Restoration through Revolutions: 1660-1815


August 29: Introduction & Historical Contexts

Contexts: Enlightenment, The Restoration, Slavery & the Slave Trade, Women in Print, and the Popish Plot 

Kant, What is Enlightenment?

Intro to Close Reading assignments


August 31: Paradise Lost I: EPIC, HEROISM & Freedom

Milton, Paradise Lost, Book I: especially lines 1-355, Invocation to the Muse


September 5: no class


September 7: Paradise lost II

John Milton, Paradise Lost: (flag the following passages for easy access)

(Use The John Milton Reading Room from Dartmouth College if you are still waiting for your books to arrive. You'll find it useful to read the short Arguments at the beginning of each book as well.)

  God on Man: Book III. 80-134

  Satan - "Me miserable": Book IV. 32-113

  Description of Adam & Eve: Book IV. 287-318

  Adam to Eve: Book IV.411-435

  Satan on tree: IV.512-527

  Eve to Adam: IV.635-638

  Satan tempts Eve: IV.797-809

  Eve reports dream to Adam: V.33-93

  Adam & Raphael discuss Eve: VIII.521-78

  The Fall: All of Book 9

  Confession & Sentencing: X.1-234, especially 137-156

  Commiseration: X.720-768, 873-895, 923-936

  Suicide? Penitence: X.967-1006, 1013-1104.

  Expulsion: XII. 552-end


September 12: Paradise Lost III 

Paradise Lost: The Fall & Expulsion from Paradise (Book IX and XII.552-end)


September 14: The Slave Trade

Phillis Wheatley, poems - print out and bring to class

Oladuah Equiano, The Interesting Narrative of the Life of Olaudah Equiano, or Gustavus Vassa, the African, Written by Himself (3033)


September 19: The SLAVE TRADE II

Aphra Behn, Oroonoko, or The Royal Slave (2313)


September 21: Restoration Drama

Read Norton Anthology: Restoration Literature (2198-2199)  

William Congreve, The Way of the World (2359-2420)

Draft your Virtue Essay following your outline written during class (guidelines here)


September 26: the Periodical essay - Addison & Steele

Email your Virtue Essay to olivia.moy@lehman.cuny.edu by Monday morning

Read Norton Anthology: The Periodical Essay (2639-41)

Addison & Steele, The Spectator: "The Aims of the Spectator" (2644), "Wit: True, False, Mixed" (2652); "Paradise Lost" (2657); check out the original

John Dryden, An Essay of Dramatic Poesy (2252, 2256-8)

Eliza Haywood, The Female Spectator (just browse link and scroll through the journal by clicking on it)


September 28: The Rape of the Lock - ALexander Pope

Alexander Pope, An Essay on Criticism (2669-2678): Parts I and II up to Part II, line 423

Alexander Pope, The Rape of the Lock (2686-2704)

Reminder: No class on Monday, October 3. We meet on Thursday instead.


October 5: LOW PEOPLE & HIGH PEOPLE - samuel RICHARDSON 

"Low People and High People" (2435-2440)

Samuel Richardson, Pamela (only pages listed below) - not in the anthology; borrow/purchase the book or click on links below

   Pamela (3-67)

   Pamela (178-208)

   Pamela (497-503)

Don't print out all the pages; you may bring a laptop or tablet to class instead this week

You may wish to buy hard copies of Samuel Richardson, Pamela: or Virtue Rewarded (book info) and Henry Fielding, Joseph Andrews and Shamela (book info) for your convenience.


OCTOBER 6: Parody & Satire, Sequels & Spin-offs - Henry Fielding 

Henry Fielding, Shamela (excerpts here)

Henry Fielding Joseph Andrews (excerpts here


OCTOBER 17: Midterm REview

Prepare your notes and study guides.

Midterm Study Materials (here)


October 19: MIDTERM EXAM


October 24: Jonathan Swift  

Jonathan Swift, A Modest Proposal (2633)

Jonathan Swift, Gulliver's Travels, Part I: A Voyage to Lilliput


october 26: Gulliver's travels

Jonathan Swift, Gulliver's Travels, Part 2: A Voyage to Brobdingnag


October 31: Gulliver's Travels cont'd

Jonathan Swift, Gulliver's Travels, Part 4: A Voyage to the Houyhnhnms

Wollstonecraft, A Vindication of the Rights of Woman (here)


November 2: DEBATING WOMEN

Jonathan Swift, "The Lady's Dressing Room" (2767)

Lady Wortley Montagu, "The Reasons That Induced Dr. Swift to Write a Poem Called the Lady's Dressing Room" (2770)

Wollstonecraft, A Vindication of the Rights of Woman (here)


November 7 & 9: PRide & Prejudice

 Jane Austen, Pride & Prejudice, Volume I

Related articles:

   Jane Austen on UK Bank notes

     ...the Ensuing Controversy

     Bank Notes and Board Games


November 14 & 16: PRIDE & PREJUDICE II

Jane Austen, Pride & Prejudice, Volume II

   Read Female Education, Reading, and Jane Austen


November 21 & 23: Individual conferences & THANKSGIVING HOLIDAY

Come to Carman 392 with a prepared your three passages, close reading points, and thesis: Essay topics (here); Meeting times (here).


November 28: AUSTEN CONCLUSIONS 

Jane Austen, Pride & Prejudice, Volume 3

Pemberley clip from the 2005 movie

Here is a sample essay that can help you with understanding the structure of your paper. I will have hard copies for you at our conference.


November 30: INTRODUCTION TO ROMANTICISM - WILLIAM BLAKE

Norton Anthology, "The Revolution Controversy and the Spirit of the Age" (here)

William Blake, From Songs of Innocence: Introduction, Nurse's Song, Infant Joy (here)

From Songs of Innocence and Experience: Introduction, Nurse's Song, Infant Sorrow


December 5: WILLIAM WORDSWORTH

William Wordsworth, Preface to Lyrical Ballads

"The Lucy poems" and "Nutting" (here)


December 7: Samuel Taylor Coleridge

Coleridge, Christabel (here)

Check your email and fill out the online course evaluation.


december 12: EXAM REVIEW

Exam review: review your notes and make a list of key terms and concepts.

Essays are due in hard copy on 12/12 (with comments & feedback) or 12/14 (no comments, just grade).


Final Exam: Wednesday, December 14, 1:30-3:30 pm

The final exam schedule is here. Please note the earlier exam time at 1:30, not 2:00pm.