Dr. Yoder
English 4370.02     Wordsworth
Spring 2012     TTh 9:25-10:40am     Stabler Hall 401

Office: Stabler Hall 501V     Office Hrs.: TTh 11:00am-12:00pm; Th 4:00-5:00pm; W 11:30-12:30; also by appt.
Office Phone: 569-8321        email: rpyoder@ualr.edu       webpage: www.ualr.edu/rpyoder

Texts:
William Wordsworth, Wordsworth: The Major Works. Edited by Stephen Gill. Oxford World's Classics. 1984, 2008.
William Wordsworth and Ernest De Selincourt, Guide to the Lakes. Nabu Public Domain Reprint of 1906 edition of Fifth Edition (1835).

Goals:

1. Students will read a selection of works by William Wordsworth.
2. Students will enhance their close reading skills.
3. Students will use study Wordsworth's poetry within the context of the landscape, considering the relationships among biography, geography and poetry.
4. Students will examine Wordsworth's theory of poetry and the poet.
5. Students will consider the Wordsworth's use of imagery and the "language of common men."
6. Students will consider the long-term impact and critical response to the poet's work.

Objectives:

1. To discuss and write about the poetry and ideas of one of the most important writers of English Romanticism.
2. To enhance the student's skills in analysis and oral presentation.
3. To demonstrate an understanding of the intersection of biography, history and literature.

Course Assessment:
My course will also include an ongoing assessment of my teaching in the form of weekly
journals. These journals consist of a 250 word (minimum requirement) written response to the
class readings or discussion. These journals allow me to assess how well students are
understanding what I think I am teaching them, and I make adjustments to my class
presentations and assignments accordingly. Taken as a whole, the journals count for 20% of
the student's final grade, thus insuring that the students take this assessment seriously.
The journals also serve other classroom purposes outlined on the "House Rules" page.

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