English Major
WHAT IS ENGLISH?
An English degree offers a way to increase your awareness of the wondrous power of language. Studies in English provide foundations in reading, analysis and self-expression. Through the study of literature students gain appreciation and understanding of what makes written text “literary” and why readers return to great literature to provide pleasure and insight into the human condition.
WHAT KINDS OF ENGLISH EDUCATION DEGREES DOES KING’S OFFER?
Available As A Major For:
4-Year Bachelor of Arts
Available As a Concentration For:
3-Year Bachelor of Arts
4-Year Bachelor of Arts in Environmental Studies
Available As A Minor For:
B.A. B.Com., B.Mus., 4-Year B.Sc.(BIOL & CMPT majors)
Courses Available Include: (for full course descriptions, see the registry pages here)
studies in: Shakespeare, Arthurian literature, Romantic poetry, Canadian literature, creative writing, editing, publishing and journalism
ENGL 204 - Reading to Know, Writing to be Known: An Introduction to Literature I
ENGL 205 - Reading to Know, Writing to be Known: An Introduction to Literature II
ENGL 304 - Stories of Becoming I: Literature from the Middle Ages to the 18th Century
ENGL 305 - Stories of Becoming II: Literature from the 19th Century to the Present
ENGL 320 - The Play's the Thing: Shakespeare Today
ENGL 327 - Between Science And Fiction: The Intersection of Psychology and Literature
ENGL 340 - Reason and Nature in 18th Century Literature
ENGL 352 - Images of the Divine and the Human Imagination: Romantic Poetry
ENGL 356 - Writing the Empire: An Introduction to 19th Century Literature
ENGL 358 - The Sun Never Sets: Introduction to Postcolonial Literature
ENGL 360 - Sabotaging Certainty: Modernist Literature
ENGL 366 - Women's Words in the 20th Century
ENGL 370 - Carving out a Nation: Canadian Literature Pre- 1970
ENGL 371 - Mapping our Mental Geography: Canadian Literature Post- 1970
ENGL 380 - The Once and Future King: Arthurian Legend and Literature
ENGL 385 - North American Short Stories: Bite-Sized Reading
ENGL 391 - Creative Writing: Short Story and Poetry
ENGL 398 - Student Publications I
ENGL 399 - Special Topics: Postcolonial Literature
ENGL 404 - Anxiety to Apotheosis: Literary Theory from Plato to Pater
ENGL 405 - Unpacking the Text: 20th-Century Literary Theory
ENGL 410 - Negotiating the Past: The Literature of the Middle Ages
ENGL 430 - Milton and the 17th Century
ENGL 480 - Am I the I Am? The Search for Self in the Novel
ENGL 489 - Special Studies Literature
ENGL 495 - Senior English Seminar
ENGL 498 - Student Publications II
ENGL 499 - Directed Studies in English Literature
Related Links
Course Schedule | English Department |
Reading to Know, Writing to be Known: An Introduction To Literature I, Every Year, Fall 3(3-0-0)
Through story we come to know ourselves and our world. An understanding of the structure and influence of stories can make us more discerning of our culture and more aware of our Christian assumptions. In this course, we focus on the narrative genres of the short story and the novel. As well as becoming more proficient and appreciative readers, students will, through integrated writing instruction, become more adept writers. Students with credit in ENGL 210 cannot receive credit in ENGL 204.
Reading to Know, Writing to be Known: An Introduction to Literature II, Every Year, Winter 3(3-0-0)
In this course we will explore language and literature with a study of poetry and drama. Through both lecture and discussion, we will challenge ourselves to relate the projects of reading with discernment, and writing with precision, to our Christian responsibilities as followers of "The Word". Students with credit in ENGL 211 cannot receive credit in ENGL 205.
Prerequisites: ENGL 204 suggested
Stories of Becoming I: Literature from the Middle Ages to the 18th Century 2008-09, Fall 3(3-0-0)
To understand the stories that we tell, we must first understand the stories that precede us. To discover for ourselves how the past shapes the process of our becoming, we will consider the heritage of English literature from its earliest forms until the beginning of the 19th Century.
Prerequisites: ENGL 204, 205
Stories of Becoming II: Literature from the 19th Century to the Present, 2008-09, Winter 3(3-0-0)
A continuation of ENGL 304, this course will carry us forward to our own time. From the Romantics and Victorians, on through to the Modernists and Postmodernists, our readings will invite us to explore the relationship between individual works and the cultural contexts of which they are a part.
Prerequisites: ENGL 204, 205, 304
The Play's The Thing: Shakespeare Today, 2009-10, Winter 3(3-2-0)
Shakespeare's plays have enjoyed increasing popularity in the modern age, thanks to innovative stage and film interpretations. In this course, we will study representative tragedies, comedies and histories. Also, because Shakespeare was a working playwright, creating drama not for the classroom but for the stage, we will view contemporary film versions of the various plays in order to understand and evaluate the interpretive nature of dramatic production.
Prerequisites: ENGL 204, 205
Between Science And Fiction: The Intersection of Psychology and Literature, 2010-11, Fall 3 (3-0-0)
Human being, whether explored through themes of identity, self, or character, is a constantly evolving narrative we construct of ourselves and others. This course examines the intersection of psychological and literary narratives as they construct human being, and emphasizes how storytelling is a vital yet undervalued notion in contemporary society. We will question how human identity is created and communicated, while exploring the fringes of socially accepted behaviour to examine how norms are established, upheld, and challenged both in literature and psychology. Same as PSYC 327.
Prerequisites: ENGL 204, 205 and one of PSYC 250 or 251
Reason and Nature in 18th Century Literature, 2008-09, Winter 3(3-0-0)
It is commonly assumed that writers in the historical period known as The Enlightenment see their primary responsibility to be the reasoned investigation of humanity and the natural world. In their preoccupation with rational thought, they limit introspection and circumscribe the concept of the Divine. In this course, we will investigate representative authors of "The Age of Reason" in order to evaluate the extent to which these preconceptions are true. We will consider both the artistry of their works and the cultural dimensions of their age.
Prerequisites: ENGL 204, 205
Images of the Divine and the Human Imagination: Romantic Poetry, 2009-10, Fall 3(3-0-0)
Descriptions of the Romantic period include such statements as, "God is in the trees and in the earth and in me." "God is in the sky." "Poetic inspiration is totally a product of the human mind." How are we to respond to these evaluations? This course will focus on Romantic poetry which expresses poets' intense interest in and expression of their engagement with questions about the relationship between the human mind and the mysteries of the Divine.
Prerequisites: ENGL 204, 205
Writing the Empire: An Introduction to 19th Century Literature, 2009-10, Winter 3(3-0-0)
In this course we will acquaint ourselves with the major genres and authors of the Victorian period. Through a chronological study of the literature, we will look at the ways writing during this era is shaped by social and political factors: the poverty and stress of the early industrial years, the excitement and promise of the mid-century, and the disillusionment of the later period. We will monitor the ways in which the various literary forms reflect in their stylistics the philosophical and theological concerns of 19th-Century British Imperialism.
Prerequisites: ENGL 204, 205
The Sun never Sets: Introduction to Postcolonial Literature, 2008-09, Winter 3(3-0-0)
Although the field of postcolonial studies is relatively new, it has already produced an impressive body of literature and criticism for examining how British colonialism and imperialism have shaped the modern world. This course is intended to introduce the student to the key English literary texts and theoretical concerns in this ongoing discourse, including questions about race, nation, gender, and cultural identity. We will also address the historical role Christian theology played in colonialism, as well as its place in recuperative strategies of nationhood and equality. We will study novels, films and other media, from sources as varied as Canada, India, the Caribbean, Africa, and Great Britain.
Prerequisites: ENGL 204, 205
Sabotaging Certainty: Modernist Literature, 2009-10, Fall 3(3-0-0)
From the beginning of the 20th Century onward, many writers experienced and expressed skepticism about cultural mainstays. Since the great religions and philosophies of the world had not been successful in preventing two world wars, what validity did they have? We will engage the literature of this period bearing in mind the crucial role such questions play as writers express hope that art might assume the function of structuring reality.
Prerequisites: ENGL 204, 205
Women's Words in the 20th Century, 2009-10, Winter 3(3-0-0)
Why do we need a course devoted exclusively to writing by women? Is such a focus divisive or even irrelevant in the context of contemporary culture? Is there something unique about women's writing? In this course we will address these and other questions by exploring poetry, stories, essays and diaries written by women. We will also consider whether gender plays a role in the way readers respond to women's writing.
Prerequisites: ENGL 204, 205
Carving out a Nation: Canadian Literature Pre- 1970, 2010-11, Fall 3(3-0-0)
Canada is a nation carved out by words just as it is one hewn from stone and soil. This course will explore our emerging national identity through a diversity of voices in poetry and prose. We will follow the progression fo Canadian literature from our colonial roots to the early postmodern period, investigating questions of literary, historical, and cultural significance.
This course is considered a Canadian Studies course for the purposes of King's B.Ed. (AD).
Prerequisites: ENGL 204 and 205
Mapping our Mental Geography: Canadian Literature Post- 1970, 2010-11, Winter 3(3-0-0)
Tracing our literary landscape reveals that contemporary Canada is constantly changing. This course will explore our shifting national identity through a diversity of voices in poetry and prose. We will follow the progression of Canadian literature from the early postmodern period forward, investigating questions of literary, historical, and cultural significance.
This course is considered a Canadian Studies course for the purposes of King's B.Ed. (AD).
Prerequisites: ENGL 204 and 205
The Once and Future King: Arthurian Legend and Literature, 2009-10, Fall 3(3-0-0)
Arthur of Britain has figured in legend from the 6th Century to the present day. What accounts for his enduring appeal and influence? In our quest for the answer, we will investigate the origins and interpretations of King Arthur and his Knights of the Round Table. Beginning with the earliest allusions to an historical Arthur, we will trace the creation and impact of the Arthurian legend from its medieval roots to its contemporary realization.
Prerequisites: ENGL 204, 205
North American Short Stories: Bite-Sized Reading, 2009-10, Fall 3(3-0-0)
In 1842, Edgar Allan Poe famously declared the short story to be fiction that conveys a single impression and can be read in a single sitting; since then, critics and authors have debated this definition. Meanwhile, perhaps surprisingly, the genre retains its popularity with the contemporary reading public - an audience whose time-demands dictate the brevity of that "single sitting" and whose culture is an increasingly visual one. In this course, we will examine the development of American and Canadian short stories from the late nineteenth-century to the present, including short story theories, definitions, and the tendentious story cycle. What does the short story reveal to the contemporary reader about past, current and possibly even future North American societies?
Prerequisites: ENGL 204, 205
Creative Writing: Short Story and Poetry, 2008-09, Winter 3(3-0-0)
This course will provide an introduction to the writing of short stories and poetry. We will read and discuss literary models of each form, but the critical focus will be on students' own work. Writing throughout the course, students will explore and experience the writer's task, role, and creative process.
Prerequisites: ENGL 204, 205, submission of a portfolio, and permission of instructor.
Student Publications I, Every Year, Full Year Course 3(0-0-6)
This course, designed for editors of student publications, gives the student an opportunity to do extensive work on student publications under the supervision of a faculty advisor, and thus learn in an applied context the complex function of a publication. Students should expect to spend 100 hours per term on the publication and must attend applicable College workshops and keep a log of time and activities. Students intending to register must have the permission of the faculty advisor of the publication they wish to serve. Mark for the course will be pass/fail. The maximum enrollment for this course is two students per publication.
Special Topics, Subject to Demand, 3(3-0-0)
A course on a topic or figure of special interest to a member of the English faculty and offered on a non-recurring basis.
Prerequisites: ENGL204, 205
Anxiety to Apotheosis: Literary Theory from Plato to Pater, 2009-10, Fall 3(3-0-0)
Are fictional stories harmful lies, or are they the embodiments of sacred inspiration? The debate over the nature and worth of imaginative literature has oscillated between the extremes of anxiety over its negative powers to euphoria over its apotheotic potential. In this course we will conduct a chronological study of some of the most influential statements in literary theory from the classical period to the conclusion of the 19th century. Theoretical approaches have become central to literary discussions in the 20th century, and they promise to maintain their dominant position into the new millennium. A sound understanding of contemporary theoretical practice is dependant upon an awareness of, and a familiarity with, the major historical discussions that inform it. This course will investigate the issues and assumptions that characterize the theory of the earlier periods, and in so doing, it will prepare students grapple with the theoretical concerns of our own era.
Prerequisites: ENGL 204, 205 and at least three credits in English at the 300-level.
Unpacking the Text: 20th-Century Literary Theory, 2009-10, Winter 3(3-0-0)
The 20th Century saw an explosion of theory, prompting us to rethink our understanding of literary texts and contexts. Viewing these against the backdrop of early 20th-century criticism, we will examine and apply the approaches taken by recent schools of theory such as Reader Response, Deconstructionist, Feminist, and Post-Colonial.
Prerequisites: ENGL 204, 205 and at least three credits in English at the 300-level.
Negotiating the Past: The Literature of the Middle Ages, 2008-09, Winter 3(3-0-0)
How are we to understand literature which remains distant from us in time, space, and even language? Although we may be able to appreciate the artistry of early writing, only by placing it within its cultural context can we fully value the achievement of the past. We will therefore consider the political, social and religious climate of the Middle Ages in our investigation of the rich literary tradition represented by authors of the 13th and 14th Centuries.
Prerequisites: ENGL 204, 205 and at least three credits in English at the 300-level.
Milton and the 17th Century, 2008-09, Fall 3(3-0-0)
In this survey of 17th-Century literature, we will explore the ways that writers of this era both register and precipitate the changes that take place during the period. We will also investigate the tensions that exist between the old and the new as early modern thoughts about society, science and the sacred take shape.
Prerequisites: ENGL 204, 205 and at least three credits in English at the 300-level.
Am I that I Am? The Search for Self in the Novel, 2008-09, Fall 3(3-0-0)
The search for self is a recurrent theme that raises a number of questions regarding both identity and the way writers grapple with this concept. This course examines novels from the 19th and 20th Centuries. We will investigate how writers have confronted the idea of the self as well as how this problematic issue affects such strategies as omniscient narration, narrative voice and relationship between writer, reader and text.
Prerequisites: ENGL 204, 205 and at least three credits in English at the 300-level.
Special Studies in Literature, Subject to demand 3(3-0-0)
A course on a topic or figure of special interest to a member of the English faculty and offered on a non-recurring basis.
Prerequisites: ENGL 204, 205 and at least three credits in English at the 300-level.
Senior English Seminar, Every Year, Winter 3(0-3-0)
This course is designed to help graduating English literature students to explore in depth foundational questions in the discipline. Students study basic methods of research with special attention to problems in scholarship in English literature. The course involves a research project leading to a scholarly critical essay.
Prerequisites: Six credits in English at the 300-level
Student Publications II, Every Year, Full Year Course 3(0-0-6)
This course allows students to do a second year of work on a student publication, as described in ENGL 398 above.
Prerequisites: ENGL 398
Directed Studies in English Literature, Every Year, 1 to 3 (varies)
This course gives an opportunity to do intensive study of a special topic or writer of particular interest to the student who will work closely with a member of the English faculty in tutorial meetings. Students must apply well in advance to a member of the English faculty in order to undertake a Directed Study. ENGL 499 is normally taken by students who are majoring in English.
Prerequisites: Six credits in English at the 300-level, and consent of instructor.