English Literature

Course summary

What is this course about? Why study the course? At its heart, the study of English Literature is the literary analysis of life and human behaviour. Through close readings of English and American texts ranging from Chaucer in the 14th century, via playwrights of the 19th century, right through to contemporary 21st century novelists and poets, we will develop your ability to explore, discuss and evaluate the ideas and concepts that writers have attempted to communicate, as well as the literary methods through which they have achieved this. Drawing on an informed understanding of writers’ social and historical contexts, we will attempt to answer such challenging questions as: ‘Is war an inevitable facet of society?’, ‘Can poetry instigate political revolution?’ and ‘How far is our perception of the world around us linked to its reality?’