English 301

Chaucer

Ms. Kelen

MWF 3:30-4:20--241 King

 

"Useful Links for Chaucer Students Page"

How to find me outside of class:

Of course you can feel free to grab me after class with questions, comments, concerns, etc. My office is 101 Rice and my campus phone number is x8918. My office hours are: MWF 2:00-3:00 and Tu 9:00-10:00 (and by appointment, if these hours don't work for you). I also have a "coffee hour" on Wednesday morning from 8:30-9:30 at the Foxgrape café (on College St.) for people who think it's too scary to come into the office, or for people who are sleepy and need some caffeine. By the way, if you're lucky I might just buy your coffee. You can also e-mail me: sarah.kelen@oberlin.edu.

Please feel free to come to see me even if you just have a little question, or if you are just thinking about something and want to run it by me, or you are having trouble with your paper, or whatever. Lots of people think that they can't come to office hours unless they are all done with their paper or know exactly what they want to say. That's ridiculous: my job is to help you figure these things out.

The work you will have to do in this class:

Obviously you will have to read the books, come to class, and discuss the readings intelligently. Participation and attendance will both be factored into your grade, so if you have a valid reason for missing class (religious observance, school-sponsored activity, illness, family emergency), please let me know. I won't be taking attendance in this class, but I will notice if you make a habit of being somewhere else during class time.

You will also have to write a series of papers and short assignments. The first two papers will be relatively short (4-6 pages); the third paper will be a longer research paper (10-12 pages). The short assignments will generally only be about a page long, and they will be graded on a check minus, check, check plus scale. These will be more technical exercises (practice with the language or with research skills). There are 2 on the syllabus now; it is possible that more might show up as the semseter progresses. You will also have to do an annotated bibliography in preparation for your research paper (though you might end up changing your topic between one and the other; that's okay). You will share these bibliographies with each other, so do a good job--your colleagues are counting on you. You must do all of the written work to pass this class (no matter what your grading option).

I want you to turn your work in on time. However, if for some reason you cannot get one of the papers in on time, you will be allowed a 24-hour grace period. Make sure you get the paper to me within this time (e-mail it to me, or drop it off in my box) and there will be no penalty. After 24 hours, your paper will be marked down one grade step for each successive day late. The grace period does not apply to the short assignments. Note: you can only exercise your grace period entitlement once during the semester.

Wednesday Sept. 2	Introduction to Chaucer, introduction to The Riverside Chaucer
Friday Sept. 4	"The Complaint Unto Pity" look over Miller, Sources & Backgrounds, pp. 269-297 [and refer to these selections as relevant for the next few classes]
Monday Sept. 7	Labor Day
Wednesday Sept. 9	"A Complaint To His Lady"; "To Rosemounde"
Friday Sept. 11	"The Complaint of Mars" MED/OED short assignment due
Monday Sept. 14	"The Complaint of Mars"; "The Complaint of Venus"
Wednesday Sept. 16	The Book of the Duchess Miller, pp. 96-111
Friday Sept. 18	The Book of the Duchess
Monday Sept. 21	Rosh Hashanah: class cancelled
Wednesday Sept. 23	Canterbury Tales, "General Prologue"
Friday Sept. 25	CT, "Knight's Tale," part I Miller, pp. 322-327
Monday Sept. 28	"Knight's Tale," part II paper #1 due in class
Wednesday Sept. 30	Yom Kippur
Friday Oct. 2	"Knight's Tale," part III Miller, pp. 328-343
Monday Oct. 5	"Knight's Tale," part IV
Wednesday Oct. 7	"Miller's Prologue" and "Miller's Tale" Miller, pp. 218-220
Friday Oct. 9	"Reeve's Prologue" and "Reeve's Tale"
Monday Oct. 12	"Cook's Tale" and discussion of Fragment I as a whole CT continuations and additions assig due
Wednesday Oct. 14	"The Wife of Bath's Prologue" look over Miller, pp. 365-473 and refer back to the different selections here as relevant over the rest of the semester
Friday Oct. 16	"The Wife of Bath's Tale" and discussion of the Beidler, WB book look over Beidler, pp. 1-85; skim Beidler, pp. 291-303
Monday Oct. 19-Friday Oct. 23	Autumn Recess
Monday Oct. 26	Beidler, pp. 89-114
Wednesday Oct. 28	"Friar's Prologue" and "Friar's Tale"
Friday Oct. 30	"Summoner's Prologue" and "Summoner's Tale" look over Miller, pp. 235-268
Monday Nov. 2	"Clerk's Prologue" and "Clerk's Tale" Miller, pp. 136-152 deadline for getting your bibliography topic approved
Wednesday Nov. 4	"Clerk's Tale"
Friday Nov. 6	Beidler, pp. 115-154
Monday Nov. 9	"Merchant's Prologue" and "Merchant's Tale" paper #2 due in class
Wednesday Nov. 11	"Introduction to the Squire's Tale" "Squire's Tale," lines 1-346, 671-708.
Friday Nov. 13	Beidler, pp. 155-188
Monday Nov. 16	"Franklin's Prologue" and "Franklin's Tale" Miller, 121-135
Wednesday Nov. 18	"Physician's Tale"
Friday Nov. 20	Beidler, pp. 189-220
Monday Nov. 23	bibliography presentations in class (remember to bring in copies for everyone)
Wednesday Nov. 25	Beidler, pp. 221-254
Friday Nov. 27	Thanksgiving Break
Monday Nov. 30	"Pardoner's Prologue" and "Pardoner's Tale" Miller, pp. 229-230
Wednesday Dec. 2	"Prologue to Sir Thopas" and "Sir Thopas"
Friday Dec. 4	Beidler, pp. 255-289
Monday Dec. 7	"The Tale of Melibee"
Wednesday Dec. 9	"The Second Nun's Prologue" and "The Second Nun's Tale" Miller, pp. 112-120
Friday Dec. 11	"The Parson's Prologue" (as much as you feel like) look over Miller, pp. 477-498 "Chaucer's Retraction" and "Lenvoy de Chaucer a Scogan" (p. 655)
Monday Dec. 14	Research Paper presentations (bring in 1-page summary of your paper; 1 copy for everyone)