Description:

A literary odd couple of the early eighteenth century: one a deformed, diminutive and apparently frail man, standing 4' 6" as an adult, ostracized for his Catholic religion; the other a robust, raucous, frequently scandalous Anglo-Irish Anglican clergyman working in Ireland, sworn by oath against Pope's religion. The one the greatest poet of that or perhaps any century, but not unskilled in prose; the other best known for his prose, yet a poet of over 300 works himself. They became friends who converged through a shared love of learning and language, and both cultivated a rapier wit and indulged in the delights of often devastating satires against fools, knaves and what they both saw as spreading cultural corruption in learning, the arts, government, and morals. We will read far more of their works than in the usual surveys, working mostly chronologically, to appreciate how each writer grew and changed, and changed literature.

Learning Outcomes:

• recognize the distinctive features of each author's work
  
• formulate and pursue a research question about Swift and/or Pope's work
  
• express literary interpretations in focused, coherent writing
• apply literary interpretation and criticism independently

Required Texts: (print texts are available at NCSU Bookstore)

Swift, Jonathan. Selected poems via online Swift Poetical Miscellany, compiled from Gutenberg project. Click on the title and it will jump to the poem. When you get the file, select the text, copied it Word and print it out to bring to class, or have the file visible via a laptop.

You are also encouraged to explore and use works on reserve under Morillo/ENG562:

http://www.lib.ncsu.edu/reserves/

• Attendance 10%
  
•  preparation for, participation in each class 10%
  
• Close-reading paper (4-6 pages)  15%
  
• Critical Review of published scholarly work (5-7 pp) 15%
  
• Speaking requirement: initiate discussion 15%
  
• Proposal for longer research paper (2-3 pp) 10%
  
• Longer research paper or poetry project (12-15 pages; variable) 25%

Late papers are accepted only one class late, and with full grade penalty. Any papers arriving later than that will not be accepted. Papers are due at the start of class, in class, printed out on paper.

How I Figure Your Grades

You must complete all the required work to pass the class. No opting out of assigned work.  I will grade plus/minus.

Percentages for each required graded category are figured via a percentage of a 12-pt. scale in which an A+ =12 and
an F=0 points. For example, a B+ on paper 1 would net you 9 x .15 or 1.35 points toward 12.  Or, a C in participation nets you 5 x .10 or .5, while an A on the final paper nets you 12 x .25 or 3 towards an optimum of 12 points.
I then add up the percentage points for each required category to determine your grade from 0 to 12.  For example, an 8.2 final score = B for the class.

Expected participation: come to class on time, with the appropriate texts, having read and thought about them enough to have something specific and intelligent to say or write about them. There may be quizzes to check that you are doing the readings.

Attendance: You are allowed 3 absences. If you are absent, unexcused, more than 3 times over the course of the semester, your absences will count progressively against your final grade. Every 3 absences beyond the allowed 3 loses you a half letter grade on your final grade. Anyone who misses the first two classes can be immediately dropped from the class. For the definition of an unexcused absence, see http://www.ncsu.edu/policies/academic_affairs/pols_regs/REG205.00.4.php

Academic Integrity Assumption
Universities are unique communities committed to creating and transmitting knowledge. They depend on freedom - individuals' freedom to explore ideas and to explore and further their own capabilities. Those freedoms depend on the good will and responsible behavior of all the members of the community, who must treat each other with tolerance and respect. They must allow each other to develop the full range of their capabilities and take full advantage of the institution's resources.