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| Semester | fall semester 2020 |
| Course frequency | Once only |
| Lecturers | Ina Habermann (ina.habermann@unibas.ch, Assessor) |
| Content | Due to wide-spread concern about climate change and debates about the 'Anthropocene', nature writing is becoming increasingly popular. Beyond this topicality, however, 'writing the land' has always been an important aspect of English poetry. While many writers tap into the pastoral tradition, others have taken their cue from Vergil's "Georgics" for an invocation of the natural world that combines mythical and spiritual aspects with close attention to the material world and human's practical engagement with it. This research seminar will be devoted to studying this tradition, including John Dryden's translation of the "Georgics" and James Thomson's "The Seasons" as well as work by William Wordsworth, Edward Thomas and Vita Sackville-West. We will also look at more recent work by Alice Oswald, Simon Armitage and Kathleen Jamie, asking to what extent the georgic informs poetic responses to current challenges. While the focus will be on reading and discussing poetic works, we will also situate them in current theoretical debates. NB: This research seminar can usefully be combined with an interphilological series of lectures on 'Green Poetry' (58614-01) in the autumn term, organized by Profs. Henriette Harich-Schwarzbauer (Latin Studies) and Ina Habermann (English), Wednesdays 16-18h. |
| Learning objectives | Students will engage with a major strand in the history of English poetry; they will improve their skill in close reading and the cultural contextualisation of poetic works. Readings and seminar discussions will provide the basis and frame for independent further research. |
| Bibliography | Texts (to be purchased): - Alice Oswald, "Dart" - Simon Armitage, "Stanza Stones" Further material will be available on the ADAM server. |
| Comments | ________________________________ Lehrveranstaltung mit Maskentragpflicht ________________________________ |
| Weblink | ADAM |
| Admission requirements | For MA and PhD students |
| Course application | Please register on MOnA. |
| Language of instruction | English |
| Use of digital media | Online, mandatory |
| Interval | Weekday | Time | Room |
|---|
No dates available. Please contact the lecturer.
| Modules |
Modul: Anglophone Literary and Cultural Studies (Master's degree subject: English) Modul: Literatur- und kulturwissenschaftliche Forschung (Master's degree program: Literary Studies) Modul: Literaturgeschichte (Master's degree program: Literary Studies) Modul: Research in Anglophone Literary and Cultural Studies (Master's degree subject: English) |
| Assessment format | continuous assessment |
| Assessment details | Regular attendance, active participation, presentation |
| Assessment registration/deregistration | Reg.: course registration; dereg.: not required |
| Repeat examination | no repeat examination |
| Scale | Pass / Fail |
| Repeated registration | no repetition |
| Responsible faculty | Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences, studadmin-philhist@unibas.ch |
| Offered by | Fachbereich Englische Sprach- und Literaturwissenschaft |