Ramaley N1B23 MWF 1:00-1:50 (Lectures) Fall 1998 Syllabus
McKenna 112 W 11:00-11:50, 12:00-12:50, 2:00-2:50 (Recitation Sections)
Ketchum 119 W 9:00-9:50 section may choose to meet 1:00-1:50 in Ramaley N1B23
| Instructor | Teaching Assistant | |
| Ariana Traill | Mary Wiland | |
| Office | MCDB A1B52 | UMC Cafeteria, by Baby Does |
| Phone | 492-8165 | not available |
| Office Hours | M 2:30-3:30 W 10:00-11:00 and by appointment |
F 10:30-12:30 and by appointment |
| traill@colorado.edu | wiland@ucsu.colorado.edu |
About the Course We are studying six epic poems from the ancient world: three primary epics (oral poems) and three secondary epics (written poems); one Sumerian text, three Greek, and two Roman. You will learn a little about three different cultures and a lot about the epic genre. Please understand that this is a course in classical literature in (English) translation. (Non literature-majors commonly regard this as an English course.) As in other literature courses, you will be asked both to apply concepts presented in lectures as you read the poems and to form your own interpretations, which you will defend in tutorial discussions and papers.
Meetings Because the meeting schedule of this course does not fit SIS parameters, the listing in the Schedule of Courses is a little confusing. The course meets for three hours weekly, not more. Recitation sections meet on eight Wednesdays, as listed in the course schedule; the other eight Wednesdays are lectures in Ramaley N1B23. As a rule of thumb, recitation sections usually occur in the weeks you have something due.
Lectures in Ramaley N1B23 The central question of this course is: 'what constitutes an epic poem, in the classical sense?'. You will learn about the features that commonly categorize a poem as epic. Lectures will present background information about the historical context of these poems and major ideas about these texts in 20th century scholarship. Because this is a classics course, the basic approach is that of classical philology, which links the study of literature very closely to the study of the original languages. Just what this approach entails will become clearer after a few weeks of lectures. For students who are shopping the course, two observations may be helpful: first, what you will learn here will differ from what you have learned in courses which approach these poems from other perspectives; and second, lectures will make lots of references to specific passages and a few key Greek and Latin terms, which you will be asked to learn. This will seem, to some, a detail-obsessed approach. Philologists believe that the big ideas are best understood through close attention to the small details. Close readings arent for everyone, so please think about whether you like work of this kind before you agree to do it for a term! On a practical note, you will need your text in class to follow the lectures. Short summaries of the days reading at the beginning of lectures should help to refresh your memory, but you will want to have done the reading. You are also encouraged to keep track of major figures and events, preferably with your own notes. Published summaries are of course available, but they dont help you learn the material -- which is the whole point. Lecture outlines will be provided for most classes.
Recitation Sections in McKenna 112 The biweekly schedule is a little unorthodox, for the following reasons. The discussion sections in this course make high demands, which we expect you to meet. You are expected to come to section prepared (i.e. with the readings and assignments done) and with your own ideas, which you have thought through and are prepared to defend. Recitation sections are not lectures by the professor or teaching assistant; they are a chance for you to develop skills in critical thinking, public speaking, and collaboration with peers -- skills everyone needs, whether (s)he plans to enter the real world or not. The number of times you need to make this level of effort has been kept small, in order to make sure that these sections are a productive use of your time. Re: format. The professor and teaching assistant will take two sections each week, in rotation. Most sections will help you prepare for papers and tests. Meetings before papers will usually involve discussion of the thesis of your draft, and your assignment for these will be to produce a draft. In past, papers have been due at the end of discussion sections. At vociferous student request, I have set paper due dates later in order to allow people to incorporate peers suggestions or their own new thoughts. In the -- highly unlikely -- event of inadequate preparation, students will be required to hand in a copy of their first draft at the end of section, to count for part of their paper grade.
Attendance Policy Attendance will not be taken at lectures but there will be surprise homework checks for bonus points. Students who are concerned about grades should note that there is statistical correlation between regular attendance and good grades (usually because the people who attend regularly also prepare regularly, and regular preparation translates directly into better grades, especially with large texts -- like the Iliad -- that are very hard to read and digest quickly). Participation in section is mandatory. Students who miss more than one section meeting without a valid reason (and documentation) will lose the grade points for that days section. Most of your preparation and discussion grade will come from the recitation sections. Remember: this is not an attendance grade. You have to prepare (read, think and write) and engage with the discussion topic(s) of each meeting in order to earn this grade. Please read the schedule carefully. Confusion about the date is not an acceptable reason for missing section.
Recommended Texts Texts are currently available at the CU Bookstore. You are quite welcome to use other translations, but you will be tested on the translations listed below, and lectures will refer to line/page numbers in these texts. Note, all those of you on a budget: most of these books are available in local used bookstores.
Tailoring this course to your interests With all of the reading and an interpretive approach which demands very careful attention to small passages, you may feel overwhelmed. You are encouraged choose an area of interest, and concentrate on this in your readings, papers, and test preparation. The course is structured around three large topics: the Epic Hero, Women in Epic, and Gods and the Supernatural. There will be lectures (and parts of lectures) on each.
Teaching assistant Mary Wiland is a Department of Classics MA candidate in history and archaeology. She will lecture on topics related to her own fields of Greek history and Mediterranean marine archaeology in order to inform you about the historical context of the poems. Mary will also grade and lead recitation sections, and she will be available to help students with any difficulties or questions.
| Midterm | 20% |
| Final Exam | 20% |
| Four Papers (2-3 pages) | 40% |
| Preparation and Discussion | 20% |
Tests On the midterm and final you will be asked to identify key terms and names from lectures and readings, to comment on selected passages, and to write short essays on topics which will be distributed in advance. Please note that the two tests combined are worth only 40% of your grade. It is more important for you to keep up with the weekly readings, take an active parts in discussion sections and write good papers, than to make heroic efforts to prepare for the two tests. Midterm/exam guidelines will be provided/posted at least one week in advance.
Papers Your main task in this course is to formulate and defend your own interpretations of the readings, and to present your findings both orally and in writing. You should aim for good argumentation in your papers (grading is fairly strict on this point). A handout prior to the first paper will explain the expectations in detail. You will receive paper topics on the Wednesday, a week and a half before the Friday due date. Topic sheets usually offer at least two choices per category, and you are very welcome to set your own topic -- just clear it, please, with the professor or graduate assistant to make sure that its feasible. Paper questions are deliberately designed to make you think beyond the lecture material . The questions may look a little different from lecture content, at least at first sight. Comments on papers, which are usually fairly detailed (this is why it takes two weeks to get papers back), will focus on how clearly you make your argument and how well you defend it. Basic writing skills are crucial to success in this course. You do not need to come into the course with good writing skills, but you should be willing to work at acquiring them. If you want to improve your writing, you are encouraged to ask for help in office hours and to rewrite your papers. Everyone is allowed two rewrites, due within two weeks of the return of the original paper, which must be re-submitted. Although a higher grade is not guaranteed, if you put serious thought into your second draft and take comments into account, your chances are good. You will in any case receive the higher of the two grades.
Presentation You will have the opportunity (and obligation) to develop the vital life skill of working with your colleagues on one collaborative project, which will be a more formal version of the informal presentations in section for papers #1 and #2. Detailed guidelines will be provided. One word of reassurance: the project is designed with safeguards against common hazards (particularly in the area of grades) of collaborative work. It is virtually impossible for one person to do either all of the work or none.
Feedback This course is always evolving, and suggestions for improvement -- by phone, e-mail, or in office hours -- are welcome. Please dont be shy, especially about problems. The sooner you alert the instructor or TA to a problem, the more likely we will be able to do something about it. As you can see from this syllabus, student suggestions have helped shape the course.
Disabilities Accommodations will be made for students with disabilities. Please let the professor or teaching assistant know no later than two weeks into the term if special arrangements are required.
Integrity Students are expected to show academic integrity. Please understand that anyone caught cheating or plagiarism will be severely penalized.