Lecture: Introduction to Literary Studies

This course is designed to give students some basic practical as well as theoretical knowledge of the art of literary analysis. It will cover (or rather, touch upon) the fields of drama, poetry, and narrative, discuss literary criticism, editorial policies, and canon formation, besides introducing the key terminology that forms the basis of any kind of literary studies. All literature seminars build on this introductory class. Together, this class and the lecture ”The History of British Literature” form the module ”Literature I”, which is recommended to be taken in the second semester.

Despite the numbers to be expected, this is not meant to be a lecture where you just sit and listen: be prepared for some more practical parts, too!

There are so many good introductions to the study of literature that it is difficult to choose. Begin with my script (you can download it from the Moodle class), and I will introduce some useful works in class.