ENGL 4920

ENGL 4920

Course information provided by the Courses of Study 2021-2022.

The purpose of the Honors Seminar is to acquaint students with methods of study and research to help them write their senior Honors Essay. However, all interested students are welcome to enroll. The seminar will require a substantial essay that incorporates literary evidence and critical material effectively, and develops an argument. Topics and instructors vary each semester. For Spring 2021 the class may be used to toward the pre-1800 requirement for English majors.

When Offered Spring.

Permission Note Enrollment preference given to: students in the Honors Program in English or related fields.

Distribution Category (ALC-AS)
Satisfies Requirement Either ENGL 4910 or ENGL 4920 is required for students pursuing an honors degree in English.

View Enrollment Information

Syllabi: none
  •   Regular Academic Session. 

  • 4 Credits Stdnt Opt

  • Topic: Medieval Love and Ecstasy

  •  5802 ENGL 4920   SEM 101

  • Instruction Mode: In Person
    What do love, torture, and ecstasy all have in common? How could they all be considered spiritual experiences? The thirteenth century brought a new and intense focus on the body of Christ, bloodied, wounded, and tortured. Female and male mystics began to describe Jesus as a lord, lover, and even mother in most intimate—and even sexual—terms. Guides for meditation, memory work, and holy living focused on bodily practices for approaching the divine and replicating the suffering of Christ. In this course we will explore a range of literary texts and artistic representations that illuminate this religious and aesthetic ethos. Readings will be in modern and medieval English, and will also include contemporary theoretical texts.