THEORETICAL SECTION
UNIT 1: An approach to English literary texts
1. Introduction: language and literature.
2. Approaches to English texts: Literary criticism, stylistic criticism, linguistic criticism, sociolinguistic criticism. (Helen Gardner, Anne Cluysennar, Ronald Carter, Roger Fowler, Susan Sontag).
UNIT 2: Discourse and Text
1. Introduction
2. Discourse. Modalities of discourse.
3. Text. The conditions of textuality.
4. Textual meaning.
5. Discourse and récit
UNIT 3: Descriptive discourse
1. Introduction.
2. Features of descriptive discourse.
3. Stylistics of deviation: metaphors and images.
4. Kinesic channels.
5. Stylistics of choice
6. Diction. Lexical exploitation.
7. Stylistics of expressivity.
UNIT 4: Expository discourse
1. Introduction.
2. Discourse intentionality.
3. Tone and attitude. Attitude markers.
4. Exposition and persuasion.
UNIT 5: Narrative discourse
1. Introduction.
2. Features of narrative discourse.
3. Sounds and noises in discourse.
Speech presentation.
4. The narrator's point of view.
5. Irony and satire
UNIT 6: Dramatic discourse
1. Introduction
2. The structure of dialogue.
UNIT 7: Poetic discourse
1. Poetry as poiesis and as craftsmanship: Rhythm and verse.
2. A detailed study of William Shakespeare¿s Sonnet 130; Edmund Spenser's Amoretti 15
Unit 8: The power of syntax
PRACTICAL SECTION
UNIT 1_Topic: The discovery of love -
Related vocabulary: (everlasting) love, (frenzied) passion, (intense) excitement, (enduring) affection, (friendly) care, (pure) innocence, (fervent) devotion, etc.; love-sick, head-over heels; love, adore, care, fall in love with, etc -
Text: A literary passage from James Joyce¿s A Portrait of the Artist as a Young man -
Discourse genre: Description (prosopography) -
Main stylistic devices used: lexical units as brushstrokes, exploitation of the visual channel, religious isosemy, etc. -
Vocabulary expansion: semantic field of walk
UNIT 2_Topic: Tension in love -
Related vocabulary: (unbearable) tension, (agonizing) stress, strain, (unhealthy) dependence, independence, trust, confidence, reliance -
Text: A literary passage from D.H. Lawrence's Sons and Lovers -
Discourse genre: Description (topography), Narration -
Main stylistic devices used: Vividness (personification, exploitation multiple channels), symbolism -
Vocabulary expansion: semantic field of quiet
UNIT 3_Topic: The enjoyment of life (carpe diem) -
Related vocabulary: pleasure, joy, happiness... (see textbook, page 134) -
Text: A literary passage from Virginia Woolf's Mrs. Dalloway -
Discourse genre: Description (topography, chronology) -
Main stylistic devices used: Stream of consciousness (lack of coherence, mixed speech presentation, anacoluthon), vividness, witness words... -
Vocabulary expansion: semantic field of angry
UNIT 4_Topic: Justice and corruption -
Related vocabulary: equity; (utter/blatant/complete) injustice, (absolute) power, (profound) decay, immorality, degradation, bribe -
Text: A literary passage from Charles Dickens's Bleak House -
Discourse genre: Description (topography) -
Main stylistic devices used: Verbal montage, Vividness (personification, multiple channels), landscape as metaphor... -
Vocabulary expansion: semantic fields of weather and bad
UNIT 5_Topic: Idealism and Terrorism -
Related vocabulary: stoicism, determinism, idealism, materialism, rationalism; stoical, unemotional... -
Text: A literary passage from Joseph Conrad's The Secret Agent -
Discourse genre: Description (etopoeia) -
Main stylistic devices used: connotations, isosemies, contrast (individual vs. masses), etc. -
Vocabulary expansion: semantic field of shine
UNIT 6_Topic: Failure in life - Related vocabulary: failure, fiasco, collapse... (see textbook, page 137) -
Text: A literary passage from George Eliot's Middlemarch. -
Discourse genre: Description (etopoeia) -
Main stylistic devices used: isosemies, syntax expressing tension and hopelessness, expository discourse (explanation, exclusion...)... -
Vocabulary expansion: semantic field of mental states
UNIT 7_Topic: The dignity of manual workers -
Related vocabulary: assignment, effort, work, chore, craft, toil; proletarian; drudge, trade union... -
Text: A literary passage from George Orwell's The Road to Wigan Pier
Discourse genre: Exposition -
Main stylistic devices used: Metaphors, inclusive pronouns, irony, connotations... -
Vocabulary expansion: semantic field of crawl (and ?moving with difficulty?)
UNIT 8_Topic: The infantillism of intellectuals -
Related vocabulary: childish, idiotic, superficial, immature, puerile, shallow, short-sighted, narrow-minded, dogmatic, intolerant, prejudiced, biased... -
Text: A literary passage from Aldous Huxley's Point counter point -
Discourse genre: Exposition -
Main stylistic devices used: cause-effect, allusion, value judgements, isosemies... -
Vocabulary expansion: semantic field of disdain
UNIT 9_Topic: Deception in love -
Related vocabulary: dishonest, false, cheating... (see textbook, page 57) -
Text: A literary passage from William Thackeray's Vanity Fair -
Discourse genre: Narration -
Main stylistic devices used: isosemies (force, money), irony, contrasts (silence/sound)... -
Vocabulary expansion: semantic field of force
UNIT 10_Topic: Reason and religion -
Related vocabulary: reason, rational, order, faith, belief, God -
Text: A literary passage from Daniel Defoe¿s Robinson Crusoe -
Discourse genre: Narration -
Main stylistic devices used: Semic loads, contrast, 1st person narrator... -
Vocabulary expansion: semantic field of dwelling
UNIT 11_Topic: Politics and corruption -
Related vocabulary: bribery, dishonesty; plot, conspiracy, coup d?etat; overthrow, bring down; sedition, subversion... -
Text: A literary passage from Jonathan Swift's Gulliver's Travels -
Discourse genre: Narration -
Main stylistic devices used: Bathos, mock-scientific style, satire... -
Vocabulary expansion: semantic field of skill
UNIT 12_Topic: Love and fun -
Related vocabulary: love, fondness, affection (see textbook, page 89) -
Text: A literary passage from Henry Fielding's Tom Jones -
Discourse genre: Narration -
Main stylistic devices used: bathos, mock-heroic style, narrative polyphony... -
Vocabulary expansion: semantic field of hatred
UNIT 13_Topic: Love and faith -
Related vocabulary: belief, dogma; churchgoing, devout; disbelieving, agnostic, atheist. -
Text: A literary passage from Graham Greene's The end of the affair. -
Discourse genre: Narration -
Main stylistic devices used: Innovative metaphors, similes, text polyphony, flashback.... -
Vocabulary expansion: semantic field of fight
UNIT 14_Topic: Contrast in time, dialogue -
Text: A literary passage from Tom Stoppard's Arcadia.
Discourse genre: Drama -
Vocabulary expansion: semantic field of greedy
UNIT 15_Topic: Beauty -
Text: Poems by Wyatt, Howard, Shakespeare, Spenser, Sidney, Donne, Milton, Housman…
Discourse genre: Poetry -
Vocabulary expansion: semantic field of beauty
Additional texts for practice and examinations will be used from different sources, for example::
· Charles Dickens: Oliver Twist.
· Dan Brown: The Lost Symbol. |