Literature and Ideas

1. Understand the major intellectual traditions that have shaped literature.
2. Identify the key characteristics of literary movements across different epochs.
3. Analyze the influence of philosophical ideas on literary works.
4. Critically evaluate literary texts using various theoretical approaches.
5. Demonstrate knowledge of major writers and their contributions to literary history.

13 weeks, about 39 hours in total. Yours will differ.

1. Week 1Module 1: Classical Period

   • Unit 1: Introduction to Literature and Ideas · 3 hours

     Read the course guide and understand the objectives.. Familiarize yourself with the key concepts of Classical Literature.. Identify the main thinkers and their contributions during the Classical period..

2. Week 2Module 1: Classical Period

   • Unit 2: Ancient Greece · 3 hours

     Explore the intellectual and literary achievements of ancient Greece.. Analyze the works of major Greek philosophers and writers.. Discuss the influence of Greek thought on subsequent literary movements..

3. Week 3Module 1: Classical Period

   • Unit 3: Ancient Rome · 3 hours

     Examine the literary and intellectual contributions of ancient Rome.. Compare and contrast Roman literature with Greek literature.. Discuss the impact of Roman ideas on Western civilization..

4. Week 4Module 2: Medieval and Renaissance Periods

   • Unit 1: Medieval Period · 3 hours

     Study the dominant intellectual and literary trends of the Medieval period.. Analyze the role of religion in shaping Medieval literature.. Discuss the key themes and characteristics of Medieval literary works..

5. Week 5Module 2: Medieval and Renaissance Periods

   • Unit 2: Renaissance Period · 3 hours

     Explore the intellectual and artistic achievements of the Renaissance.. Examine the revival of classical learning during the Renaissance.. Discuss the major literary figures and their contributions to Renaissance literature..

6. Week 6Module 3: Elizabethan and Neo-Classical Periods

   • Unit 1: Elizabethan Period · 3 hours

     Study the key intellectual and literary developments of the Elizabethan era.. Analyze the works of William Shakespeare and other Elizabethan writers.. Discuss the cultural and political context of Elizabethan literature..

7. Week 7Module 3: Elizabethan and Neo-Classical Periods

   • Unit 2: Neo-Classical Period · 3 hours

     Examine the intellectual and artistic principles of the Neo-classical period.. Analyze the works of major Neo-classical writers such as Alexander Pope and Jonathan Swift.. Discuss the emphasis on reason, order, and decorum in Neo-classical literature..

8. Week 8Module 4: Romantic and Victorian Periods

   • Unit 1: Romantic Period · 3 hours

     Explore the key ideas and themes of the Romantic movement.. Analyze the works of Romantic poets such as William Wordsworth and Samuel Taylor Coleridge.. Discuss the emphasis on emotion, imagination, and nature in Romantic literature..

9. Week 9Module 4: Romantic and Victorian Periods

   • Unit 2: Victorian Period · 3 hours

     Study the social, political, and intellectual context of the Victorian era.. Analyze the works of Victorian novelists such as Charles Dickens and the Brontë sisters.. Discuss the themes of industrialization, class conflict, and moral responsibility in Victorian literature..

10. Week 10Module 5: Modern Period and Literary Theories

    • Unit 1: Modern Period · 3 hours

      Examine the major intellectual and artistic trends of the Modern period.. Analyze the works of Modernist writers such as T.S. Eliot and Virginia Woolf.. Discuss the themes of alienation, fragmentation, and the loss of meaning in Modern literature..

11. Week 11Module 5: Modern Period and Literary Theories

    • Unit 2: Absurdism and Existentialism · 3 hours

      Explore the key concepts of Absurdism and Existentialism.. Analyze literary works that exemplify these philosophical ideas.. Discuss the influence of Absurdism and Existentialism on modern literature..

12. Week 12Module 5: Modern Period and Literary Theories

    • Unit 3: Psychoanalysis and Surrealism · 3 hours

      Study the principles of Psychoanalysis and Surrealism.. Analyze literary works that incorporate these theoretical approaches.. Discuss the impact of Psychoanalysis and Surrealism on literary interpretation..

13. Week 13Module 5: Modern Period and Literary Theories

    • Unit 4: Realism · 3 hours

      Examine the characteristics of Realism in literature.. Analyze literary works that reflect Realist principles.. Discuss the social and political implications of Realist literature..