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Spring,
2008
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Calendar
of Assignments
COURSE
DESCRIPTION and OBJECTIVES:
ENGL 459, "Love and Death: The Tristan Tradition," explores the medieval and modern permutations of a highly influential medieval love story which has been eclipsed, in modern times, by the better known saga of Lancelot and Guenevere. We will trace the development of the Tristan tradition from the middle ages to the 21st century, seeking to understand its ongoing appeal and to analyze the significance it has held for various periods and audiences. Of particular interest will be the author's treatment of the participants in the adulterous triangle -- King Mark of Cornwall; Tristan, Mark's nephew and Isolde's lover; and Isolde, Tristan's lover and Marc's queen -- as well as of peripheral characters (such as Brangaine and Isolde of the White Hands).
This READING INTENSIVE seminar will focus on the ways in which various writers and artists have used the legends to convey different "meanings." In addition to presenting a selection of significant literary and other artistic works, the course aims to remind us of the fact that all such works are the product of a specific historical and cultural context and can be "read" and interpreted in ways that shed light on the values and goals of the artists which produced them. Material considered will include artwork, film and an opera in addition to broad range of literary works dating from the medieval period through the 21st century: medieval romance and lai, Victorian and modern poetry, modern and contemporary fiction.
Two other course objectives are worth noting.
By the end of the quarter, you should feel confident of your ability
to use various research
tools to identify, locate and access useful secondary sources on a
research topic (and know how to document these sources correctly). You
will be aware of some of the pitfalls and pleasures of doing research on
the Web, and at Cal Poly. Finally, I hope that your
study of medieval and modern Tristaniana will inspire you to read more
medieval and medieval-themed literature on your own -- or with me in another
class!
REQUIRED TEXTS:
Some required textbooks have been ordered and are available at the
bookstore. Do NOT substitute another edition or translation for these
textbooks:
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 REQUIRED
VIDEO SCREENINGS: The curriculum covered in this course includes
five films which are
on reserve for ENGL 380 and ENGL 459
at the Kennedy Library Circulation Desk:
These required films are the equivalent of readings and must be viewed prior to the class meeting at which they will be discussed. NOTE 1: Videos and DVDs on reserve do not circulate outside the
library; they must be screened in the library during normal library
hours. Group screenings will be scheduled in Kennedy Library
room 202 (dates and times will be posted on the course calendar),
or you may see them on your own time.
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You
are expected to have an email account and to check it regularly.
Important announcements will be sent over the class email
alias:
engl-459-01-2084@calpoly.edu.
The class email alias is automatically generated using the email address
of each enrolled student found in the Cal Poly Directory server. If your
Cal Poly email account is NOT your preferred email address, you must
You are also expected to facilitate collaboration
with your classmates by submitting regular research
progress reports and records of works ordered via LINK+
or ILL to
the class research archive, and by submitting
at least item to the ILL Article Repository.
The Class Research Archive and ILL Article Depository are located in a
Blackboard "Discussion Board." To access Blackboard, log in at MyCalpoly,
go to "Blackboard Access" and select "ENGL 459-01" from the classes you
are taking; then click on "Discussion Board" and link to the "forum" for
the research topic you are interested in. There will be a "forum"
for each author/text on which there are oral presentations. Keep
a copy of your research reports in case of technological glitches. Be sure
to check after each posting to verify that your submissions have made it
into the archive. If you have trouble posting to the archive, contact
the Help Desk (756-7000) and let me know at our next class meeting. Your
complete set of Research Progress Reports
will factor into the participation component
of your final course grade.
Attendance
Policy: Due to the twice-weekly seminar format, any absence
causes you to miss a substantial chunk of material. Regular and punctual
attendance is required. Please note that EVERY absence will
affect the participation component of your
final
course grade.
Each student starts out with a 4.0 for attendance. This component of your final grade drops by .3 for the first UNEXCUSED absence; the penalty increases by .1 for each subsequent unexcused absence (from A [4.0] to A- [3.7] to B+ [3.3], to B- [2.8], etc.). Additionally, it drops .1 for the first EXCUSED absence (4.0 to 3.9) and .2 for the second excused absence (3.9 to 3.7). Excused absences in excess of two (a full week, 10% of the class) count the same as unexcused absences.
Please note that only absences resulting from illness, a family emergency, or circumstances truly beyond your control count as excused. Absences taken for personal convenience are a matter of choice rather than necessity; they will be recorded as unexcused. Please note that deadlines for other courses, work conflicts and job interviews are NOT valid reasons for missing class. Exception: a graduating senior will be granted ONE excused absence for an out-of-town job interview.
FOR ANY ABSENCE TO BE EXCUSED, YOU MUST SUBMIT A SIGNED, WRITTEN NOTE
with course number, date missed and an explanation of the circumstances
leading to your absence. (Although I do appreciate your courtesy
in letting me know why you have missed a class, an Email or a phone message
will not suffice; a written statement with your signature
is required for an absence to be excused.)
Readings
are to be completed BEFORE coming to class on the date assigned. You are
expected as a matter of course to read assigned pages in the Handbook,
introductions in the texts, and any supplemental readings on e-reserve,
provided in hard copy, or accessible through a weblink. When possible,
try to read the background material FIRST -- it provides a context within
which the primary readings will be more meaningful. But when time is short,
concentrate on getting through the primary readings which will be the focus
of class discussion; you can always make up the background readings later.
Please note that some required readings are found on the web (through e.g. the Camelot Project) or have been placed on "electronic reserve" as .PDF files in the Library Resources section of Blackboard. To access Blackboard, log in at MyCalpoly, go to "Blackboard Access" and select "ENGL 459-01" from the classes you are taking. Click on the link in the Electronic Reserves section (under "Library Resources") to download, read and/or print the file using Acrobat Reader. Other required readings (listed as "Online readings") are .html files which you can access by clicking on the link on the Calendar of Assignments. Finally, some required readings may be found in subscription-only databases in Kennedy Library collections. To access these readings, click on the link on the Calendar of Assignments; you will be prompted to type in your last name and library barcode (the 14-digit number beginning 20150 on the front of your PolyCard). You can then download, read and/or print the file using Acrobat Reader. Please note that ALL electronically accessed required readings should be PRINTED OUT AND BROUGHT WITH YOU TO CLASS.
Be prepared to DISCUSS readings in class. Note that the length and difficulty of assignments vary, so look ahead in the reading list when you are planning your time. You will be responsible for ALL the assigned readings, whether fully discussed in class or not, as well as for the additional background material presented in lectures, online readings, or in student presentations and in class discussion.
Be aware that the research
component of this course requires additional preparation which CANNOT
be left until the week before your oral presentation or prospectus is due.
To get started, come to an Office Hour (or make
an appointment to see me) by the end of week 3 at the latest.
Failure to do so will result in an "F" being
averaged into the Research Report component of your final course grade.
We will use this initial meeting to brainstorm, to discuss possible topics
and approaches, to help you get the hang of some of the online
research tools, and/or simply to get acquainted. After this initial
meeting, feel free to come back whenever you feel you would benefit from
additional consultation. This means: if you feel confused or overwhelmed,
don't despair; CONTACT ME and
let me help you troubleshoot!
![Mac Harshberger, [Mark] Watched Them as They Lay (1927 illustration to Bedier's Romance of Tristan and Iseult)](MHWatched.jpg)
RESEARCH
EXERCISES and REPORTS to the CLASS RESEARCH ARCHIVE:
found in the right-hand column on the calendar
of assignments, the series of research exercises is designed to guide
you as you begin your research and to ensure that you are familiar with
(and have in fact used) the most important bibliographic research
tools in preparing your oral
presentation and in writing your research
paper. Research Exercises will be graded for accuracy and completeness;
please follow directions! Please endeavor to complete assignments within
a week of the target dates when they appear on the calendar of assignments.
Failure to post the required research reports has a significant negative impact on the collaborative aspect of this seminar. Your research reports provide a "roadmap" for any classmate(s) who may wish to incorporate the text or film you have researched into their final project(s); they also allow seminar participants to pool their resources and "share the wealth" without recalling each other's books or wasting the library's limited financial resources by placing multiple Interlibrary Loan and Link+ requests for the same items. Because your complete set of archived Research Progress Reports will be an important resource for your classmates, they are an integral part of your participation grade.
NOTE to the research-challenged: even if you have no prior experience using Kennedy Library research tools, please note that following the instructions in the guided research exercises is simply not that difficult. (You are all English majors and presumably know how to read!) Failure to submit research reports to the archive would be a truly unnecessary way to lose points in this class!
If
you are worried about the research component of this seminar, my best advice
is to:
Click
on link for ORAL
PRESENTATION SCHEDULE.
Each presenter will prepare and distribute an ANNOTATED BIBLIOGRAPHY of at least five secondary sources dealing with the primary reading/film and/or (for modern works) one or more of its medieval sources (including any essay or article presented in class). Entries should be alphabetized as on a List of Works Cited and should begin with full bibliographic citations (consult the Guide to Research Tools and/or your MLA Handbook for correct formats!) followed by a brief summary of the primary thrust of the article, essay or book (what it argues about your text/author/film -- not praise for or a critique of the article, essay or book). Be sure to include at least one of each of the following types of resources: journal article, essay in an edited book collection, and single-author book; also, you must include at least one item obtained using each of the following modes of access: an item found in hard copy at the Kennedy Library (state "Cal Poly" and give call number in parentheses at end of annotation; don't neglect to consult the items on Reserve for this class!); one item each that has been appropriately ordered through LINK+and ILL (state which in parentheses at end of annotation); and a source accessed electronically through a subscription database in the Kennedy Library collections (the name of the database is incorporated into a correctly formatted citation for an item accessed electronically through a Kennedy Library subscription database). The Annotated Bibliography will be graded for complete and correct bibliographic citations; for the distribution of items over the required types of sources and modes of access; and for the expression and quality of the summary.
Your Oral Presentation and Annotated Bibliography count toward your in-class work grade.
Please note: you will need to start researching your topic immediately in order to obtain materials through LINK+ and Interlibrary Loan. You should meet with Prof. Schwartz (and other presenters on same day, if applicable) no later than the third week of class for bibliographic suggestions and to discuss the focus of your presentation (possible topics, approaches, etc.).
MIDTERM
EXAM: a closed book, two-hour exam
in class on T 5/27. The exam will consist of some combination of the following:
factual questions (from lectures, assigned introductory materials, online
readings and handouts, including film criticism); chronology of works studied;
identification of key characters, events, objects and motifs; identification
of significant and representative passages from readings; choice of essay
questions.
PAPER PROSPECTUS: Normally ungraded; to be turned in to me in at our class meeting on W 5/14 (or, by PRIOR ARRANGEMENT, submitted electronically via email attachment no later than 6 PM on F 5/16). Your Prospectus must include a working title which clearly identifies the work(s) discussed as well as topic of your paper; a fully articulated thesis (not just a statement of general topic); a tentative outline of paper; and a working bibliography of at least eight sources (alphabetized and in correct MLA bibliographic citation format). NOTE: If an acceptable Prospectus is submitted on time, it will be used solely for feedback to help you write a stronger final research paper. But if no prospectus is submitted or the prospectus does not fulfill therequirements of the assignment, it will be graded and will count for 10% of your final course grade. In that case ONLY, the Research Paper component of your final grade will decrease to 30%. (Note: failure to submit a prospectus will result in 10% of your final course grade = F.)
RESEARCH
PAPER: 15-20 pp. long, citing at least 6 secondary
sources (Senior Project Students: 20-25 pp. and 8 secondary sources).
Final paper may be connected to
oral presentation.
Worth 40% of final course grade (except
as noted
above). Unless an extension has
been arranged
in advance, Research Papers (along with the original,
marked up prospectus) are due at the time of the Final Oral Exercise
(5:30 PM on Wednesday, 6/11/08).
FINAL ORAL EXERCISE: at a mutually convenient time between the last class meeting and Wednesday of exam week (6/11/08), there will be a required final oral exercise: a brief presentation to your classmates of the premise and conclusions of your final research paper. While the presentation will be ungraded, failure to complete the Final Oral Exercise will result in a grade of "F" being averaged with your Midterm Exam score. Ideally, the Final Oral Exercise will take place at my home in conjunction with a celebratory meal. . . but in the event that we cannot schedule a late afternoon / early evening meeting on or before W 6/11/08, it will take place in 34-228 (our usual classroom) at the scheduled final exam time: 1:10 - 4:00 PM on Monday, 6/9. Possible dates for a class dinner include Thursday (6/5) or Friday (6/6) of "Dead Week," Saturday 6/7 or Sunday 6/8 of the week-end preceding Finals Week, or Monday 6/9 or Wednesday 6/11 during Finals week. (Unfortunately, Tuesday 6/10 is out because another of my classes has a scheduled Final on Tuesday evening.)
NOTE: I do not typically include reading
quizzes in my 400-level seminars. However, should it become apparent
that students are not keeping up with assigned readings, I reserve
the right to start! Reading quizzes in my classes typically consist
of a combination of passage IDs; factual questions (based on assigned
background readings, as well as character or event IDs); and content-specific
questions based upon primary material (readings, films and artwork: significant
plot developments, roles played by various characters, etc.) There
is typically an element of choice on my quizzes, and they are typically
unannounced. In the (unlikely) event that reading quizzes prove necessary,
they will be incorporated into the in-class work
component of your final course grade.
| 10% | Participation (including attendance and archived research reports).; please note that failure to meet with Dr. Schwartz concerning your research topic by the end of week three at the latest will result in an F being averaged into this portion of your class grade! |  |
| 20% | In-class work: equal weight to Oral Presentation and annotated bibliography. (Should I determine that reading quizzes are necessary to ensure class members are keeping up with assignments, they will be factored into this portion of the final grade.) | |
| 30% | Miderm Exam. NOTE: Failure to participate in the final oral exercise will result in an F being averaged with this grade. | |
| 40% | Research Paper. NOTE: If an acceptable Research Paper Prospectus is submitted on time, it will be considered an ungraded exercise designed solely to provide feedback to help you write a stronger final paper. But if the prospectus submitted does not fulfill the requirements of the assignment, or if it is submitted late, it will be graded and will count for 10% of your final course grade. In that case, the research paper itself will be worth only 30%. NOTE: Failure to submit a prospectus will result in 10% of your final course grade = F!! |
OH MY GOSH . . . CAN I HANDLE THIS SEMINAR??
Sure you can -- if you keep up with the readings and don't put off starting your research! But DON'T assume that the class will "take care of itself." If you have a heavy course- and/or work-load, please be sure to budget time for this class . . . Finally. . . remember that I LOVE teaching this stuff, and I'm told that my enthusisam makes my classes more fun!
And WHAT ABOUT THOSE TWO-HOUR BLOCKS?
Rest assured, we'll take a break each day. Feel free to bring along a caffeinated (or non-caffeinated) drink -- whatever it takes to keep you alert through two hours. If there is sufficient interest, rotating cookie duty will be arranged!
WELCOME, AND ENJOY!!!
Contents of this and all linked pages Copyright Debora B. Schwartz, 2004-2008
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