123043 PS Proseminar Literature (2013W)

The proseminar will advance students‘ theoretical knowledge in the study of English (i.e. Anglophone) literature and provide them with various practical skills indispensable to writing an academic research paper: Participants will be introduced to research methodologies and the practical use of resources (electronic databases, conventional bibliographies) and will be familiarized with the efficient use of essential reference works. Moreover, special emphasis will be given to the pracitcal analysis of literary texts from various genres (drama, poetry, fiction) and from several literary periods. The texts selected for discussion in class will all deal with versions of the theme of star-crossed love in different historical contexts. The texts include a narrative poem from Chaucer's "The Legend of Good Women" (c. 1386), Shakespeare's "The Winter’s Tale" (1610/11), poems by Romantic and Victorian poets and short stories from the 19th century to the present (including e.g. tales by Thomas Hardy, James Joyce, D.H. Lawrence, W. Trevor, T. C. Boyle, Eilis Ni Dhuibhne).