Time Schedule:
Lin Chen
C LIT 240
Seattle Campus
Comparative approach to literature and a workshop in writing comparative papers in English. Emphasis on cross-cultural comparison of literary works. Readings in English with an option to read selected texts in the original languages Offered: AWSp.
Class description
Reading Traditional Poetry: East and West
This class is specially designed to test the possibility of teaching poetry in a way that will make it relishable to the modern reader. Our agenda is to read a rich selection of some of the best poems from two of the world’s greatest literary traditions, English and Chinese. Our immediate aim is of course to practice close reading and literary analysis, but I sincerely wish that in the process you will also develop a liking for the readings (and perhaps the writers). To get you started, we will go through Terry Eagleton’s lucid, entertaining, and very insightful How to Read a Poem before examining the work of a few master-poets, such as Wordsworth and Coleridge, Li Po and Tu Fu. The reading load is light, but you always need to read carefully, with your full intelligence engaged. Anyone interested in poetry is welcome. Prior experiences with poetry will definitely smooth the path into the course.
Student learning goals
General method of instruction
Recommended preparation
Class assignments and grading
