SPRING 1999
ENG 512-A: WHO WAS THE AUTHOR OF BEOWULF?
COURSE SYLLABUS

Click here for an index of names and pictures of students in this course

• Professor: Dr. Fidel Fajardo-Acosta
• Course: ENG 512, Section A, Call # 1865
• Class Time: Tuesdays and Thursdays, 2:00-3:15 PM
• Classroom: Instructional Technology Classroom, Reinert Alumni Library Building (RL), Room L02
• Course Dates: Thursday, January 14-Tuesday, May 4, 1999
• Office Hours: Tuesdays and Thursdays 11:00AM-1:45 PM and by appointment
• Office: Hitchcock Communication Arts Building (CA) Room 304A
• Office Telephone: (402) 280-2522
• e-mail: fajardo@creighton.edu
• WWW Home Page: http://mockingbird.creighton.edu/english/fajardo/

COURSE DESCRIPTION

This course will lead students on an exploration of the questions, evidence, theories and other issues surrounding the possible dating and authorship of the Old English epic poem, Beowulf. The course will include a survey of the history, major texts, and authors of the Anglo-Saxon period; an examination of current and traditional scholarship on the dating and authorship of Beowulf; as well as textual analysis and consideration of the internal evidence furnished by the poem. Attention will also be given to the idea of literary authorship as a collective and ongoing process often transcending boundaries of time, place, personality, and culture.

TEXTS

Required:

• Stanley B. Greenfield, A New Critical History of Old English Literature (New York University Press)
• Joseph Tuso, ed., Beowulf: A Norton Critical Edition, E. Talbot Donaldson, trans. (W. W. Norton)
• John Gardner, Grendel (Vintage)

Recommended (on Reserve at Reinert Alumni Library):

• Colin Chase, ed. The Dating of Beowulf
• Robert E. Bjork & John D. Niles, A Beowulf Handbook
• Robert J. Hasenfratz, Beowulf Scholarship: An Annotated Bibliography, 1979-1990
• Douglas D. Short, Beowulf Scholarship

COURSE REQUIREMENTS

1) Paper (35%)

Students in this course will be required to work through several stages (proposal + annotated bibliography, oral presentation, and final copy) of an analytical/research paper (10-15 pages) proposing, supporting, and defending a thesis concerning the identity of the Beowulf poet. The paper should demonstrate command of the ideas and scholarship covered in the course. Papers may offer personal interpretations based on close, attentive reading of the text and its contexts. In addition to logical thought, reading comprehension, and writing skill, papers should feature independent thinking, originality, precise and detailed analysis, as well as understanding of the complexities of meaning in literary texts. Papers must show awareness and accurate use of primary and secondary sources, relevant facts, historical information, cultural/intellectual backgrounds, different interpretations, and literary terminology and concepts. Students must observe the MLA guidelines in all their written work

• Paper Proposal. Toward the middle of the term (see Schedule below), students will submit to the instructor a 1-2 page proposal describing the thesis to be explored in the paper. The proposal should clearly define the paper's positions and hypotheses, possible implications/consequences of the analysis, and methods to be applied (research, textual/historical analysis). Proposals should be written in narrative, essay style, featuring full paragraphs and a coherent organization, as well as logical sequencing and development of the arguments (mere outlines or lists of ideas are not acceptable). The proposal should make specific and accurate mention of relevant sources and related scholarly work and the specific ways in which they will be used in the study.
• Annotated Bibliography. Together with the proposal, students will submit an annotated bibliography offering full bibliographical information (author, title, journal, volume, year, pages) and summary/description of contents of 3-5 recent (since 1991) articles, books, or book chapters directly relevant to the project defined in the proposal. Each entry should feature two distinct fields corresponding to the required tasks, i.e. 1) bibliographical info, 2) description of contents. Entries in the bibliography should be as detailed as possible but no longer than one typewritten page (250-350 words). Reference works are not acceptable as entries for the annotated bibliography.
• Oral Presentation. Toward the end of the term (see Schedule below), each student will make an oral presentation describing her/his project to the class. All presentations will be followed by a question and answer period. Suggestions and comments made by the instructor and other students should be taken into account n the final revision of the paper.
• Final Copy. At the end of the term (see Schedule below), students will submit the final copy of the paper (10-15 pages). The final version of the paper should include the full text of the paper, a list of Works Cited ( NOT the annotated bibliography), and all relevant endnotes (see MLA guidelines for Research Papers). No late papers, revisions, or other changes will be accepted after the specified deadline.

2) Presentations (35%)

• Throughout the semester, students will take turns in making presentations on the topics covered in the course. Students will be responsible for reading and researching the assigned materials and presenting their findings to the class. In addition to reading the specific assignments, students are encouraged to pursue relevant library research in order to enrich their presentations. All presentations must strive to be interesting and engaging, concentrating on the clear exposition of the highlights of the material and representative illustrations, examples, and/or anecdotes. Sheer accumulation or listing of facts for their own sake should be avoided at all costs. Highly encouraged, whenever possible, is the use of audiovisual materials (pictures, slides, videotapes, audio recordings, multimedia computer presentations, etc.). All presentations will be followed by discussion and question/answer periods. Presentations should be at least 20-30 minutes in length and can take up to a maximum of one class period.

3) Other Performance (30%)

• Class participation, attendance, effort, attentiveness, preparation, responsibility, and, in general, active and constructive involvement in all aspects of the course will be graded by the instructor. Notice that any student missing more than 30% of class time may, at the discretion of the instructor, fail the course.

GRADING AND OTHER POLICIES

Deadlines: Make-ups/extensions for a missed deadline will only be given in cases of documented serious illness or other valid, non-frivolous excuse such as documented participation in official University sports or academic/service events (it will be up to the instructors to determine and decide on the acceptability of an excuse). Otherwise, students must meet all deadlines specified in the syllabus.

Student Conduct and Academic Honesty: All students in the class are expected to observe the University's guidelines on student conduct as described in Creighton University's Student Handbook (see "Code of Conduct," and especially the section on "Academic Misconduct" dealing with problems of plagiarism, cheating, etc.). Plagiarism-- the unacknowledged use of outside help and sources (books, articles, other student papers or ideas, etc.)--will result in failing the assignment and/or the entire course.

Grading: Grading: All aspects of the course will be graded on a 0-100 point scale where 90-100 = A, 87-89 = B+, 80-86 = B, 77-79 = C+, 70-76 = C, 60-69 = D, and 0-59 = F. The course grade will be calculated according to the following formula:

CLASS SCHEDULE

Students should come to every class having done the reading assigned and prepared to present and discuss the relevant issues, pose questions, offer answers, and actively participate in all aspects of the class discussion.

Thu Jan 14

• Introduction

Tue Jan 19

• Origins, Historical, and Cultural Outline of the Anglo-Saxon Period
• Beowulf: Sources, Related Texts/Contexts, Possible Historical Links
• Robert C. Hughes, "The Origins of Old English to 800 A.D" (Tuso, 59-65); Stanley B. Greenfield, "Nature and Quality of Old English Poetry" (Tuso 66); E.G. Stanley, "Manuscript, Sources, Audience" (Tuso 69-72); Dorothy Whitelock, "Time and Milieu of Beowulf's Composition" (Tuso 72-75)

PRESENTER: Fidel Fajardo-Acosta

Thu Jan 21

• Origins, Historical, and Cultural Outline of the Anglo-Saxon Period
• Beowulf: Sources, Related Texts/Contexts, Possible Historical Links
• Robert C. Hughes, "The Origins of Old English to 800 A.D" (Tuso, 59-65); Stanley B. Greenfield, "Nature and Quality of Old English Poetry" (Tuso 66); E.G. Stanley, "Manuscript, Sources, Audience" (Tuso 69-72); Dorothy Whitelock, "Time and Milieu of Beowulf's Composition" (Tuso 72-75)

PRESENTER: Fidel Fajardo-Acosta

Tue Jan 26

• Kemp Malone, "The Old English Scop and Widsith" (Tuso 75-78); F. Klaeber, "Genesis of the Poem" (Tuso 79-82); C. L. Wrenn, "The Historicity of Beowulf" (Tuso 89-90); Ralph Arnold,"Royal Halls: The Sutton Hoo Ship Burial" (Tuso 90-94)

PRESENTER: Carlos Gonzalez

Thu Jan 28

• E. Talbot Donaldson, "Overview of the Poem" (Tuso 97-102); F. Klaeber, "The Christian Coloring" (Tuso 102-105); Margaret Goldsmith, "Beowulf's Spiritual Vulnerability" (Tuso 131-146)

PRESENTER: Kelly Broman

Tue Feb 02

• John Leyerle, "The Interlace Structure of Beowulf" (Tuso 158-171); Frederic G. Cassidy & Richard N. Ringler, "Oral Formulaic Theory" (Tuso 171-173); Paull F. Baum, "The Beowulf Poet" (Tuso 174-178); Frederick R. Rebsamen, "Beowulf: A Personal Elegy," (Tuso 187-188).

PRESENTER: Nikki Hutchinson

Thu Feb 04

• John D. Niles, "Beowulf, Truth, and Meaning"(Bjork)

PRESENTER: Anne Bishop

Tue Feb 09

• Beowulf
  

Thu Feb 11

• "Secular Heroic Poetry"(Greenfield/Calder 134-157)

PRESENTER: Brian Fox

Tue Feb 16

• Beowulf
  

Thu Feb 18

• Michael Lapidge, "The Anglo-Latin Background" (Greenfield/Calder 5-31)

PRESENTER: Carlos Gonzalez

Tue Feb 23

• Beowulf
  

Thu Feb 25

• "The Alfredian Translations and Related Ninth-Century Texts" (Greenfield/Calder, 38-67)

PRESENTER: Kelly Broman

Tue Mar 02

• Beowulf. PAPER PROPOSAL AND ANNOTATED BIBLIOGRAPHY DUE.
  

Thu Mar 04

• "Aelfric, Wulfstan, and Other Late Prose" (Greenfield/Calder 68-106).

PRESENTER: Nikki Hutchinson

Tue Mar 09

• SPRING BREAK
  

Thu Mar 11

• SPRING BREAK
  

Tue Mar 16

• "Elegiac Poetry" (Greenfield/Calder 280-302)

PRESENTER: Anne Bishop

Thu Mar 18

• Colin Chase, "Opinions on the Date of Beowulf, 1815-1980" (Chase); Robert E. Bjork & Anita Obermeier, "Date, Provenance, Author, Audiences" (Bjork)

PRESENTER: Brian Fox

Tue Mar 23

• Beowulf
  

Thu Mar 25

• John M. Hill, " Social Milieu" (Bjork)

PRESENTER: Carlos Gonzalez

Tue Mar 30

• Beowulf

Thu Apr 01

• Catherine M. Hills, "Beowulf and Archaeology" (Bjork)

PRESENTER: Kelly Broman

Tue Apr 06

• Beowulf
  

Thu Apr 08

• Kevin S. Kiernan, "The Eleventh-Century Origin of Beowulf and the Beowulf Manuscript" (Chase)

PRESENTER: Nikki Hutchinson

Tue Apr 13

• Beowulf

Thu Apr 15

• Marijane Osborn, "Translations, Versions, Illustrations" (Bjork)

PRESENTER: Anne Bishop

Tue Apr 20

• John Gardner, Grendel

PRESENTER: Brian Fox

Thu Apr 22

• John Gardner, Grendel
  

Tue Apr 27

• STUDENT PAPER PRESENTATIONS
  

Thu Apr 29

• STUDENT PAPER PRESENTATIONS. Conclusion. Evaluations (bring a #2 pencil).

Tue May 04

• Papers Due in Instructor's Office or Mailbox by 12:00 Noon