ENG 107 Syllabus and Course Outline   

Link to Illiad

Link to background and supporting information on the Iliad from Reed University (including a specific historical timeline).

Cute interactive game on the Iliad (you will need the traditional spellings of names--Achilles rather than Akilleus for example--to answer the questions: see the on-line version of the Iliad).

Link to first section of Odyssey

Specialized Terms/Concepts

Mimesis: imitation.   The idea that literature imitates reality (or imitates the ideal).  Plato argued that reality imitated ideal concepts (a real table is an imitation of the concept of table) and that poetry imitates reality.

Choral poetry:   poetry designed to be sung by a group, usually with at least two "parts" that answer each other.

Verse:  means either a single line of poetry or as the equivalent of "poetry".

Narrative poetry: poetry that primarily tells a story.  It recounts events in some sort of chronological sequence (it has a "plot") and usually has some sort of character development.   Narrative poetry can be any length; all epics are narrative poetry.  Much narrative poetry is equivalent to short stories or novels in structure and intent.

Lyric poetry: poetry that conveys emotion.  Lyric poetry was originally intended to be accompanied on a lyre, probably sung but possibly chanted.  When we talk about song lyrics, we are talking about lyric poetry.

Primary Epic: one of the first epics; an epic not imitating or influenced by earlier epics.  Examples of primary epic are Homer's The Iliad, and The Odyssey; The Epic of Gilgamesh; and The Descent of Inanna.  The much later epic Beowulf is also arguably a primary epic.  Comments  and a summary of Gilgamesh.   Comments and summary of Inanna (warning: for those with good eyesight only!)

Secondary Epic:   epics influenced by the primary epic form.  An example of the secondary epic is Vergil's The Aeneid. For information, see An Introduction to Virgil, The Aeneid.

Tertiary Epic: epics influenced by both primary and secondary epics.  Examples of tertiary epics are Dante's The Divine Comedy (The Inferno, Purgatorio, and Paradisio) and Milton's Paradise Lost. (Excerpts from these works are part of the reading for ENG 108.)

Link to an Introduction to Virgil, The Aeneid.

Link to information on The Delphic Oracle (re: Book 6 of The Aeneid)

Overview of Plato with a discussion of the main themes of the Allegory of the Cave.

Study Guide to Antigone from Temple University Department of Classics (with links to an on-line text with great hyperlinks)

Study Guide to Medea (also from the Temple University Classics Department).

Background Information on Medea from Princeton University Classics Department.

Questions?   See syllabus for email and telephone.

Back to homepage    ENG 107 Syllabus and Course Outline (Readings & Assignments)

This page was last updated on 06/29/08.  You are visitor number