There are no pre-requisites for this module to be added

This module introduces you to literature of the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries, which you will explore within its cultural historical contexts. The module forms a foundation for the understanding of the development of literary genres and forms from the eighteenth century to the present day. The eighteenth-century, in history as well as literature, is relatively absent from modern Britain’s understanding of itself, and is fundamental in understanding not just the nineteenth-century, but the present day. Alongside studying drama, poetry, short stories, and novels, you will learn about a range of literary genres (such as satire, romance, bildungsroman, and gothic) and their critical contexts. You will explore important social debates, such as class divisions, the empire and conceptions of nationality, science, and representations of gender and the family. The module will equip you with a conceptual and methodological apparatus for your future study on your programme's literature modules and beyond. The weekly lectures will provide an introduction and set the context for group and individual activities in tutorials. Interactive exercises and group discussions will focus on analysing the assigned literary texts in relation to cultural contexts through exploring historical material from the period as well as recent scholarly criticism.

Upon completion of this module you will be able to

LO1: Develop an awareness of relationships between eighteenth- and nineteenth-century literature and their cultural and historical contexts.

LO2: Recognise different genres and themes in poetry, drama and prose, and describe their formal conventions.

LO3: Gain an appreciation of a range of eighteenth- and nineteenth-century literary texts and articulate your interpretations in oral and written form.

LO4: Identify and evaluate relevant scholarly research sources.