Prereq.: ENGL-101 with a grade of "C" or better, or consent of instructor.

ENGL-204 World of Poetry and Drama, 3 cr. A literature course which has three main objectives: 1) to familiarize students with the literary conventions of poetry and drama; 2) to develop in students a critical stance towards literature; and 3) to develop in students an appreciation of both western and non-western cultures as experienced through literature. Prereq.: ENGL-101 with a grade of "C" or better, or consent of instructor.

ENGL-218 American Literature: Beginnings to 1865, 3 cr. A course covering representative writings of the Colonial, Early National, and Romantic periods in American literature, emphasizing both dominant and emergent themes and literary forms in each period. Here students will build the necessary cultural literacy for higher-level courses in American Literature. Prereq.: ENGL-101 with agrade of "C" or better, or consent of instructor.

ENGL-219 American Literature: 1865 to Present, 3 cr. A course covering representative writings of the Realist, Modern and Postmodern periods in American literature, emphasizing both dominant and emergent themes and literary forms in each period. Here students will gain a broad background for higher-level courses in postbellum American Literature. Prereq.: ENGL-101 with a grade of "C" or better, or consent of instructor.

ENGL-220 Introduction to Shakespeare, 3 cr. Introduction to Shakespeare's dramatic art through a careful reading of selected tragedies, histories, comedies, and romances; designed primarily but not exclusively for the non- English major. Prereq.: ENGL-101 with a grade of "C" or better, or consent of instructor.

ENGL-221 English Literature: Beginnings to c. 1750, 3 cr. Representative works in English literature from Beowulf to the middle of the eighteenth century. Prereq.: ENGL-101 with a grade of "C" or better, or consent of instructor.

ENGL-222 English Literature: c. 1750 to Present, 3 cr. Representative works in English literature from the middle of the eighteenth century to the modern era. Prereq.: ENGL-101 with a grade of "C" or better, or consent of instructor.

ENGL-235 Introduction to Creative Writing I, 3 cr. Preliminary study to enable students to develop positive approaches to the craft of writing and to explore techniques of the craft. Prereq.: ENGL-101 with a grade of "C" or better, or consent of instructor.

ENGL-236 Introduction to Creative Writing II, 3 cr. Techniques aimed at exploring disciplines of various forms of writing. Prereq.: ENGL-101 with a grade of "C" or better, or consent of instructor.

ENGL-300 Russian Literature: Gogol-Chekhov, 3 cr. Works (primarily novels, novellas and stories) of the major figures in nineteenth-century Russian literature (Turgenev, Tolstoi, Dostoyevski, etc.), relating them to the social, political, and religious issues they touched on. Prereq.: a grade of "C" or better in ENGL-101, plus 6 credit hours of 200-level literature courses (Gen. Ed. and/or British/American Survey courses).

ENGL-301 Independent Study in English, 1 cr. An independent study on the tutorial model, initiated at the student's suggestion to an instructor; course content designed in consultation with the instructor. Prereq.: same as ENGL-300.

ENGL-302 Love in Western Literature, 3 cr. The various attitudes toward love, including sexual and family relationships, as depicted in the literature of different ages and cultures with emphasis on the changing social, ethical, and religious context of these views. Prereq.: same as ENGL-300.

ENGL-307 Medieval Studies: The Development of the Arthurian Legend, 3 cr. The legend of King Arthur from allusions in early chronicles, through Welsh folk tales, through the courtly versions of twelfth-century France to the compilation by Sir Thomas Malory. Prereq.: same as ENGL-300.

ENGL-308 English Literature from Beowulf to Malory, 3 cr. A survey of English Medieval literature that, in dealing with major works (e.g. Beowulf, The Canterbury Tales, Morte Darthur, etc.), situates them in the relevant political and linguistic contexts, as well as the literary context of competing "minor" works and genres. Prereq.: same as ENGL-300.

ENGL-312 Literature of Colonial Times, 3 cr. Prose and poetry of the Puritan and Revolutionary eras. Prereq.: same as ENGL-300.

ENGL-313 American Literary Renaissance: 1830-1860, 3 cr. Prose and poetry of Hawthorne, Melville, Emerson, Thoreau, Whitman, Dickinson, and others. Prereq.: same as ENGL-300.

ENGL-314 Chaucer and His Age, 3 cr. Close study of selected early poems of Chaucer (ballads, envoys, and narratives), to present an introduction to the language and themes of Chaucer's poetry and his age. The major portion of the course will be devoted to a close reading of The Canterbury Tales in the original Middle English. Prereq.: same as ENGL-300.

ENGL-315 Literature of the English Renaissance, 3 cr. Prose and poetry (not drama) of the English Renaissance in the sixteenth century. Prereq.: same as ENGL-300.

ENGL-316 Forms Of Poetry, 3 cr. This course will examine some of the traditional poetic forms lyric, narrative, and dramatic which have been used by poets throughout literary history. Readings and discussion will engage students in an analysis of each form its technical characteristics, its place in literary history, and its relevance to contemporary writers and readers of poetry. Students will write imitations of several poetic forms as well as critical essays about them. Prereq.: same as ENGL-300.

ENGL-317 Modern American Drama, 3 cr. Major lines of development of modern American Drama from O'Neill to contemporaries like Albee and Mamet. Prereq.: same as ENGL-300.

ENGL-318 Readings in American Literature, 3 cr. An intensive study of selected literary movements, figures, or themes in American literature. Consult the Schedule of Classes for specific topics. Prereq.: same as ENGL-300.

ENGL-321 Literature of the Romantic Movement, 3 cr. Poetry and prose from 1780 to 1830 including Blake, Burns, Wordsworth, Coleridge, Byron, Shelley, Keats, Lamb, Hazlitt, and DeQuincey. Prereq.: same as ENGL-300.

ENGL-322 The American Short Story, 3 cr. The evolution of the American short story as a self-conscious form of literature from Washington Irving to Joyce Carol Oates. The theories of Romanticism, Realism, Naturalism are illustrated. Each student selects one writer of short stories to explore in some depth through an individual report. Prereq.: same as ENGL-300.

ENGL-323 Shaw and Modern British Drama, 3 cr. Shaw's development as a playwright as well as significant movements in British drama since the 1890's, including the Irish Renaissance, recent poetic drama, and the "angry young men." Prereq.: same as ENGL-300.

ENGL-324 The Romantic Novel, 3 cr. The nineteenth century novelists from England and the Continent are studied against the great socio-political movements of the age the French, Russian, and Industrial Revolutions. Prereq.: same as ENGL-300.

ENGL-325 Readings in World Literature, 3 cr. Intensive study of fiction and poetry representative of literary movements, historical periods, or thematic concerns. Consult the Schedule of Classes for specific topics. Prereq.: same as ENGL-300.

ENGL-328 Seventeenth Century Literature, 3 cr. Studies in seventeenth century literature exclusive of Milton. Prereq.: same as ENGL-300.

ENGL-329 Milton, 3 cr. Milton's work and the intellectual milieu of the period. Prereq.: same as ENGL-300.

ENGL-330 Shakespeare: Comedies and Romances, 3 cr. Shakespeare's comic writing, from The Comedy of Errors, through the romantic comedies and problem comedies to the late romances. Prereq.: same as ENGL-300.

ENGL-331 Shakespeare: Tragedies, 3 cr. Shakespeare's tragic works from early experiments in tragedy, e.g., Romeo and Juliet, Richard III, to the great achievements in tragedy, e.g. Hamlet, Lear, Macbeth. Prereq.: same as ENGL-300.

ENGL-332 Elizabethan and Jacobean Drama, 3 cr. Major dramatists, excluding Shakespeare, in Elizabethan and Jacobean drama, 1550 to 1642, including Kyd, Marlowe, Webster, Jonson, Beaumont and Fletcher from the origin of professional and court drama to the closing of the theatres. Prereq.: same as ENGL-300.

ENGL-333 Mythological Backgrounds of English and American Literature, 3 cr. Middle-Eastern, Nordic, and Graeco-Roman mythological systems; readings in archetypal interpretation of literature with representative illustrations from fiction, drama, and poetry. Prereq.: same as ENGL-300.

ENGL-334 Biblical Backgrounds of English and American Literature, 3 cr. Influence of the Bible, especially the King James version, on the style and content of famous English and American writers. Selected readings from Old and New Testaments and from the writers influenced by them. Prereq.: same as ENGL-300.

ENGL-335 Written Communication for Business, 3 cr. Designed primarily for Business and Management majors covering principles and practices of writing required in professional work.

ENGL-337 Nobel Laureates, 3 cr. Nobel prize winners, 1901 to the present. Prereq.: same as ENGL-300.

ENGL-338 The Literature of Japan, 3 cr. An introduction to contemporary Japanese literature. Prereq.: same as ENGL-300.

ENGL-340 Independent Study in English 2 cr. An independent study on the tutorial model, initiated at the student's suggestion to an instructor; course content designed in consultation with the instructor. Prereq.: same as ENGL-300.

ENGL-341 Restoration and Eighteenth Century Literature I, 3 cr. Politics in England leading to the restoration of Charles II; his court; Restoration playwrights; the bawdy Restoration stage and reaction to it; the new sentimental drama; the newspaper and the essay. Prereq.: same as ENGL-300.

ENGL-342 Restoration and Eighteenth Century Literature II, 3 cr. Intensive study of contrasts in the Age of Enlightenment; interrelationship of politics and writers; neoclassic literature; beginnings of the novel; eighteenth century criticism and biography. Prereq.: same as ENGL-300.

ENGL-345 Practical Criticism, 3 cr. Introduction to some of the more important critical approaches to literature, emphasis on application as well as theory. Prereq.: same as ENGL-300.

ENGL-348 Prose and Poetry of the Victorian Age, 3 cr. Selected Victorian poetry, with consideration of the social background of the period (1837-1910). Prereq.: same as ENGL-300.

ENGL-350 The Victorian Novel, 3 cr. A study of the development of the novel in England from Dickens to Hardy, seen against the contemporary social and literary background. Theme and technique of the novel, methods of publication, major and minor writers. Prereq.: same as ENGL-300.

ENGL-351 The English Novel of the Eighteenth Century, 3 cr. The development of the English novel as a genre in the eighteenth century, including such precursors of the novel as Bunyan, Defoe, Lyly and Behn. Prereq.: same as ENGL-300.

ENGL-358 Readings in British Literature, 3 cr. Intensive study of selected literary movements, figures, or themes in British literature; each section carries an identifying title. Consult the Schedule of Classes for specific topics. Prereq.: same as ENGL-300.

ENGL-359 Independent Study in English, 3 cr. An independent study on the tutorial model, initiated at the student's suggestion to an instructor; course content designed in consultation with the instructor. Prereq.: same as ENGL-300.

ENGL-360 Detective Fiction, 3 cr. Literary and historical study of the detective story from Poe and Sherlock Holmes to Hammett and the present. Prereq.: same as ENGL-300.

ENGL-361 Development of the American Novel, 3 cr. The novel as a developing form from Charles Brockden Brown to William Faulkner and beyond. Prereq.: same as ENGL-300.

ENGL-365 West Indian Literature, 3 cr. Beginning with European response to the discovery of the Caribbean Islands (as evidenced in Shakespeare's The Tempest), the course will trace the area's discovery of its own identity as reflected in the works of such writers as Jean Rhys, V.S. Naipaul, Derek Walcott and others. Prereq.: same as ENGL-300.

ENGL-368 American Realism, 3 cr. An examination of the literature that reflects the movement from American romanticism to realism and through realism to literary naturalism, approximately 1865-1910. Prereq.: same as ENGL-300.

ENGL-370 Folklore and the Fairy Tale, 3 cr. Readings from both traditional and contemporary folktales, including modern adaptations of traditional stories. Emphasis on the similarities in different tales, and the differences in similar ones, with the aim of learning how the same elements pervade the archetypical stories, and how variations in detail bespeak different ethnic and cultural interests and concerns. Prereq.: same as ENGL-300.

ENGL-371 Studies in Women's Literature, 3 cr. Literature by or about women; includes writing by women, portrayals of female characters, attitudes toward women, and women's roles; other thematic concerns. Prereq.: same as ENGL-300.

ENGL-373 Yiddish Literature in Translation, 3 cr. Yiddish literature and the Yiddish language from its beginning to the present from Eastern Europe and West Germany to the East Side and West Roosevelt Road. Prereq.: same as ENGL-300.

ENGL-375 The Essentials of Tutoring Writing, 3 cr. This class considers the larger theoretical debates important to composition studies today and the practical aspects of writing tutorials. Students will read contemporary writing theory and apply this knowledge in work with small groups of undergraduate writers, helping them to create ideas, draft and revise essays, and edit their work. To succeed in this class, students need to be strong writers and collaborators and to have an interest in the practice and politics of writing. Prereq.: same as ENGL-300.

ENGL-376 Advanced Composition, 3 cr. Interdependence of rhetoric, grammar, logic, semantics, psychology, and criticism in communication of ideas; practice in various types of writing with focus on students' interest; designed for future teachers of composition. Prereq.: same as ENGL-300.

ENGL-377 Argumentative Prose, 3 cr. An advanced course in which students will learn to write argumentative essays on a wide range of subjects, using as models for discussion the argumentative prose of professional writers. The course will cover many aspects of argumentative writing, including the study of inductive and deductive reasoning and logical fallacies and the analysis of organizational and stylistic techniques. Prereq.: same as ENGL-300.

ENGL-378 Twentieth Century Fiction I, 3 cr. Development of the modern novel from Conrad to writers of the 1930s and 1940s against a background of historical and literary movements; emphasis on Conrad, James, Joyce, Lawrence, Faulkner, and Hemingway. Prereq.: same as ENGL-300.

ENGL-379 Twentieth Century Fiction II, 3 cr. Development of the novel in English in recent decades against a background of historical and literary movements; includes work of West, Greene, Lowry, Durrell, Bellow, Nabokov, Burgess, Barth, Lessing, Murdoch, Mailer, Updike and Pynchon. Prereq.: same as ENGL-300.

ENGL-380 Multi-Cultural Literature in America, 3 cr. Designed for future teachers of English, the multi-genre course provides students with an awareness of representative literature from the various ethnic cultures that are a part of American life. Prereq.: same as ENGL-300.

ENGL-381 African-American Literature, 3 cr. A survey of African-American Literature in its social, cultural, and political context, beginning with Phyllis Wheatly, continuing through the slave narratives of the pre-Civil War era to the masterpieces of the Harlem Renaissance and the works of contemporary writers, such as James Baldwin, Toni Morrison, Ishmael Reed, Alice Walker, August Wilson, and Gwendolyn Brooks. Prereq.: same as ENGL-300.

ENGL-384 Creative Writing: Poetry I, 3 cr. Students write poetry which is discussed and critiqued in class by instructor and students. Prereq.: same as ENGL-300, plus ENGL-235 or 236, or consent of instructor.

ENGL-385 Creative Writing: Poetry II, 3 cr. Students write poetry which is discussed and critiqued in class by instructor and students. Prereq.: same as ENGL-300, plus ENGL-235 or 236, or consent of instructor.

ENGL-386 Creative Writing: Fiction I, 3 cr. Students write prose fiction which is discussed and critiqued in class by instructor and students. Prereq.: same as ENGL-300, plus ENGL-235 or 236, or consent of instructor.

ENGL-387 Creative Writing: Fiction II, 3 cr. Students write prose fiction which is discussed and critiqued in class by instructor and students. Prereq.: same as ENGL-300, plus ENGL-235 or 236, or consent of instructor.

ENGL-388 Modern British and American Poetry, 3 cr. Introduction to modern poetry in English: its origins, dominant themes, and characteristic techniques. Prereq.: same as ENGL-300.

ENGL-389 Contemporary Poetry, 3 cr. A survey of poetry in English from 1950 to the present. This course will examine the major themes and techniques of poets writing during this period. Prereq.: same as ENGL-300.

ENGL-390 Young Adult Novel, 3 cr. Advanced study in literature for young adults, grades 7-10. Evaluation and selection of recent books in the area as well as the history of the genre. Criteria for selection: Book lists, indexes, professional literature in the field. Individual work on problem of special interest. Prereq.: same as ENGL-300.

ENGL-391 Children's Literature, 3 cr. Preparation for effective teaching of literature in the elementary school; wide reading of books for young children; story selection and story telling; authors and illustrators of children's books; classroom methods of stimulating creative expression; individual and group reading guidance. Prereq.: same as ENGL-300.

ENGL-410 Literary Method and Practice, 3 cr. A foundation course that will build on existing skills and prepare for further graduate-level studies, with a goal of contextualizing and conceptualizing critical attitudes and approaches to literary text. Its aim is to provide advanced critical and scholarly tools for understanding literature, and will address criticism and critical method, close reading and analysis, and bibliographical and research technique. Required in the first year of study in the Literature Concentration. Prerequisite: Admission to the MA Program in English.

ENGL-421 The Metaphysical Poets, 3 cr. The metaphysical tradition in seventeenth century poetry and its impact on modern poetry, including works of Donne, Herbert, Crashaw, Vaughan, and Traherne and critical studies of Johnson, Grierson, Eliot, Leavis, Williamson, and others. Prereq.: graduate standing, admission to a degree program in English, or written consent of instructor.

ENGL-430 Studies in Literary Criticism, 3 cr. A study of some of the central problems and issues of contemporary criticism, as exemplified by the writings of major theorists. Prereq.: same as ENGL-421.

ENGL-431 Bibliography and Research in English, 3 cr. Materials, methods, and tools of literary research; use of libraries; preparation of scholarly papers. Prereq.: same as ENGL-421.

ENGL-433 Seminar in Composition Theory, 3 cr. An extensive examination of current composition methodologies with emphasis upon the eclectic needs of the composition student. Prereq.: same as ENGL-421.

ENGL-434 Seminar in Basic Writing Theory, 3 cr. A survey of types of students in basic writing classes, a review of placement tests for identifying levels of writing competency, and a careful examination of various basic writing methodologies. Prereq.: same as ENGL-421.

ENGL-435 Writing Assessment: Theory and Practice, 3 cr. Theoretical background on evaluating student writing, as well as practical training in how to diagnose and remediate problems with grammar and content at the secondary and college level. Prereq.: same as ENGL-421.

ENGL-436 Rhetorics of Composition, 3 cr. This course will provide students with a background in Classical Rhetoric and then examine how the conventions of Classical Rhetoric have been translated or transformed into rhetorics of composition, such as Expressionistic Rhetoric, Cognitive Rhetoric, Epistemic Rhetoric, and Social Construct Rhetoric. Prereq.: same as ENGL-421.

ENGL-437 Contemporary Issues in Composition: Revolving Topics, 3 cr. This course will explore contemporary issues in composition, with an emphasis on the intersection between theory and practice in writing instruction. Possible topics will include the relationship between technology and writing, multi-culturalism and writing, and critical theory and writing. Consult the Schedule of Classes for specific topic. Prereq.: same as ENGL-421.

ENGL-438 Research in Composition, 3 cr. Materials and methods for library research in composition theory; preparation of scholarly work on composition; research designs and measurement techniques for qualitative and quantitative studies in composition. Prereq.: same as ENGL-421.

ENGL-439 Stylistics, 3 cr. Examination of the historical relationship of style to rhetoric; techniques for improving prose style; aspects of style as a part of writing evaluation. Prereq.: same as ENGL-421.

ENGL-440 Malory, 3 cr. Examination of Sir Thomas Malory's Morte D'Arthur concentrating on structure and interpretation, while considering current controversies over authorship and the state of the text; attention to the position of the work in the development of the Arthurian legend and in the context of the fifteenth century. Prereq.: same as ENGL-421.

ENGL-441 Seminar in Sixteenth Century Literature, 3 cr. Advanced study of the work of a single author; individual assignments culminating in a term essay; discussions of the investigations. Consult the Schedule of Classes for specific topics. Prereq.: same as ENGL-421.

ENGL-442 Seminar in Seventeenth Century Literature, 3 cr. (See ENGL-441 for description.)

ENGL-443 Seminar in Eighteenth Century Literature, 3 cr. (See ENGL-441 for description.)

ENGL-444 Seminar in Romantic Literature, 3 cr. (See ENGL-441 for description.)

ENGL-446 Seminar in Contemporary English Literature, 3 cr. (See ENGL-441 for description.)

ENGL-447 Seminar in Contemporary American Literature, 3 cr. (See ENGL-441 for description.)

ENGL-448 Seminar in Nineteenth Century American Literature, 3 cr. (See ENGL-441 for description.)

ENGL-449 Studies in American Literature, 3 cr. Advanced study of selected American writers. Consult the Schedule of Classes for specific topics. Prereq.: same as ENGL-421.

ENGL-450 Studies in English Literature, 3 cr. Advanced study of selected English writers. Consult the Schedule of Classes for specific topics. Prereq.: same as ENGL-421.

ENGL-453 Thesis Seminar In English, 6 cr. Guidance of students conducting research and writing a thesis to fulfill requirements for the M.A. in English. Prereq.: acceptance to master's degree candidacy in English.

ENGL-454 Seminar in World Literature, 3 cr. Advanced study of a selected writer(s) in World Literature. Consult the Schedule of Classes for specific topics. Prereq.: same as ENGL-421.

ENGL-455 Studies in World Literature, 3 cr. Advanced study of selected writers in World literature. Consult the Schedule of Classes for specific topics. Prereq.: same as ENGL-421.

ENGL-456 William Blake, 3 cr. Intensive study of the works of Blake, noting the religious, political and social beliefs, opinions and doctrines his works evaluate and challenge. Prereq.: same as ENGL-421.

ENGL-457 The Poetry and Prose of Shelley, 3 cr. An intensive study of the poetry and prose works of Shelley in the light of his social, religious and political milieu and with the aid of pertinent scholarship regarding the poet. Prereq.: same as ENGL-421.

ENGL-458 Troilus and Criseyde, 3 cr. Study of the development of the legend of Troilus from a brief mention in The Iliad through the dramatic treatment in 12th century chronicles and Boccaccio's great romance to Chaucer's major verse 'novel' and Shakespeare's enigmatic drama. Prereq.: same as ENGL-421.

ENGL-459 Dante, 3 cr. Study of the poetry (in translation) of the major Italian poet of the Middle Ages and Renaissance concentrating on the Vita Nuova and the Divine Comedy with consideration of the theological, philosophical and cultural sources of Dante's work. Prereq.: same as ENGL-421.

ENGL-461 Dostoevski: The Major Works, 3 cr. Dostoevski's major works (such as Notes from the Underground, Crime and Punishment, The Idiot, The Brothers Karamazov) in relation to the social, political, and religious issues which concerned the writer. Prereq.: same as ENGL-421.

ENGL-469 Seminar in Southern Literature, 3 cr. Intensive reading of twentieth-century Southern literature exclusive of Faulkner with emphasis on the sociological and psychological aspects of the literature as they mirror life in America's South. Prereq.: same as ENGL-421.

ENGL-470 Seminar in Faulkner, 3 cr. Intensive reading of the short fiction and novels of William Faulkner with specific attention on his development as a novelist and his place among twentieth century American authors. Prereq.: same as ENGL-421.

ENGL-474 Seminar in Byron, 3 cr. Close examination of the poetic canon of Lord Byron. Prereq.: same as ENGL-421.

ENGL-475 Seminar in Keats, 3 cr. Close examination of the poetic canon of John Keats. Prereq.: same as ENGL-421.

Return to Main Page