School of English
Module manager: Dr Jeremy Davies
Email: j.g.h.davies@leeds.ac.uk
Taught: Semester 1 (Sep to Jan) View Timetable
Year running 2024/25
This module is not approved as a discovery module
This module is a chance to study poetry in close-up detail. We will read poems from the Romantic period (roughly 1780 to 1830) as slowly and carefully as possible, to try to understand the inner workings of this exceptional body of literature. Alongside them, we will study theories of lyric. We’ll explore a tradition of critical thinking about what poetry is, what it does, and why it matters.
‘Romantic Lyric Poetry’ aims to help students develop an advanced understanding of eighteenth- and nineteenth-century poetry in English. The module will explore a relatively small body of writing, enabling an intensive and sophisticated reckoning with the pleasures and challenges of literary texts. It will also include study of influential arguments in literary and critical theory. Through small-group seminar discussion, and opportunities for written work and feedback, it will enable students to deepen their close reading skills, and to think in ambitious ways about the significance of literature and culture.
On successful completion of the module students will be able to:
1. Demonstrate an understanding of poetic texts from the British Romantic period
2. Assess some key arguments in poetics and literary theory from the 1790s to the present
3. Discuss Romantic-period poems in the light of their literary tradition and subsequent critical responses
Skills Learning Outcomes
On successful completion of the module students will be able to:
4. Interpret complex written texts
5. Communicate ideas in fluent academic writing
6. Contribute productively to collaborative discussion in seminars
Details of the syllabus will be provided on the Minerva organisation (or equivalent) for the module
| Delivery type | Number | Length hours | Student hours |
|---|---|---|---|
| Seminar | 10 | 2 | 20 |
| Private study hours | 180 | ||
| Total Contact hours | 20 | ||
| Total hours (100hr per 10 credits) | 200 | ||
Weekly dialogue in small-group seminars; opportunities for one to one meetings in tutor’s weekly support hours; opportunities to meet with departmental Writing Mentors; individual written feedback on mid-semester assignment.
| Assessment type | Notes | % of formal assessment |
|---|---|---|
| Portfolio | Essay + Editorial Presentation | 100 |
| Total percentage (Assessment Coursework) | 100 | |
2500 word essay + 1000 word editorial presentation of a poem
The reading list is available from the Library website
Last updated: 5/22/2024
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