English 902K: Romantic Poetry - William Blake

AIM:

To study the verbal and visual work of William Blake; our contexts are those of the later eighteenth century and the Romantic period in England generally, and of critical theory as it applies to Blake and his work. We need to learn about Blake's cultural milieu, which necessarily involves a complex historical mix of revolutionary ideology (political and otherwise), reactionary nationalism, millenarian anxiety and agitation, and social, economic, and industrial change on an unprecedented scale. It's a lot to cover. But we will look as closely as possible at Blake's work nevertheless, both for its own sake and for the sake of what it teaches us. Finally, we will pay significant attention both to developments in the electronic re-presentation of Blake's texts and their implications for scholarship, and to approaches to teaching Blake in the contemporary classroom.

TEACHING METHOD(S):

I hope that we can approach our work together as a group of inquisitive, creative scholars determined to examine not just a constellation of meanings and significations within Blake's works but also a variety of critical and theoretical methodologies that may help us all better to appreciate, understand, and elucidate Blake's complex - and rewarding - interdisciplinary art. Among other things, I expect us all to work with the relevant electronic materials to which we have access here at UNL.

Because this is a study group, I expect everyone to be part of the collective group effort. Whatever your backgrounds and interests, I shall expect regular contributions from all of you as a vital and indispensable part of our weekly discussions.

REQUIREMENTS:

  1. Regular, active participation in our meetings, of course.
  2. A brief presentation, early on, of one of the poems from Songs of Innocence and of   Experience
  3. A fully-articulated study group paper arising from the course concerns.
  4. During the final week(s) of the course, a brief presentation of the research project.
  5. A course evaluation at the end.

TENTATIVE READING LIST:

Large chunks of Blake's works, from standard typography to illuminated poetry. Secondary materials, including both scholarly works and works contemporary with Blake's, as necessary to our work as a study group.

back to 902K home page