This course offers an introduction to British Romanticism, exploring the major literary figures, intellectual currents, and historical contexts that shaped this pivotal era. We explore the poetry of Wordsworth, Coleridge, Blake, Byron, Shelley, and Keats, alongside key prose works, including Jane Austen’s Sense and Sensibility. Through close reading and critical discussion, we will examine core Romantic themes such as the power of nature, the role of imagination, the cult of the individual, the sublime, the impact of the French Revolution, and the complex interplay between reason and emotion. Special attention will be paid to how these themes manifest differently across genres and how writers like Austen engage with, critique, or reframe Romantic ideals within domestic and social spheres.
 

Upon successful completion of this course, students should be able to: 

• Perform close readings of Romantic poetry and prose, analysing their formal features and thematic concerns. 
• Engage with critical debates surrounding Romanticism and its legacy. 
• Develop and articulate their own interpretations of literary texts in both written and oral forms. 

The course consists of three contact hours per week, divided into a two-hour interactive lecture and a one-hour tutorial. 

Jane Austen, Sense and Sensibility, ed. Claudia L. Johnson (Norton Critical Edn, 2001)   https://wwnorton.com/books/9780393977516/about-the-book/product-details 

Please purchase this edition of Sense and Sensibility for the open book exam. Other materials will be available via Moodle. 

1. In-Class Passage Analysis (10%) 
2. Mid-Term Open Book Exam (30%) 
3. Final Research Paper (30%) 
4. Group Presentation (15%) 
5. Active Participation, Quizzes, Response Papers (15%) 

Course details subject to adjustment.