High School English

British Literature: A Survey Course

What does British Literature cover?

British Literature is a college-preparatory literature survey course. Focus works, including novels, short stories, poems, and drama, have been selected for literary quality, and for their place in the historical development of literature. Context readings provide background information about the author, the historical period, and the literary and artistic context of the focus work. Students will gain an understanding of the development of British literature and will practice the skills of close literary analysis through essays, approach papers, and other evaluative writing.

Objectives

By the end of the course, students will:

• Possess a broad knowledge of the history and development of British literature.
• Have specific understanding of selected representative texts by major authors of the periods studied.
• Have a general understanding of the historical and cultural contexts of the works.
• Be able to analyze literary texts and present thoughtfully developed ideas in writing.
• Demonstrate competence in essay organization, style, and mechanics.
• Demonstrate competence in the MLA style of source documentation.

Table of Contents

Introduction 5
Overview and Objectives for Excellence in Literature 7
Frequently Asked Questions 13
How to Read A Book 19
Discerning Worldview Through Literary Periods 25
Unit 1: Beowulf 29
Unit 2: Canterbury Tales by Geoffrey Chaucer 37
Unit 3: Edmund Spenser, Sir Gawain, and the Arthurian Legend 45
Unit 4: King Lear by William Shakespeare 55
Unit 5: Paradise Lost by John Milton 63
Unit 6: Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen 71
Unit 7: Great Expectations by Charles Dickens 79
Unit 8: Wuthering Heights by Emily Bronte 87
Unit 9: To the Lighthouse by Virginia Woolf 95
Honors 103
Formats and Models 105
Approach Paper Format 106
Historical Approach Paper Format 109
Author Profile Format 112
Literature Summary Format 112
Sample Poetry Analysis 116
What an MLA Formatted Essay Looks Like 118
Excellence in Literature Evaluation Rubric 121
Excellence in Literature Evaluation Rubric for IEW Students 123
Glossary 133
Selected Resources 137

Note: Books listed are focus texts only. Context and honors reading is assigned in the syllabus.

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