College Composition II (ENG 102 104) Professor Jay Kratz

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Burlington County College

Liberal Arts Division

College Composition II (ENG 102 104) Professor Jay Kratz

TTH 12:30-1:50, Laurel Hall, Room 204 Email:

Meetings by arrangement

Required Texts:

Literature: Approaches to Fiction, Poetry, and Drama. Ed. Robert DiYanni. 2nd ed. New

York: McGraw Hill, 2008.

Any Good, College-Level Dictionary

Course Overview:

The purpose of English 102 is to enhance the student’s skills as a writer and as a critical thinker. The course combines several teaching techniques: lecture, seminar, verbal communication, student collaboration, and testing. It will incorporate the reading and discussion of fiction, poetry, and drama with written essays and informal oral presentation. Essays will be based on class discussions and critical commentary, and most will be completed at home. Upon completion of English 102, the student should be capable of expressing thoughts logically, clearly, and succinctly in writing. Successful students will effectively evaluate literature using various critical theories and the stages of the writing process learned in English 101. Critical literary interpretation—both oral and written—will be expected.

Learning Objectives:

English 102 will teach you to

1)  recognize and analyze the major elements of literature in fiction, poetry, and drama;

2)  write clear and coherent essays which analyze these elements;

3)  identify the methods used by authors, poets, and playwrights to achieve their desired ends, while evaluating these methods for effectiveness;

4)  demonstrate your ability to participate actively in the reading process by asking and responding to questions (both in writing and orally); and

5)  present your interpretations to the class in an informative manner.

Policies:

1)  Attendance: Students are required to attend all classes for the full duration of each session. Attendance will be taken, and penalties assessed for absences: when a student exceeds a ten-percent absence rate, he/she may be docked up to 10% of the final grade. Students are responsible for communicating with me to make reasonable arrangements for the completion of course requirements not completed due to absence.

2)  All work written and submitted should utilize standard rules of grammar, sentence organization, paragraph structure, and diction.

3)  All assignments are due on the date specified on the syllabus or in class without exception. Assignments not submitted on time will be penalized 15% for each day they are late.

4)  Plagiarism will not be tolerated. Be aware that plagiarism includes copying someone else’s words without crediting the source; paraphrasing someone else’s words without crediting the source; using someone else’s ideas without crediting the source (even if rephrased in your own words); using facts not universally known which are obtained from a source without credit; asking someone else to write your paper, either in whole or part; or obtaining a paper or portion thereof by any means and submitting it as your work. The penalty for plagiarism is failure for the assignment and potentially failure for the course. Please refer to the BCC Student Handbook for additional information regarding College regulations and the handling of plagiarism.

Assignments:

1)  Panel Presentations (20 points/5 points for each panel session): Each of you will be assigned to a panel of 5-6 students. For each class, a panel will be responsible for having read the assigned poems/prose especially closely, and will be “on call.” When “on call,” each member will be responsible for generating conversation with problems or ideas coming from the reading, and will answer at least one question (posed either by me or the class). Each panel will be “on call” four times during the semester.

2)  One 500-Word Close Readings (15 points): Students will respond to a prompt with a written argument supported by close, textual analysis.

3)  One Sonnet (15 points): Students will write an original poem conforming to all of the formal rules of sonnet composition.

4)  Two 1000-Word Research Papers (20 points each): Students will use at least one (and no more than two) secondary, critical sources to elaborate on and complicate their own close reading of a text in response to an assigned prompt.

5)  Participation and Attendance (10 points): I have found in past semesters that "participation" isn't a sufficient means of assessing students. How do you grade shy, or otherwise quiet, students who do very well in your class? At the same time, does a student who does very poorly on papers/quizzes/etc, but "participates" in class deserve a high grade? Instead, I have switched this to an assessment of a student's contribution to the course. How do you do in group work? Are you always on task, or do you take others off task with your actions? Do you bring useful ideas and thoughts into class? Do you go beyond commentary that is intended to please me or make you look smart? Do you experiment, take chances, and offer untested commentary? Are you punctual and always prepared? Do you do more than just listen to me? What about your presence in the class adds to it? These are some of the factors I will consider when assessing your class contribution grade.

Grading Policy: All assignments have a specific point value. There are 100 total points worth of assignments and examinations.

Total Points Earned / Final Percentages / Letter Grade
177-200 / 88.5-100 / A
175-176 / 87.5-88 / B+
159-174 / 79.5-87 / B
155-158 / 77.5-79 / C+
149-154 / 74.5-77 / C
139-148 / 69.5-74 / D
0-138 / 0-69 / F

Projected Schedule of Assignments:

*The syllabus is a living document. Sometimes, things might not work and we will need to make a change. This syllabus is subject to change at all times. Any changes will be discussed in class.

**All written work will be composed and submitted in Google Drive.

Session 1: Words And Their Histories

Discussion of syllabus and general expectations

William Carlos Williams, “This Is Just To Say”

*And an introduction to the Oxford English Dictionary

Poetry

Session 2: Interpretation

“The Pleasures of Poetry,” “Thinking Critically about a Poem,” “Critical Thinking and Contexts” (p. 5-8); “Approaching Literature with Critical Thinking: Experience, Interpretation, Evaluation,” “Critical Thinking and Writing about Literature” (p. 10-17); and, “Reading Poems” (p. 495-506) including the poems “Those Winter Sundays” by Robert Hayden, “Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening” by Robert Frost, and “A Song in the Front Yard” by Gwendolyn Brooks.

Session 3: Point of View & Tone

Short Paper One Assignment Distributed (Online)

“Narrative Poetry,” “Lyric Poetry,” “Voice: Speaker & Tone” including Stephen Crane’s “War is Kind,” Robert Browning’s “My Last Duchess,” Muriel Stuart’s “In the Orchard,” Gerard Manley Hopkins’ “Thou art indeed just, Lord,” the anonymously authored “Western Wind,” and Henry Reed’s “Naming of Parts” (p. 507-518)

Session 4: Figuration I—Imagery, Simile, & Metaphor

Due, Short Paper One Rough Draft

“Imagery,” (p. 524-530) including Elizabeth Bishop’s “First Death in Nova Scotia,” William Butler Yeats’ “The Lake of Innisfree,” Robert Browning’s “Meeting at Night,” H.D.’s “Heat,” & Thomas Hardy’s “Neutral Tones”; “Figures of Speech: Simile and Metaphor” including William Shakespeare’s “That time of year thou may’st in me behold,” John Donne’s “Hymn to God the Father,” Robert Wallace’s “The Double Play,” Louis Simpson’s “The Battle,” & Judith Wright’s “Woman to Child.”

Session 5: Figuration II—Symbolism and Allegory

“Symbolism and Allegory,” (p. 536-542) including Peter Meinke’s “Advice to My Son,” Christina Rossetti’s “Up-Hill,” William Blake’s “A Poison Tree,” Robert Frost’s “The Road Not Taken,” George Herbert’s “Virtue,” & Emily Dickinson’s “Because I could not stop for Death.”

Session 6: Syntax

Due, Short Paper One Final Draft

Short Paper Two Assignment Distributed (Online)

“Syntax” (542-548) including John Donne’s “The Sun Rising,” Thomas Hardy’s “The Man He Killed,” William Butler Yeats’ “An Irish Airman Foresees His Death,” Robert Frost’s “The Silken Tent,” E.E. Cummings’ “Me up at does,” & Stevie Smith’s “Mother, Among the Dustbins.”

Session 7: Sound as Meaning—Rhyme, Alliteration, & Assonance

Due, Short Paper Two Rough Draft

“Sound: Rhyme, Alliteration, Assonance” (p. 548-556) including Gerard Manley Hopkins’ “In the Valley of the Elwy,” Thomas Hardy’s “During the Wind and Rain,” Alexander Pope’s “Sound and Sense,” Bob McKenty’s “Adam’s Song,” May Swenson’s “The Universe,” & Helen Chasin’s “The Word Plum.”

Session 8: Rhythm & Meter

“Rhythm and Meter” (p. 556-564) including Robert Frost’s “The Span of Life,” George Gordon, Lord Byron’s “The Destruction of Sennacherib,” Anne Sexton’s “Her Kind,” & William Carlos Williams’ “The Red Wheelbarrow.”

Session 9: Structure—Closed Form and Open Form

Due, Short Paper Two Final Draft

“Structure: Closed Form and Open Form,” (p.564-572) including John Keats’ “On First Looking into Chapman’s Homer,” Walt Whitman’s “When I heard the learn’d astronomer,” E.E. Cummings’ “l (a” & “Buffalo Bill’s,” William Carlos Williams’ “The Dance,” Denise Levertov’s “O Taste and See,” Theodore Roethke’s “The Waking,” Christine K. Molito’s “Reflections in Black & Blue,” & C.P. Cavafy’s “The City.”

Session 10: In Depth

Research Paper One Assignment Distributed (Online)

“Langston Hughes in Context,” (p. 700-705); “Langston Hughes: Poems” (p. 705-726)

Session 11: Writing about Poetry

“Writing about Poetry” (p. 575-593)

“Critics on Hughes” (p. 731-736)

Session 12: Re-visions

Due, Research Paper One Rough Draft

Peer Review Session

Prose Fiction

Session 13: Plot and Structure

“Plot and Structure” (p. 49-58) including Frank O’Connor’s “Guest of the Nation”; John Updike’s “A&P” (p. 32-36).

Session 14: Character & Setting

“Character” (p. 59-65) including Kay Boyle’s “Astronomer’s Wife”; “Setting” (p. 66-76) including Bobbie Ann Mason’s “Shiloh.”

Session 15: Point of View

Due, Research Paper One Final Draft

“Point of View” (p. 77-84) including William Faulkner’s “A Rose for Emily.”

Session 16: Language & Style

“Language and Style” (p. 85-89) including James Joyce’s “Araby.”

Session 17: Theme

“Theme” (p. 90-96) including Eudora Welty’s “A Worn Path.”

Session 18: Irony & Symbol

“Irony and Symbol” (p. 97-110) including D.H. Lawrence’s “The Rocking-Horse Winner.”

Research

Session 19: In Depth

“Edgar Allan Poe in Context” (p. 132-136); “The Cask of Amontillado” (p. 144-149); “Edgar Allan Poe: Essays” (p. 162-164)

Session 20: Using Literary Criticism

“Writing about Fiction” (p. 111-129); David S. Reynolds “On ‘The Cask of Amontillado’” (p. 167-168)

Session 21: Library Session

“Writing with Sources” (p. 1521-1551)

Session 22: Thinking through Sources

Session 23: Re-visions

Due, Research Paper Two Rough Draft

Peer Review Workshops

Drama

Session 24:

Henrik Ibsen, A Doll’s House, Act I & II

Session 25:

Henrik Ibsen, A Doll’s House, Act III

Session 26:

Lorraine Hansberry, A Raisin in the Sun, Act I

Session 27:

Lorraine Hansberry, A Raisin in the Sun, Act II

Session 28:

Due, Research Paper Two Final Draft

______

Expectations & Policies

Smart Phones, Texting, Laptops, & Other Issues of Etiquette:

Please turn your cell phone off BEFORE entering the classroom. If your cell phone goes off more than once while class is in a session, you will be asked to leave. I will not tolerate texting or other distractions to the learning experience. I will be taking points off of your course contribution grade for every time that, at the end of class, I can remember you texting during that class. Laptops are fine as long as they aren’t a distraction. Students who use education apps on their smart phones (please tell me about them!) are fine too. Please remove all earbuds before entering class.

In my classes, I have an expectation students will have access to email and computers in general. All of your work will be submitted to me digitally. Given there are public and school libraries, the ILC, coffee shops, etc, I do not see any excuse for having “no access” to email outside of the classroom.

Students are expected to check their RCBC email on a regular basis. I do not accept the excuse, “I didn't check my email for two weeks” as a valid problem. Digital correspondence should be written using proper grammar and form. I will not reply to emails filled with texting speak (2, u, 4, lol, j/k) or poor grammar and/or misspellings. Please include a subject and "sign" your email with your name and course section.

I will not be carrying handouts around all semester. If you miss class or lose a handout, please check the course website within 48 hours of the class to view, download, or print a PDF of the handout in question. Most of the time they will be uploaded before class.

Finally, a matter of general respect: I do not tolerate homophobic, misogynistic, ableist, or racist language in the classroom.

Writing:

I expect your work to be error free. You are expected to proofread for spelling, mechanics, and grammar. I will mark down for these errors; please revise and proofread often. All papers are to be typed, titled, double spaced, and given page numbers with your last name. All papers will be written and submitted in Google Docs. I will not be accepting print copies of your papers.

Do not consider your paper submitted until, if and only if, you receive a confirmation reply (usually within 24 hours, but don't panic if it is closer to 48-72). If you do not receive one within 48-72 hours, it is the student’s responsibility to get in touch with me about their work. I am not responsible for making sure you hand in your assignments; it is yours. Please make sure you are backing up your work to an external hard drive, flash drive, cloud based source or other backup method. I will not accept excuses involving crashed computers or broken files.

Finally, please follow the “24 hour rule” for paper returns. I do not discuss returned student papers until 24 hours have elapsed since I returned them. There will be no discussion in person or via email about them until that time window.

Paper Revision Policy:

I strongly believe one of the most important lessons I learned about writing was that quality work almost always entails rewriting. In this class I will accept a rewrite of your papers until the Friday after grades are sent back to the entire class. This means if you are not satisfied with your grade, you may resubmit that paper for a predetermined period of time. This time period will be added to the online version of the syllabus and announced during class. Normally, this will be anywhere from three to five days. After that time period, you may not resubmit.

Obviously, just resubmitting the paper will not count as a rewrite. If you incorporate the feedback I give you on your papers when I send them back, the odds are pretty high you will improve your grade. Only making cosmetic changes will not improve it.