English 4348 and 5348 Cross-Listed Class

English 4348 and 5348 – Cross-listed Class

Spring 2018

American Renaissance (Ralph Waldo Emerson & Frederick Douglass)

Dr. Ann BeebeOffice Hours:

BUS 250MWF 8:00-10:00am & by appointment

Office: 903-565-5827Email:

Cell # Given on the First Day

Welcome to English 4348 / 5348 (Ralph Waldo Emerson & Frederick Douglass). I am looking forward to studying the lives, works, and critical reception of Emerson & Douglassover the next 15 weeks with you.

I work hard to put together my classes, and I expect a great deal from my students. I expect all reading to be completed by the assigned date. I expect your reading to be active. Mark up your books and take notes as you read. I expect everyone to participate substantially in Canvas discussions and listen respectfully to classmates. And lastly, if you have any questions about class policies, assignments, or readings, I expect you to ask them. You may always ask questions in class, call or email me, or drop by my office.

In return there are certain things you can expect from me. I will complete all the readings and plan lessons by the assigned date. I will give all assignments in writing and sufficiently in advance. I will grade and return all assignments in a timely manner. I will answer questions about assignments in class or in my office. If I cannot answer a question when you ask it, I will have the answer by the next class period.

Required Texts:

ENGL 4348.001 (4 books)

Emerson: Essays & Lectures (Ed. Joel Porte) ISBN: 9780940450158, Library of America

Frederick Douglass: Selected Speeches & Writings (Ed. Philip S. Foner) ISBN: 9781556523526

Emerson (Lawrence Buell) ISBN-13: 978-0674011397

The Lives of Frederick Douglass (Robert S. Levine) ISBN-13: 978-0674055810

ENGL 5348.001 (6 books)

Emerson: Essays & Lectures (Ed. Joel Porte) ISBN: 9780940450158, Library of America

Frederick Douglass: Selected Speeches & Writings (Ed. Philip S. Foner) ISBN: 9781556523526

Emerson (Lawrence Buell) ISBN-13: 978-0674011397

The Lives of Frederick Douglass (Robert S. Levine) ISBN-13: 978-0674055810

The Cambridge Companion to Frederick Douglass (Ed. Maurice S. Lee) ISBN: 9780521717878

Emerson and the History of Rhetoric (Roger Thompson) ISBN-13: 978-0809336128

Daily Schedule:

[This schedule includes all major readings and assignments. Small additions or changes

may be made. I will make any such changes in writing.]

Week 2 (January 22): Emerson

Classes start Tuesday, January 16th. I will email the syllabus to all enrolled students twice before the 22nd.

There are readings for you to prepare for class on January 22nd -- Week 2 of the semester.

All handouts can be found on Canvas under Pages – View All Pages.

If you have not done so, please set up your Canvas notifications to forward all announcements to your

Patriots email.

The readings will alternate between Emerson and Douglass in a conversational format.

4348 & 5348:

Read Buell, Introduction & Chapter 1 (1-58)

Read Emerson, “The American Scholar” (51-71, Library of America edition - LofA)

Week 2 Discussion Board Postings are due by midnight of the following Sunday (1/28)

I will close the discussion boards for new comments on the following Monday (1/29)

4348 only:

Turn inWeek 2 Questions for Discussion (5-10 questions, typed) at the beginning of class [See assignment

explanation below]

Turn in Student Information Sheets [Email to

5348 only:

Read Thompson, Intro & Chapter 1 (1-33)

Post professional / personal bios on Canvas[If you do not wish to share personal information, only include

your professional credentials and goals.]

Week 3 (January 29): Douglass

4348 & 5348:

Read Levine, Introduction (1-30)

Read Douglass, “Farewell Speech” (54-75, in the Foner edition)

Week 3 Discussion Board Postings are due by midnight of the following Sunday (2/4)

I will close the discussion boards for new comments on the following Monday (2/5)

4348 only:

Turn in Week 3 Questions for Discussion at the beginning of class (5-10 questions, typed)

5348 only:

Read in Cambridge, Stauffer (13-30)

Week 4 (February 5): Emerson

4348 & 5348:

Read Buell, Chapter 2 (59-106)

Read Emerson, “The Method of Nature” (113-132, LofA)

Read Emerson, “Man the Reformer” (135-150, LofA)

Week 4 Discussion Board Postings are due by midnight of the following Sunday (2/11)

I will close the discussion boards for new comments on the following Monday (2/12)

4348 only:

Turn in Week 4 Questions for Discussion at the beginning of class (5-10 questions, typed)

5348 only:

Read Thompson, Chapters 2 & 3 (34-68)

Week 5 (February 12): Douglass

4348 & 5348:

Read Levine, Chapter 1 (31-74)

Read Douglass, “The Meaning of July Fourth” (188-206, Foner)

Week 5 Discussion Board Postings are due by midnight of the following Sunday (2/18)

I will close the discussion boards for new comments on the following Monday (2/19)

The Midterm Exam Study Guides will be posted to Canvas this week.

4348 only:

Turn in Week 5 Questions for Discussion at the beginning of class (5-10 questions, typed)

5348 only:

Read in Cambridge, Meer (46-59)

Week 6 (February 19): Emerson

4348 & 5348:

Read Buell, Chapters 3 & 4 (107-198)

Read Emerson, “The Young American” (213-230, LofA)

Read Emerson, “Self-Reliance” (257-282, LofA)

Week 6 Discussion Board Postings are due by midnight of the following Sunday (2/25)

I will close the discussion boards for new comments on the following Monday (2/26)

4348 only:

Turn in Week 6 Questions for Discussion at the beginning of class (5-10 questions, typed)

5348 only:

Presentations for Article Summary & Evaluation Essays 1 [See sign-up sheet for schedule]

Turn in your ASE Essay before class [email to as a simple Word document – no

OneDrive, no PDF, no Google Docs

Week 7 (February 26): Douglass

4348 & 5348:

Read Levine, Chapter 2 (75-118)

Read Douglass, “Present Condition” (250-259, Foner)

Read Douglass, “The Claims” (282-298, Foner)

Week 7 Discussion Board Postings are due by midnight of the following Sunday (3/4)

I will close the discussion boards for new comments on the following Monday (3/5)

4348 only:

Turn in Week 7 Questions for Discussion at the beginning of class (5-10 questions, typed)

5348 only:

Presentations for Article Summary & Evaluation Essays 1 [See sign-up sheet for schedule]

Turn in your ASE Essay before class [email to as a simple Word document – no

OneDrive, no PDF, no Google Docs

Week 8 (March 5):

4348 & 5348:

Midterm Exam

No class meeting. Your midterm exams will open on Canvas on Friday, March 2nd. It is due by Monday, March 5th at midnight.

The midterm exam study guides will be posted on Canvas by Week 5.

Participation / Performance Grades for Weeks 1-8 posted by March 9th. Participation / Performance for

Weeks 1-8 = 10% of course grade.

SPRING BREAK

Week 9 (March 19): Emerson

4348 & 5348:

Read Buell, Chapter 5 (199-241)

Read Emerson, “Spiritual Laws” (303-323, LofA)

Read Emerson, “Heroism” (369-381, LofA)

Turn in Paper Topic Proposals (1-paragraph: research question, working thesis, texts, so-what / relevancy

statement)

Week 9 Discussion Board Postings are due by midnight of the following Sunday (3/25)

I will close the discussion boards for new comments on the following Monday (3/26)

4348 only:

Turn in Week 9 Questions for Discussion at the beginning of class (5-10 questions, typed)

5348 only:

Read Thompson, Chapter 4 (69-90)

Week 10 (March 26): Douglass

4348 & 5348:

Read Levine, Chapter 3 (119-178)

Read Douglass, “The Presidential Campaign” (401-413, Foner)

Read Douglass, “The Future” (474-486, Foner)

Week 10 Discussion Board Postings are due by midnight of the following Sunday (4/1)

I will close the discussion boards for new comments on the following Monday (4/2)

4348 only:

Turn in Week 10 Questions for Discussion at the beginning of class (5-10 questions, typed)

5348 only:

Read in Cambridge, Wallace (73-88)

Week 11 (April 2): Emerson

4348 & 5348:

Read Buell, Chapter 6 (242-287)

Read Emerson, “Circles” (401-414, LofA)

Read Emerson, “Experience” (469-492, LofA)

Week 11 Discussion Board Postings are due by midnight of the following Sunday (4/8)

I will close the discussion boards for new comments on the following Monday (4/9)

4348 only:

Turn in Week 11 Questions for Discussion at the beginning of class (5-10 questions, typed)

5348 only:

Presentations for Article Summary & Evaluation Essays 2 [See sign-up sheet for schedule]

Turn in your ASE Essay before class [email to as a simple Word document – no

OneDrive, no PDF, no Google Docs

Week 12 (April 9): Douglass

4348 & 5348:

Read Levine, Chapter 4 (179-239)

Read Douglass, “John Brown” (633-648, Foner)

Read Douglass, “Address” (669-685, Foner)

Suggestion: Arrange for peer review of your draft seminar paper with a classmate

Week 12 Discussion Board Postings are due by midnight of the following Sunday (4/15)

I will close the discussion boards for new comments on the following Monday (4/16)

4348 only:

Turn in Week 12 Questions for Discussion at the beginning of class (5-10 questions, typed)

5348 only:

Presentations for Article Summary & Evaluation Essays 2 [See sign-up sheet for schedule] [con’t]

Turn in your ASE Essay before class [email to as a simple Word document – no

OneDrive, no PDF, no Google Docs

Week 13 (April 16): Emerson

4348 & 5348:

Read Buell, Chapter 7 (288-334)

Read Emerson, “Politics” (557-571, LofA)

Read Emerson, “New England Reformers” (589-609, LofA)

Suggestion: Arrange for peer review of your draft seminar paper with a classmate

I will close the discussion boards for new comments on the following Monday (4/23)

4348 only:

Turn in Week 13 Questions for Discussion at the beginning of class (5-10 questions, typed)

5348 only:

Read Thompson, Chapter 5 & Conclusion (91-130)

Week 14 (April 23): Douglass

4348 & 5348:

Read Levine, Chapter 5 & Epilogue (240-306)

Read Douglass, “The Nation’s Problem” (725-740, Foner)

Read Douglass, “Why is” (750-776, Foner)

Suggestion: Arrange for peer review of your draft seminar paper with a classmate

Week 14 Discussion Board Postings are due by midnight of the following Sunday (4/29)

I will close the discussion boards for new comments on the following Monday (4/30)

4348 only:

Turn in Week 14 Questions for Discussion at the beginning of class (5-10 questions, typed)

5348 only:

Read in Cambridge, Crane (89-102)

Week 15 (April 30): Finals Week

4348 & 5348:

Course / Seminar Papers due by midnight on April 30th

Email a copy to me () as a simple Word document – no OneDrive, no PDF, no Google

Docs

Upload a copy to TurnItIn on Canvas. I will not grade essays without a TurnItIn score.

Course Policies

Grading:

4348:

Midterm Exam20%

Seminar Paper (10-12 pages, with academic research)30%

Questions for Discussion (12)30%

No grades are dropped

Weeks 1-8 Participation / Performance10%

Weeks 9-14 Participation / Performance10%

5348:

Midterm Exam20%

Seminar Paper (15-20 pages, with academic research)25%

Article Summary Evaluation Essay 115%

Article Summary Evaluation Essay 220%

Weeks 1-8 Participation / Performance10%

Weeks 9-14 Participation / Performance10%

The Census Date for this semester is January 29th.

Registration for Summer 2018 starts on February 1st.

The last day to file for Spring 2018 graduation is March 1st.

Registration for the Fall 2018 starts on April 2nd.

The last day to withdraw from a Spring class is April 2nd.

CAS Graduation should be Friday, May 4th.

Time Management:

You should expect to spend 2 hours outside class for every 1 hour in class. Translation: You should study 6 hours a week (minimum) outside of class for each 3-credit course.

[12 credit hours + 24 hours outside of class = 36 hours per week for a full-time student.]

Student Learning Outcomes:

By the end of this course, students should be able to:

Appreciate this especially rich period of nineteenth-century American literary tradition (genres, topics, themes, stylistic innovations, geography, class, race, and gender) and the importance of Emerson and Douglass this literary period
Recognize how historical, political, and social events shape our analysis and appreciation of the speeches and essays of Emerson and Douglass
Argue independent interpretations of assigned texts
Use the terms related to literary study and literary theory appropriately in discussion and in writing
Write persuasive exam essays, summary evaluation essays, and discussion questions on assigned texts
Research and write an original essay on some aspect of the speeches and essays of Emerson or Douglass

Attendance:

You will be expected to attend every class and be on time. Please keep track of your absences. The attendance policy for a Monday class is as follows:

3excused & unexcused absences = Final letter grade drops by one grade

4excused & unexcused absences = Final letter grade drops by two grades

6excused & unexcused absences = Failure of course

Fifteen minutes after class has started, I ask that no late students enter the class. You can see me after class and get notes from a classmate. Missed work due to an unexcused absence or tardiness will not be accepted. In the case of excused absences, it is the student’s responsibility to arrange for an alternative due date upon return to the class. Missed work must be submitted within two weeks. [Remember, you have my email address and cell number. Contact me if you anticipate an absence.]

Exam: (4348 & 5348)

The midterm exam should represent your individual work. Students are not allowed to consult or collaborate with anyone – classmates, family, friends, sources, etc. Cheating or plagiarizing on the exam will result in failure of the exam and an academic dishonesty report. The student will also be encouraged strongly to drop the course.

Course Paper: (4348)

Your course paper (10-12 pages) should offer a unique contribution to the study of the speeches and essays of Emerson and / or Douglass. The paper should include significant scholarly research from current credible books and journals (1990-2018) cited in MLA format. I am not checking to see if you have read the works in question. I want to understand your thoughts on the readings and have you present a well-reasoned and carefully written argument. You must make a claim (thesis), give reasons, offer evidence, show awareness of other points of view, etc. The essay should be 90% your ideas / words and 10% secondary source quotes. Do not overquote.

Please stop by the office (or arrange for a telephone conference) to discuss your seminar paper. If you have any citation questions, SEE ME. Once a paper has been turned in for a grade, I take potential plagiarism very seriously.Plagiarism on an assignment in 4348 will result in failure of the assignment and an academic dishonesty report. Students who plagiarize will be strongly encouraged to withdraw from the course.

Questions for Discussion: (4348)

Each week you will create between 5-10 questions for class discussion. These questions should not be in the yes / no format. They should not be factual questions. They should not be appreciation questions. They should not invite speculation (example: how would Emerson / Douglass feel about X in 2018?).

These questions should demonstrate your rigorous reading of the week’s texts. These questions should get at the big issues in the essays as well as Buell and Levine. You may also refer to ideas raised by other critics if you do some independent research during the week. We will use these questions during class to prompt our class discussion. I will note the questions that generate the most discussion.

These questions address issues substantial enough to serve as the starting point for a 10-12 page paper. By writing the question, you are reserving the right to claim that topic for your course paper. These questions will be evaluated and graded.

Note: I have access to the internet. Do not copy and paste study questions from any websites (example: Cliff Notes, Spark Notes, eNotes, etc.) I would consider that cheating. Cheating on an assignment in 4348 will result in failure of the assignment and an academic dishonesty report.

Seminar Paper: (5348)

Your seminar paper (15-20 pages) should offer a significant contribution to the study of the speeches and essays of Emerson and / or Douglass. The paper should include significant scholarly research from current credible books and journals (1990-2018) cited in MLA format. I also encourage you to work with primary documents – letters, diaries, contemporary accounts. Some of the library databases, especially 19th-Century American Newspapers and American Periodicals might be helpful to you.

Your paper proposal, when revised, should serve as the abstract to submit to a conference call.

Plagiarism on an assignment in 5348 will result in failure of the assignment and an academic dishonesty report. Students who plagiarize will be strongly encouraged to withdraw from the course.

Article Summary / Evaluation: (5348)

Before you sign-up for your articles, please be sure that you can get a copy (databases or ILL) BEFORE the due date. You will sign up for your articles and presentation times on January 29th.

Your essay (5-7 pages, double spaced, Times New Roman, 1-inch margins) should include the full citation in MLA format, author background, the subjects covered, the strengths and limitations of the article, and a few key quotes (provide page numbers). You may feel the need to provide additional background information or a chronology to the class. Make clear who would find the article useful. The essays should be emailed directly to me from your Patriots account before class on the assigned day. You are responsible for your own technology. You will email a copy directly to me for grading, . Please post a second copy on the correct discussion board for your classmates to read.

Your article summary / evaluation should make clear:

Factual details – subject of article: the who, what, where, and when of the topic and publication.

The author’s thesis – what is the point of the article?

Critical background of the author (new critical, new historical, feminist, cultural, formalist, psychoanalytic, etc.)

Contribution to the field – is the critic arguing new ideas or repeating old criticism?

Balance of the paper – are some paragraphs weak or incomplete? How do they work together to advance the argument?

Quality of research – what is the depth of background and analysis?

Who would find this article useful? Why?

How does this article help you read the works of Emerson and / or Douglass?

 Your scholarly opinion of the article (no trash talk or fan mail)

There should be four sections in your essay: Author Background, Summary, Discussion, and Evaluation / Analysis. Please control your essay with tight organization.

NOTE: I will attach 4 sample article summary / evaluation assignments to Canvas as PDF files for you to review. Former students, please post your recommendations / suggestions for this assignment for students new to my class.

Your Future as a Scholar: (5348)

I encourage all of you to visit the University of Pennsylvania’s Call for Papers website regularly. It publishes calls for conferences that take place around the world as well as journal / essay collection CFPs. I urge all of you to revise your paragraph proposals into abstracts after you have finished your projects and send them to likely conference panels. The website: