Dr. Harriet Kramer Linkin
117 English Building
Office hours: MW 4:00-5:15 (walk-in); TTH 2:30-5:00 (appointment)
646-2240, hlinkin@nmsu.edu

English 423/523

William Blake

Fall 1998--MW 5:30-6:45

Course Objectives: This course provides a rare opportunity to study the way William Blake's philosophy expresses itself in both his poetry and art; through as much thinking, reading, and discussing as is humanly possible, I hope we come to appreciate his complexity.

Required Texts:

Blake, Blake's Poetry and Designs, ed. Johnson and Grant (Norton)

Blake, Songs of Innocence and Experience (Oxford)

Blake, The Marriage of Heaven and Hell (Dover)

Blake, Blake's America: A Prophecy and Europe: A Prophecy (Dover)

Blake, The Book of Urizen (Dover)

Blake, Jerusalem, ed. Paley (Princeton)

Course Requirements and Policies: In addition to reading assigned material in preparation for class discussion, course requirements include writing three papers: two short papers of 5-7 pages (30% each) and a longer final paper of 10-12 pages (40%). I will hand out detailed assignment sheets that contain specific suggestions and expectations, but please note that I do treat deadlines seriously: late papers lose one grade per class meeting. I will calculate final grades through the percentages listed above, further modified by class participation and attendance. Active participation can raise grades; more than two absences can lower grades. Missing six classes will provide grounds for failure, as will plagiarism or other forms of intellectual dishonesty. Please inform me of any assistance you need to fulfill these requirements or of any circumstances that will affect your ability to give this class your best academic effort. If you have or believe you have a disability, please contact the Office of Services for Students with Disabilities at Garcia (646-6840) for appropriate accommodations. You are responsible for acquiring additions to the syllabus, handouts, or information provided in class. 523 will be differentiated from 423 by the degree and quality of work graduate students produce, who will be expected to make good use of secondary sources and critical positions on Blake in their written work.

Class Schedule:

Aug 19 Introduction

Aug 24 Songs of Innocence (1789)

Aug 26 Songs of Innocence (1789)

Aug 31 The Book of Thel (1789-90)

Sep 02 Songs of Experience (1794)

Sep 07 Labor Day Holiday

Sep 09 Songs of Experience (1794)

Sep 14 Songs of Experience (1794)

Sep 16 The Marriage of Heaven and Hell (1790)

Sep 21 The Marriage of Heaven and Hell (1790)

Sep 23 The Marriage of Heaven and Hell (1790)

Sep 24 First Paper Due

Sep 28 Visions of the Daughters of Albion (1793)

Sep 30 Visions of the Daughters of Albion (1793)

Oct 05 America, A Prophecy (1793)

Oct 07 America, A Prophecy (1793)

Oct 12 Europe, A Prophecy (1794)

Oct 14 Europe, A Prophecy (1794) Last Day to Drop with a "W"

Oct 19 The First Book of Urizen (1794)

Oct 21 The First Book of Urizen (1794)

Oct 26 The First Book of Urizen (1794)

Oct 28 Milton, A Poem (c. 1811)

Nov 02 Milton, A Poem (c. 1811) Second Paper Due

Nov 04 Milton, A Poem (c. 1811)

Nov 09 Milton, A Poem (c. 1811)

Nov 11 Milton, A Poem (c. 1811)

Nov 16 Jerusalem (c. 1820)

Nov 18 Jerusalem (c. 1820)

Nov 23 Jerusalem (c. 1820)

Nov 25 Thanksgiving Holiday

Nov 30 Jerusalem (c. 1820)

Dec 02 Jerusalem (c. 1820)

Dec 03 Third Paper Due

Dec 09 Final Class 6:00-8:00