Senior Honors English

In this intensive literature course, we will read important works from a wide range of time periods — from the seventeenth century to today.  We will consider these works in conjunction with pertinent critical material, and historical and social backgrounds; we will also consider them in relation to each other, asking how authors of such disparate origins as Herman Melville and ZZ Packer have responded to the same enduring questions.   

Most students will find the reading assignments challenging, in length (twenty to forty pages a night) and often in style.   They should be prepared to participate in class discussion and to construct clear, useful notes based on reading and discussion.    Students will write three essays a quarter, with a six to eight page essay at the end of the semester serving as the final exam.   Students should also be prepared to work independently on their writing, with limited class time devoted to drafting and revision.  Students’ writing should demonstrate thinking beyond the scope of class discussion, present a tightly focused argument, and be not only clear but also sophisticated in style.  Our goals are to gain a nuanced understanding of a few key works, explore how writers over the centuries have responded to some of the same questions, and finally to continue our own development as writers.