I was sort of dreading teaching lit theory and felt totally intimidated by it, but I’ve sketched out my plan for this first week of theory (Aestheticism & Semiotics), and I think it’s actually going to be fun, esp. since I get to teach Christina Rossetti and Poe. Hopefully fun for the students too — my students have generally really enjoyed Poe, so fingers crossed.
Kind of a breakneck speed on the theory, though, which is going to take a little getting used to! We spent weeks and weeks on semiotics in grad school…
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(I’ll be adding some brief lecture videos to this, but I’m going to record them in the morning. Getting sleepy, and I’ll be more coherent right after coffee, I suspect.)
Part 1: Due by midnight, Tuesday 1/19
READ:
⢠browse illustrations from āGoblin Marketā (do a google image search for āgoblin market illustrationā)
⢠Upstone, Aesthetics chapter, part 1 (stop at Symbolism)
WATCH (after reading the poem), optional:
⢠5 minute movie based on the poem (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FeksCf6PuSA)
WRITE:
⢠one journal entry for āGoblin Marketā (you might consider Paterās idea of āthe ecstatic momentā and how itās portrayed in this poem) and one for part 1 of Aesthetics (2 entries) ā for the second, you might address the idea of āart for artās sakeā / beauty as the sole goal of art
⢠three more Slack comments on classmatesā entries (from this week or previous week)
Part 2: Class on Zoom Wednesday 1/3 @ 10
⢠review of Rossetti & Upstone
⢠discussion of art & morality
⢠brief intro to semiotics (Saussure / Barthes) and breakout room semiotic practice
⢠preview of Poe
⢠discussion of new aesthetic ideas around āgreat literatureā (and who gets to write it)
Part 3: Due by midnight, Sunday 1/24 (but strongly recommend you start sooner)
READ:
⢠Upstone, Aesthetics chapter, part 2 (start with Symbolism) — this is a little dense, so start it early and take it slow; she covers a lot very quickly
⢠Edgar Allen Poe, āThe Ravenā (https://www.eapoe.org/works/poems/ravenb.htm)
WRITE:
⢠one journal entry for each reading (3 readings)
⢠three comments on classmatesā journals (start with journals that donāt have responses yet)
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