ENG 648 The Elizabethan Age
The reign of Elizabeth I from 1558-1603 is widely recognized as the period in British history when England became a world power. But it also witnessed an unprecedented flourishing of literature, largely due to the patronage of the monarch, an accomplished poet in her own right. This course explores the works of the best 16th Century British writers, including Wyatt and Surrey, Raleigh, Spenser, Sidney, Marlowe, Shakespeare, Jonson, Donne, and Elizabeth I herself. Students write critical essays throughout the course and a major research paper on a writer of their choice.