British Literature Portal (List View)

C.S. Lewis is one of the most prolific and influential writers of the 20th century. And yet, in his early career as an Oxford don, he viewed himself as a failed poet. Moreover, his most canonical and transformational writing happened during the most stress-filled periods of his life. This short course allows students to peek into the writing life of C.S. Lewis. Our goal is to see through the lines of printed text by visiting the letters and archival remains of Lewis in a virtual setting. Most of C.S. Lewis's papers remain undigitized and unpublished, available only locally at archives in North America and England. As Professor Brenton Dickieson has visited these archives, he is able to invite students to appreciate C.S. Lewis's writing life by looking at the way that he consciously and unconsciously built his literary career. This course is for writers who are developing their own habits and literary life-prints, as well as folks who are curious about C.S. Lewis's life beyond the biographies and bestselling books. We are not doing text close readings, but looking at the “paratextual” information available to us: writing drafts, letters, diary entries, manuscripts and typescripts, title, and the like. Week 1: Lewis: Pen, Ink, Paper • C.S. Lewis’s Single-jointed Self-Conception as a Writer • What Lewis Says about his Writing Habits • Legendary Bonfires, Stuffed Dolls, and American Suckers: A Story of Lewis’s Papers and Manuscripts • The Screwtape MS. Story: Part 1 Week 2: Leaves, Bombs, Stains • The Screwtape MS. Story: Part 2 • “Villainous Handwriting”: Charlie Starr’s Lewis Handwriting and Rough Draft vs. Fair Draft • Reconsidering the Lindskoog Affair with Manuscript Evidence of “The Dark Tower” Week 3: Joy, Theft, Death • “The Quest of Bleheris”: Lewis’s Teenage Novel Week 4: • Is it True that Lewis Wrote in a Single Draft? • A Grief Observed • Tumbling Through the Wardrobe: The Discovery of Narnia • Arthurian Torso • A New Sketch of Lewis’s Writing Process(es) Note: This course includes a significant amount of visual material on the screen. Please contact the SPACE team if you have visual accessibility requirements and we will do everything we can to accommodate. [show less]

Explore the craft, impact, and meaning of literature through a personalized tutorial in Literature & Storytelling. Whether you're analyzing a classic novel, developing a comparative study of myths and epics, or researching contemporary fiction, our preceptors will help you deepen your understanding of narrative, genre, theme, and interpretation. Tutorials can focus on literary analysis, theory, close reading, or creative-critical intersections. Whether you’re preparing for graduate school, crafting a paper, or simply diving deeper into your favorite texts, this tutorial invites you to read widely, think critically, and grow as a literary thinker. [show less]

One of the most relevant novels you could read right now was written almost two centuries ago. Mary Shelley’s The Last Man asks what it means to be human while living in unprecedented times. This 1826 classic of apocalyptic science fiction considers the implications of a global pandemic, a rapidly changing environment, and the failures of political and social institutions. Part imaginative autobiography, part science fictional warning, and part ecocritical thought experiment, The Last Man forces us to examine our assumptions about our present and future. In this module we will consider Mary Shelley’s novel in the context of her life, times, and intellectual history. We will also explore the afterlife of The Last Man in critical discussions of the ominously similar challenges we face in the 21st century. In the process, we will discuss the novel’s lasting meanings and contributions as pioneering work of speculative fiction. [show less]

This course introduces the basics of Middle English language and literature, including grammar, syntax, and pronunciation. Designed for students new to reading Middle English texts in their original form, the course focuses mainly on the English of London and the south of England in the thirteenth through fifteenth centuries—the language of Chaucer, Gower, Langland and others. As a language-learning course as well as a literature course, the first half of each meeting will be devoted to reading Middle English aloud and answering questions about pronunciation and comprehension; the second half will focus on the reading’s content, from basics of plot and conventions of genre to the historical context of each text. Course readings include: a selection of lyric poetry, two short poems by Chaucer, the chivalric romance Sir Orfeo, the Chester play of Noah’s Flood, a chronicle of the reign of King Henry V, Chaucer’s Treatise on the Astrolabe, and selections from the first English autobiography by a woman, The Book of Margery Kemp. [show less]

While the idea of establishing an ‘actual’ utopia has been disparaged since the first half of the twentieth century from socio-political perspectives (e.g. the failed age of ideology from 1917-1945), literary and related cultural narratives have a long history of imagining and representing utopia (also paradise, the golden age, etc.). These utopias often function to criticize the problematic social norms and climates of their times as well as providing progressive imaginings for a better future, often based on certain ideals or virtues. In this module, we go on a chronological tour of different representations of utopia, including: the paleolithic utopia of hunter-gatherers (e.g. as discussed in Harari’s Homo Sapiens) (before 10,000 BC), the Bronze Age utopia of Minoan Crete (4000-1400 BCE), Plato’s mythical island of Atlantis (ca 400 BC), the pastoral utopia of the Roman poet Virgil (ca 40 BC), the New World utopia of Sir Thomas More (1516), the Enlightened, reasoned utopia of Robinson Crusoe (1719), Tolkien’s fantasy utopia of Númenor (ca 1940), and more. [show less]

This module looks at two late plays frequently overlooked in Shakespeare studies: Pericles, Prince of Tyre and Cymbeline. In Pericles, Shakespeare and collaborator George Wilkins present a medievalist fairy-tale of adventure on the high seas, set in the ancient Mediterranean and narrated by Middle English poet, John Gower. In Cymbeline, a princess’s attempt to rid herself of the suitor she loathes and reunite with the man she loves leads to a tangle of escapes, pursuits, and mistaken identities. Decried by some critics for their eccentric and eclectic plots, both plays feature grand voyages across land and sea, benevolent magic, and the loss and recovery of true love. [show less]

This module continues the examination of Shakespeare’s late work with two baffling and beautiful plays. The Winter’s Tale begs the question: where does art end and magic begin? Containing the bard’s most famous stage direction—“Exit, pursued by a bear”—this tale of jealousy and forgiveness transforms from domestic tragedy into pastoral comedy, before finally arriving at one of Shakespeare's strangest endings. The Two Noble Kinsmen, Shakespeare’s final work, gives Chaucer’s Middle English "The Knight’s Tale" a Renaissance rewrite. Co-authored with rising star of the Jacobean stage, John Fletcher, this tragicomedy expands the scope of Chaucer’s female characters while hinting at a range of suppressed, taboo romantic desires. Blending the poignant and the absurd, the playwrights worried that their presumptuous "modern" rewrite would raise Chaucer's angry ghost! [show less]

“There is nothing in the world so irresistibly contagious as laughter and good humor.” Let’s finish the year by savoring two of Dickens’ Christmas tales! A Christmas Carol is a beloved classic for a reason. Bitter and lonesome, the miserly Ebenezer Scrooge loathes Christmas and everything to do with it. Three ghostly visitations will show Scrooge the error of his ways, taking him on a transformative journey toward redemption. Published one year later, The Chimes is one of Dickens’ lesser-known Christmas stories. A poor man, the elderly Toby ("Trotty") Veck is convinced he and his family deserve their wretched condition. Is there any point giving his blessing for his daughter Meg to marry? A vision brought on by goblins invites him toward a gentler and more merciful understanding of the world, reminding him of the power of love at the turning of the new year. Together, these two Christmas novellas give readers hope in the face of poverty and despair. [show less]

"Listen to them, the children of the night. What music they make!" Let’s sink our teeth into Bram Stoker’s Dracula, the novel that defined vampire literature. In misty Transylvania, Jonathan Harker is lured into the shadow-haunted castle of Count Dracula. Hungry for dominion over the living, the undead Dracula will stop at nothing to feed his craving for blood. As Dracula’s dark influence spreads to London, a desperate band of heroes must rally their courage and unravel ancient secrets to stand against the corruption that stalks the night. Narrated through letters, diaries, and telegrams, Dracula combines modern storytelling with ancient folklore, immersing the reader into a world of baleful desire and ageless bloodthirst. [show less]

“Why did you form a monster so hideous that even you turned from me in disgust?” It’s spooky season, so let’s read Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein! Consumed by his need to unlock the secrets of life, scientist Victor Frankenstein pieces together a living being from body parts of the dead. Horrified by his own creation, Frankenstein casts it aside. His misshapen offspring craves love and acceptance, but meets only revulsion and cruelty. As their lives spiral toward revenge and ruin, Frankenstein and his monster must confront the terrifying cost of playing God. A foundational text of gothic horror and science fiction, Mary Shelley explores profound ethical questions with compassion and humanity. [show less]

“I tell you there are more worlds, and more doors to them, than you will think of in many years!” Let’s read George MacDonald’s darkest fantasy! Exploring his family’s haunted residence, Mr. Vane uncovers a portal to a strange mirror dimension. He plunges into a parallel realm where ravens speak, skeletons do battle, and sleepers dream of a world redeemed… And where Lilith, exile of Eden, holds dominion. A mesmerizing allegory of death and salvation, Lilith exerted a powerful influence on C.S. Lewis’ Narnia. H.P. Lovecraft hailed MacDonald’s novel for its “compelling bizarrerie.” [show less]

“It is no use trying to account for things in Fairy Land; and one who travels there soon learns to forget the idea of doing so…” Let us wander into George MacDonald’s dreamlike Phantastes, the first fantasy novel for adults! Having just come of age, Anados wakes to find himself swept into the fairy realm. Wandering through its sun-dappled woods, he is hunted by his own sinister shadow. Compelled to face malevolent trees, questing knights and living statues, Anados will come face-to-face with his own mortality, emerging forever changed… Rich with lyrical prose and fantastic imagery, Phantastes takes you on a journey like no other, which will stay with you far beyond its end. [show less]

A most fell warrior was he, whose deeds no man of the Mark could equal… Let’s read a tale that directly inspired Tolkien! Deep in the primordial Mirkwood, the free folk of the Mid-mark must take up arms to protect their home. When the Roman war machine rolls across their lands, the Valkyrie Wood-Sun and warrior chief Thiodolf rally their clan to save their idyllic way of life. An epic romance of survival and heroism in the face of overwhelming odds, William Morris weaves his tale through archaizing prose and verse. Inspired by Norse storytelling, The House of the Wolfings is by turns bloody and otherworldly, a celebration of community and the natural world. [show less]

“Seeing is not believing—it is only seeing.” The first modern novels to take place entirely in an imaginary world, George MacDonald’s fantasies were formative in the imaginations of C.S. Lewis and J.R.R. Tolkien. In this module, we’ll read MacDonald's children’s novels, as well as his essay, "The Fantastic Imagination." Eight-year-old Princess Irene is forbidden from exploring her father’s castle. Little does she suspect that hordes of goblins dwell beneath her feet, scheming to overrun the kingdom. Soon, a chance encounter with heroic miner (and occasional poet) Curdie sweeps Irene into an adventure of which she never dreamed. Enter a world where legends rise from a labyrinth under the earth and immortal grandmothers bestow magic rings from above, where rhymes drive back monsters and belief reveals the path home. [show less]

“And there abide the ghosts of those that may not rest; and there wander the dwarfs and the mountain-dwellers, the dealers in marvels, the givers of gifts that destroy Houses…” Over two months, let’s read The Roots of the Mountains by William Morris! Ensconced at the roots of the mountains, the peaceful Dalemen are craftspeople, woodsmen and shepherds. Only the restless Face-of-God dares to roam beyond the safe confines of his village. In the wilds, he soon discovers his world is far from safe, as the Huns are poised to invade Dale and cast its people into slavery. Taking up his sword alongside the beautiful Sun-Beam, Face-of-God vows to protect his folk at any cost. Only by bringing together the disparate tribes of the Dale do they have any hope of victory. William Morris returns to the world of wights and shield maidens. An epic of bravery and sacrifice, imbued with a deep love of Norse myth, Morris revives the medieval romance tradition where true love endures against terrible foes. [show less]

“And there abide the ghosts of those that may not rest; and there wander the dwarfs and the mountain-dwellers, the dealers in marvels, the givers of gifts that destroy Houses…” Over two months, let’s read The Roots of the Mountains by William Morris! Ensconced at the roots of the mountains, the peaceful Dalemen are craftspeople, woodsmen and shepherds. Only the restless Face-of-God dares to roam beyond the safe confines of his village. In the wilds, he soon discovers his world is far from safe, as the Huns are poised to invade Dale and cast its people into slavery. Taking up his sword alongside the beautiful Sun-Beam, Face-of-God vows to protect his folk at any cost. Only by bringing together the disparate tribes of the Dale do they have any hope of victory. William Morris returns to the world of wights and shield maidens. An epic of bravery and sacrifice, imbued with a deep love of Norse myth, Morris revives the medieval romance tradition where true love endures against terrible foes. [show less]

In King of Shadows, Susan Cooper weaves together time travel, theatre, and history to create a powerful story about loss, belonging, and the transformative power of art. When young American actor Nat Field joins a troupe performing "A Midsummer Night’s Dream" at the newly rebuilt Globe Theatre, he is mysteriously transported to Elizabethan London, where he finds himself acting alongside none other than William Shakespeare. As Nat navigates the dangers and wonders of sixteenth-century England, he begins to discover what connects him—across time and grief—to the playwright and to the play itself. Over the course of this month-long, eight-session class, we will read and discuss Cooper’s novel in depth, exploring its key themes of identity, friendship, healing, and the endurance of creativity. We will also consider the historical and theatrical context of Elizabethan London, Shakespeare’s world and works, and the way Cooper blends fantasy and realism to bridge centuries. Through guided discussions and close reading, we’ll reflect on how King of Shadows speaks to both the past and the present, and why the story continues to resonate with readers today. [show less]

Language is never more concise and powerful than in the Art of Poetry. Sadly, this art is not consistently taught, nor even consistently admired, having become tainted with the mindset that it is archaic, useless, or unintelligible. Those who seek to learn to write or enjoy this art, are frequently rebuffed by conflicting definitions and daunting rules and rhyme schemes. In this module, students would be introduced to reading and writing basic poetry techniques and examples, learning how to “color” outside the lines with their own words, and to discover the unique power of concise language, empowering them to set out on their own individual poetry journey. (This course will utilize the Collaborative Feedback Method to better support all poetic explorers!) [show less]

This is the landing page for Dr. Sara Brown's series on The Dark is Rising Sequence by Susan Cooper. Using the links on this page, you can explore each member of this series by going to its associated module page for more details. Note that students can jump in at any month/part of the series. There are no prerequisites. Susan Cooper’s classic fantasy series takes us into a world where the forces of the Light battle against those of the Dark, but these are also coming-of-age stories in which children are at the forefront of the conflict. Deeply rooted in the folklore of the British landscape, the narratives are often set in spaces encoded in ancient wisdom and traditions and employ, as Tolkien did in his legendarium, songs and verse that pass on those traditions. [show less]

Susan Cooper’s classic fantasy series takes us into a world where the forces of the Light battle against those of the Dark, but these are also coming-of-age stories in which children are at the forefront of the conflict. Deeply rooted in the folklore of the British landscape, the narratives are often set in spaces encoded in ancient wisdom and traditions and employ, as Tolkien did in his legendarium, songs and verse that pass on those traditions. In this book, the third of the series, we return to Cornwall with the Drew children and encounter more of the Cornish folklore and traditions we first saw inn Over Sea, Under Stone. Like the previous books in the series, this is an atmospheric and eerie story, steeped in magic and ancient folklore. The ‘Greenwitch’ of the title is a giant effigy made of sticks in the form of a woman, constructed by the women of Trewissick and sacrificed to the sea in a yearly ritual – not just an inanimate object, but a living being, with a mind of her own. This is ‘Wild Magic’, or the magic of nature, another element in the ongoing battle between Light and Dark. The Greenwitch holds the key to understanding the Grail, but the children will have to persuade her to give up her secrets before the agents of the Dark get there first. In this class, we will explore all the themes and ideas in the story and consider what it still has to say to us in the 21st century. [show less]

Susan Cooper’s classic fantasy series takes us into a world where the forces of the Light battle against those of the Dark, but these are also coming-of-age stories in which children are at the forefront of the conflict. Deeply rooted in the folklore of the British landscape, the narratives are often set in spaces encoded in ancient wisdom and traditions and employ, as Tolkien did in his legendarium, songs and verse that pass on those traditions. In this book, the first of the series, Cooper introduces us to the folklore of Cornwall, interweaving ancient customs with a modern confrontation against forces of evil. In this class, we will explore all the themes and ideas in the story and consider what it still has to say to us in the 21st century. [show less]

Susan Cooper’s classic fantasy series takes us into a world where the forces of the Light battle against those of the Dark, but these are also coming-of-age stories in which children are at the forefront of the conflict. Deeply rooted in the folklore of the British landscape, the narratives are often set in spaces encoded in ancient wisdom and traditions and employ, as Tolkien did in his legendarium, songs and verse that pass on those traditions. “‘Until the Lady comes,’ Merriman said. ‘And she will help you to the finding of the sword of the Pendragon, the crystal sword by which the final magic of the light shall be achieved, and the Dark put at last to flight. And there will be five to help you, for from the beginning it was known that six altogether, and six only, must accomplish this long matter. Six creatures more and less of the earth, aided by the six Signs.’” In this book, the fifth and final of the series, we return to Wales where Will Stanton, the Drew children, and the mysterious Bran must find the Lady who will enable them to complete their quest. All the Arthurian elements that have been evident in the previous four books now come together as the Six of the Light battle back the Dark to save the world. In this class, we will explore all the themes and ideas in the story and consider what it still has to say to us in the 21st century. [show less]

Susan Cooper’s classic fantasy series takes us into a world where the forces of the Light battle against those of the Dark, but these are also coming-of-age stories in which children are at the forefront of the conflict. Deeply rooted in the folklore of the British landscape, the narratives are often set in spaces encoded in ancient wisdom and traditions and employ, as Tolkien did in his legendarium, songs and verse that pass on those traditions. In this book, the second of the series, we are introduced to Will Stanton, who is approaching his 11th birthday. On Midwinter’s Eve, the day before his birthday, there is an atmosphere of fear that pervades the otherwise familiar countryside around him, but is the day itself that will be a birthday like no other. On that day, Will discovers that he has the power of the Old Ones, and that he must embark on a quest to vanquish the terrifyingly evil magic of the Dark. In this class, we will explore all the themes and ideas in the story and consider what it still has to say to us in the 21st century. [show less]

Susan Cooper’s classic fantasy series takes us into a world where the forces of the Light battle against those of the Dark, but these are also coming-of-age stories in which children are at the forefront of the conflict. Deeply rooted in the folklore of the British landscape, the narratives are often set in spaces encoded in ancient wisdom and traditions and employ, as Tolkien did in his legendarium, songs and verse that pass on those traditions. In this book, the fourth of the series, we are back with Will Stanton, who has been dangerously ill and has been sent to his aunt’s farm in Wales to recuperate. During Will’s illness, he has forgotten the details of the quest begun in the previous novels, but as his memories slowly return, he remembers that his next task is to find the golden harp that will awaken six sleepers who will join the final battle between Dark and Light. The villain this time is the Brenin Llwyd, or the ‘Grey King’, an ancient and powerful Lord of the Dark who lives high in the mountains, his breath forming a ragged grey mist that can be seen for miles around. In this class, we will explore all the themes and ideas in the story and consider what it still has to say to us in the 21st century. [show less]

What did the creators of Middle-earth, Narnia, a philosophy of consciousness, and spiritual shockers have in common? Answer: they were all part of a group called The Inklings who met in Oxford between the 1930s and 60s to discuss their ideas and work. We will spend a week on each of the four main members of The Inklings, discussing samples of their work and the ways their imaginations and ideas overlapped. By the end of the course, we will understand how this group of writers influenced each other and helped create the genre of fantasy literature. [show less]

When one thinks of ancient, pre-classical civilisations, one thinks of Sumerians, Egyptians, Hittites, and, not least, Minoans. The Minoan civilisation, discovered around 1900 by English archaeologist Sir Arthur Evans, has often been styled as the first major European civilisation, equally proficient in technology and the arts, with a sea empire spanning across the Eastern Aegean. But how much of what we imagine about the Minoans is truthful and how much is modern mythmaking? In this module, we will examine the immense impact which the discovery of Minoan Crete and its integration with the classical myths of the Minotaur and the Labyrinth has had on literature, movies, the arts, and even computer games. We will examine the works of Sir Arthur Evans, Pablo Picasso, Nikos Kazantzakis, Robert Graves, Mary Renault, Poul Anderson, and Stephen King, among others. In so doing, we will explore such key 'Minoan' concepts and phenomena as: the sublime, utopianism, feminism, irrationality and the unconscious, mythmaking, and European identity. [show less]

Throughout Tolkien's works, the sense of loss is pervasive, building upon Tolkien's personal belief that to create myth was to engage the cultural awareness of a past "fall." This course will analyze Tolkien's most obvious allusions to a Fall in the legendarium, while looking at literary examples of a "Fall" in society of which Tolkien built upon. Session One: "There must be a Fall": Tolkien's idea of story-telling Session Two: The Biblical Back Drop Session Three: The Greek Awareness Session Four: The Fall of Rome Session Five: The Great War Session Six: The Attraction of the North: The Nordic Influence Session Seven: Modernity's theft Session Eight: Life as Teacher: Tolkien's Loss [show less]

If you’ve read some of Chaucer’s The Canterbury Tales , you probably encountered the chivalric grandeur of “The Knight’s Tale,” the irrepressible vitality of “The Wife of Bath’s Tale,” or the sinister irony of “The Pardoner’s Tale.” But what of the other pilgrims and their tales? This course looks at some of The Canterbury Tales that are less well-known but equally deserving of study: the beauty of the Squire’s unfinished orientalist fairy tale; the rancorous one-upsmanship of the Friar and Summoner’s exchange of tales on clerical abuses, Satanic bargains, and flatulence; or the pilgrims’ run in with an aspiring alchemist, the Canon, and the satirical tale of alchemy gone wrong offered by his servant, the Yeoman. This course will look at these tales and more in their original Middle English spelling. [show less]

Module description from Dr. Sara Brown (Lecturing Preceptor): JRR Tolkien is one of those rare authors whose poetry is as accomplished as his prose writing. Up to this point, though, those who wished to focus primarily on Tolkien’s poetry had to access a significant number of books and online resources to do so, as they were scattered far and wide. Now, a Most Delightful Event has occurred – for the first time, a collected volume of Tolkien’s poetry is available, and it is a Tome of Significant Size! In this hybrid course, we will read and discuss a selection of these poems, enjoying them for their aesthetic appeal as well as analysing them for Tolkien’s style, use of language, and the poetic forms he employed. This is a hybrid course, in which one class per week will be a lecture and the second class will be group discussion. There are so many poems in these volumes that the intention is to spread the course over several months. If you can’t make one or more of the months, feel free to dip in and out as suits you! I am also delighted to announce that one lecture session per month will be led by the one and only James Tauber, who will focus on language and the formal elements of the poetry. Bonus Lecture from Dr. Olsen each month! We are delighted to announce that each month Dr. Corey Olsen will offer a bonus lecture on Tolkien's poetry. Each month the SPACE team will share Dr. Olsen's bonus lecture with all enrolled students that month in The Poetic Corpus of J. R. R. Tolkien series. Note: Dr. Olsen's first bonus lecture will occur on Sat. Nov 16 at 9:30 AM Eastern. Moreover, this first lecture will be unique in that it will be the kick-off to our Fall Space Showcase (Registration is open!). The showcase is a FREE event and therefore will be accessible to all showcase participants (and afterwards disseminated to all students enrolled in Poetic Corpus in November 2024). [show less]

JRR Tolkien is one of those rare authors whose poetry is as accomplished as his prose writing. Up to this point, though, those who wished to focus primarily on Tolkien’s poetry had to access a significant number of books and online resources to do so, as they were scattered far and wide. Now, a Most Delightful Event has occurred – for the first time, a collected volume of Tolkien’s poetry is available, and it is a Tome of Significant Size! In this hybrid course, we will read and discuss a selection of these poems, enjoying them for their aesthetic appeal as well as analysing them for Tolkien’s style, use of language, and the poetic forms he employed. This is a hybrid course, in which one class per week will be a lecture and the second class will be group discussion. There are so many poems in these volumes that the intention is to spread the course over several months. If you can’t make one or more of the months, feel free to dip in and out as suits you! I am also delighted to announce that one lecture session per month will be led by the one and only James Tauber, who will focus on language and the formal elements of the poetry. Bonus Lecture from Dr. Olsen each month! We are delighted to announce that each month Dr. Corey Olsen will offer a bonus lecture on Tolkien's poetry. Each month the SPACE team will share Dr. Olsen's bonus lecture with all enrolled students that month in The Poetic Corpus of J. R. R. Tolkien series. [show less]

JRR Tolkien is one of those rare authors whose poetry is as accomplished as his prose writing. Up to this point, though, those who wished to focus primarily on Tolkien’s poetry had to access a significant number of books and online resources to do so, as they were scattered far and wide. Now, a Most Delightful Event has occurred – for the first time, a collected volume of Tolkien’s poetry is available, and it is a Tome of Significant Size! In this hybrid course, we will read and discuss a selection of these poems, enjoying them for their aesthetic appeal as well as analysing them for Tolkien’s style, use of language, and the poetic forms he employed. This is a hybrid course, in which one class per week will be a lecture and the second class will be group discussion. There are so many poems in these volumes that the intention is to spread the course over several months. If you can’t make one or more of the months, feel free to dip in and out as suits you! I am also delighted to announce that one lecture session per month will be led by the one and only James Tauber, who will focus on language and the formal elements of the poetry. Bonus Lecture from Dr. Olsen each month! We are delighted to announce that each month Dr. Corey Olsen will offer a bonus lecture on Tolkien's poetry. Each month the SPACE team will share Dr. Olsen's bonus lecture with all enrolled students that month in The Poetic Corpus of J. R. R. Tolkien series. [show less]

Module description from Dr. Sara Brown (Lecturing Preceptor): In this triad of modules we explore Volume 3 of The Collected Poems of J.R.R. Tolkien: Three-Volume Box Set, edited by Christina Scull and Wayne G. Hammond. All are welcome to join the class whether new to the series or continuing from a previous module! JRR Tolkien one of those rare authors whose poetry is as accomplished as his prose writing. Up to this point, though, those who wished to focus primarily on Tolkien’s poetry had to access a significant number of books and online resources to do so, as they were scattered far and wide. But now for the first time, a collected volume of Tolkien’s poetry is available, and it is a Tome of Significant Size! In this hybrid course, we will read and discuss a selection of these poems, enjoying them for their aesthetic appeal as well as analysing them for Tolkien’s style, use of language, and the poetic forms he employed. This is a hybrid course, in which one class per week will be a lecture and the second class will be group discussion. There are so many poems in these volumes that the intention is to spread the course over several months. If you can’t make one or more of the months, feel free to dip in and out as suits you! [show less]

Module description from Dr. Sara Brown (Lecturing Preceptor): In this triad of modules we explore Volume 3 of The Collected Poems of J.R.R. Tolkien: Three-Volume Box Set, edited by Christina Scull and Wayne G. Hammond. All are welcome to join the class whether new to the series or continuing from a previous module! JRR Tolkien one of those rare authors whose poetry is as accomplished as his prose writing. Up to this point, though, those who wished to focus primarily on Tolkien’s poetry had to access a significant number of books and online resources to do so, as they were scattered far and wide. But now for the first time, a collected volume of Tolkien’s poetry is available, and it is a Tome of Significant Size! In this hybrid course, we will read and discuss a selection of these poems, enjoying them for their aesthetic appeal as well as analysing them for Tolkien’s style, use of language, and the poetic forms he employed. This is a hybrid course, in which one class per week will be a lecture and the second class will be group discussion. There are so many poems in these volumes that the intention is to spread the course over several months. If you can’t make one or more of the months, feel free to dip in and out as suits you! [show less]

Module description from Dr. Sara Brown (Lecturing Preceptor): In this triad of modules we explore Volume 3 of The Collected Poems of J.R.R. Tolkien: Three-Volume Box Set, edited by Christina Scull and Wayne G. Hammond. All are welcome to join the class whether new to the series or continuing from a previous module! JRR Tolkien one of those rare authors whose poetry is as accomplished as his prose writing. Up to this point, though, those who wished to focus primarily on Tolkien’s poetry had to access a significant number of books and online resources to do so, as they were scattered far and wide. But now for the first time, a collected volume of Tolkien’s poetry is available, and it is a Tome of Significant Size! In this hybrid course, we will read and discuss a selection of these poems, enjoying them for their aesthetic appeal as well as analysing them for Tolkien’s style, use of language, and the poetic forms he employed. This is a hybrid course, in which one class per week will be a lecture and the second class will be group discussion. There are so many poems in these volumes that the intention is to spread the course over several months. If you can’t make one or more of the months, feel free to dip in and out as suits you! [show less]

Module description from Dr. Sara Brown (Lecturing Preceptor): In this triad of modules we explore Volume 2 of The Collected Poems of J.R.R. Tolkien: Three-Volume Box Set, edited by Christina Scull and Wayne G. Hammond. All are welcome to join the class whether new to the series or continuing from a previous module! JRR Tolkien one of those rare authors whose poetry is as accomplished as his prose writing. Up to this point, though, those who wished to focus primarily on Tolkien’s poetry had to access a significant number of books and online resources to do so, as they were scattered far and wide. But now for the first time, a collected volume of Tolkien’s poetry is available, and it is a Tome of Significant Size! In this hybrid course, we will read and discuss a selection of these poems, enjoying them for their aesthetic appeal as well as analysing them for Tolkien’s style, use of language, and the poetic forms he employed. This is a hybrid course, in which one class per week will be a lecture and the second class will be group discussion. There are so many poems in these volumes that the intention is to spread the course over several months. If you can’t make one or more of the months, feel free to dip in and out as suits you! I am also delighted to announce that one lecture session per month will be led by the one and only James Tauber, who will focus on language and the formal elements of the poetry. Week 1 Lecture – The Introduction + The Lay of the Fall of Gondolin Class - Light as Leaf on Lind · As Light as Leaf on Lindentree ·The Tale of Tinúviel/ Nieninqe · Nieninque/ The Lay of the Fall of Gondolin/ The Golden Dragon · Túrin Son of Húrin and Glórund the Dragon · The Children of Húrin (alliterative) · Winter Comes to Nargothrond/ The Clerkes Compleinte Week 2 Lecture - Iúmonna Gold Galdre Bewunden · The Hoard Class - Sir Gawain and the Green Knight/ Enigmata Saxonica Nuper Inventa Duo/ Úþwita Sceal Ealdgesægenum/ Moonshine Week 3 James Tauber Lecture - Class - The Nameless Land · The Song of Ælfwine/ Ave atque Vale · Lines Composed on an Evening · Lines Composed in a Village Inn/ From One to Five/ Ruddoc Hana/ Ides Ælfscýne/ Bagmē Blōma Week 4 Lecture - Pēro & Pōdex · The Root of the Boot · Sam’s Song · The Stone Troll Class – Éadig Béo Þu/ Ofer Wídne Gársecg/ I Sat upon a Bench/ Frenchmen Froth/ Lit’ and Lang’ [show less]

Module description from Dr. Sara Brown (Lecturing Preceptor): In this triad of modules we explore Volume 2 of The Collected Poems of J.R.R. Tolkien: Three-Volume Box Set, edited by Christina Scull and Wayne G. Hammond. All are welcome to join the class whether new to the series or continuing from a previous module! JRR Tolkien one of those rare authors whose poetry is as accomplished as his prose writing. Up to this point, though, those who wished to focus primarily on Tolkien’s poetry had to access a significant number of books and online resources to do so, as they were scattered far and wide. But now for the first time, a collected volume of Tolkien’s poetry is available, and it is a Tome of Significant Size! In this hybrid course, we will read and discuss a selection of these poems, enjoying them for their aesthetic appeal as well as analysing them for Tolkien’s style, use of language, and the poetic forms he employed. This is a hybrid course, in which one class per week will be a lecture and the second class will be group discussion. There are so many poems in these volumes that the intention is to spread the course over several months. If you can’t make one or more of the months, feel free to dip in and out as suits you! I am also delighted to announce that one lecture session per month will be led by the one and only James Tauber, who will focus on language and the formal elements of the poetry. [show less]

Module description from Dr. Sara Brown (Lecturing Preceptor): In this triad of modules we explore Volume 2 of The Collected Poems of J.R.R. Tolkien: Three-Volume Box Set, edited by Christina Scull and Wayne G. Hammond. All are welcome to join the class whether new to the series or continuing from a previous module! JRR Tolkien one of those rare authors whose poetry is as accomplished as his prose writing. Up to this point, though, those who wished to focus primarily on Tolkien’s poetry had to access a significant number of books and online resources to do so, as they were scattered far and wide. But now for the first time, a collected volume of Tolkien’s poetry is available, and it is a Tome of Significant Size! In this hybrid course, we will read and discuss a selection of these poems, enjoying them for their aesthetic appeal as well as analysing them for Tolkien’s style, use of language, and the poetic forms he employed. This is a hybrid course, in which one class per week will be a lecture and the second class will be group discussion. There are so many poems in these volumes that the intention is to spread the course over several months. If you can’t make one or more of the months, feel free to dip in and out as suits you! [show less]

JRR Tolkien is one of those rare authors whose poetry is as accomplished as his prose writing. Up to this point, though, those who wished to focus primarily on Tolkien’s poetry had to access a significant number of books and online resources to do so, as they were scattered far and wide. Now, a Most Delightful Event has occurred – for the first time, a collected volume of Tolkien’s poetry is available, and it is a Tome of Significant Size! In this hybrid course, we will read and discuss a selection of these poems, enjoying them for their aesthetic appeal as well as analysing them for Tolkien’s style, use of language, and the poetic forms he employed. This is a hybrid course, in which one class per week will be a lecture and the second class will be group discussion. There are so many poems in these volumes that the intention is to spread the course over several months. If you can’t make one or more of the months, feel free to dip in and out as suits you! I am also delighted to announce that one lecture session per month will be led by the one and only James Tauber, who will focus on language and the formal elements of the poetry. Bonus Lecture from Dr. Olsen each month! We are delighted to announce that each month Dr. Corey Olsen will offer a bonus lecture on Tolkien's poetry. Each month the SPACE team will share Dr. Olsen's bonus lecture with all enrolled students that month in The Poetic Corpus of J. R. R. Tolkien series. [show less]

Based on the preceptor's edited volume, Tolkien and the Classical World, this module takes students on a tour of the classical influences and ideas on the life, writings, and thought of English fantasy writer J.R.R. Tolkien, while also introducing seminal Greco-Roman texts to those without any classical background. [show less]

The Gothic genre has inspired many creative minds to explore the darker realms of human psychology and the wider world, sparking fear, terror, horror and repulsion in its audience. J.R.R. Tolkien's Middle-earth is as much a ruined Gothic wasteland as it is an idyllic utopia. From Shelob's cave and the hypnotic Mirkwood to the Paths of the Dead and the Barrow-Downs, this module will examine Tolkien's use of Dark Romantic and Gothic techniques that were used by writers such as Horace Walpole, Mary Shelley, Edgar Allan Poe, Bram Stoker, and E.T.A. Hoffman to strike terror in the heart of their readers. The module will follow an 8-lesson structure as follows: • Lecture 1: The Funk of Forty Thousand Years: A Literary History of the Gothic • Workshop 1: Chilly Echoes in Tolkien's Middle-earth • Lecture 2: Bottomless Supernatural: Terror, Horror, Abject • Workshop 2: Conjuring Creepy Creatures • Lecture 3: The Weird, the Eerie, and the Dark Side of the Mind • Workshop 3: Defamiliarising Middle-earth • Lecture 4: Ruined Landscapes • Workshop 4: What is left? Can the Gothic recover Middle-earth? Note: The hybrid 8-lesson structure above is the new format for this module moving forward. [show less]

J.R.R. Tolkien famously 'found' his legendarium, translating and editing The Red Book of Westmarch for his twentieth century readers. This is not the first time an author has 'forged' a 'lost' literary history as James Macpherson's 'Ossian' documents from the 1760s started a craze for forgeries. Thomas Chatterton's Rowley and Turgot manuscripts similarly fed off the Ossian controversy while questioning what it really meant to 'forge' a document. The module will follow an 8-lesson structure as follows: • Lecture 1: The 1760s, the Age of Forgery • Workshop 1: Which Red Book are we reading? • Lecture 2: The Growth of Romantic Nationalism • Workshop 2: The Book of Lost Tales: a mythology for which England? • Lecture 3: Oral Traditions: Immortality and Youth • Workshop 3: Vocalising Myth and History • Lecture 4: Textual Traditions: Mortal Anxiety and Tangible History • Workshop 4: Writing myth and history Note: The hybrid 8-lesson structure above is the new format for this module moving forward. [show less]

The imagination and dreams are essential parts of J.R.R. Tolkien's world building which he explored across many stories from 'The Lord of the Rings' and 'On Fairy-stories' to 'The Notion Club Papers'. The same can be said of the Romantics who saw an important connection between the two. In works such as Samuel Taylor Coleridge's 'The Rime of the Ancient Mariner' and 'Kubla Khan', Lord Byron's 'The Dream' and 'Darkness', and Mary Shelley's 'Frankenstein', the imaginary and dream-like meet with awe-inspiring, melancholy or blood-chilling results. The module sessions are structured as follows: • Class 1: The Realms of (Childhood) Faery (60m) • Class 2: Faery’s Enchantment (60m) • Class 3: The Terror of the Night (60m) • Class 4: The Past is an Imagined Dreamworld (90m) • Class 5: Visions of the Apocalypse (60m) • Class 6: Senses and Sensation (60m) • Class 7: Glimpses, mere Fragments (90m) [show less]

J.R.R. Tolkien's revolutionary depictions of nature have inspired many to respect and cherish the environment. However, if we journeyed back two hundred years, we would discover that radical British Romantic authors were also challenging how readers perceived their surroundings! In this module, we will use ecology to explore the many parallels and contrasts between Tolkien's Arda and the Romantic's portrayals of nature big and small: mountains and meadows, woods and wildernesses, daffodils and dead marshes. This will include examining how characters react to the environment, nature's existence as separate from our own, and the broader concern of the Industrial Revolution's destructive potential. The module will follow an 8-lesson structure as follows: • Lecture 1: Visions of Nature • Workshop 1: What do your Elf-eyes see? • Lecture 2: All things Sublime and Beautiful • Workshop 2: Sublime, Beautiful, or both at once?! • Lecture 3: I want to see mountains! • Workshop 3: One with our environment • Lecture 4: Ecology without Humanity • Workshop 4: What is actually out there beyond the Human sphere? Note: The hybrid 8-lesson structure above is the new format for this module moving forward. [show less]

This course examines how J.R.R. Tolkien constructed his secondary world with the deliberate craft of a mythmaker and the precision of a master architect. Designed for participants already familiar with Tolkien's major works, the course delves into the rich philosophical, linguistic, and cultural foundations of Middle-earth. Each discussion session analyses the building blocks of Tolkien's mythological framework: his theory of subcreation, cosmological blueprints, linguistic foundations, character archetypes, moral frameworks, environmental design, and how these elements combine to create an enduring fictional universe. Participants will engage with primary texts alongside Tolkien's essays, letters, and posthumously published materials to gain deeper appreciation of how his scholarly background in philology and medieval literature informed his creative vision—illuminating how Tolkien constructed one of literature's most enduring secondary worlds. Session 1: The Mythmaker’s Vision Learning Objectives: • Understand Tolkien’s theory of subcreation and its theological underpinnings • Examine how Tolkien’s academic background influenced his creative work • Introduce key concepts that will frame the entire course Session 2: Creation Myths and Cosmology Learning Objectives: • Analyze Tolkien’s creation myth and its structural significance • Compare Tolkien’s cosmology with other world mythologies • Understand how Tolkien’s cosmological foundation shapes his entire legendarium Session 3: Languages as Cultural Foundation Learning Objectives: • Examine how Tolkien’s invented languages shape his fictional cultures • Analyse the relationship between language evolution and historical events in Middle-earth • Experience the aesthetic qualities of Tolkien’s linguistic creations Session 4: The Hero’s Journey Through Ages Learning Objectives: • Trace the evolution of heroic archetypes Session 5: Power and Corruption Learning Objectives: • Analyse the Ring as a symbol of power and its corrupting influence • Compare various characters’ responses to power and temptation • Explore Tolkien’s views on power, authority, and moral choice Session 6: Death, Immortality and Time Learning Objectives: • Understand Tolkien’s treatment of mortality as a gift rather than a curse • Explore the philosophical and theological dimensions of immortality in Middle-earth • Analyse Tolkien’s personal reflections on death through his fiction Session 7: Nature, Technology and Modernity Learning Objectives: • Examine Tolkien’s environmental themes and their contemporary relevance • Analyse the contrast between natural harmony and industrialization in Middle-earth • Connect Tolkien’s environmental concerns to his personal experiences Session 8: Legacy and Influence Learning Objectives: • Evaluate Tolkien’s impact on fantasy literature and modern mythology • Explore posthumously published works and their contribution to understanding Tolkien • Reflect on the course themes and their integration in Tolkien’s work Reading List by Session Session 1: The Mythmaker's Vision - "On Fairy Stories" (essay) - Focus on concepts of "subcreation," "recovery," "escape," and "consolation" - "Mythopoeia" (poem) - Complete - Letter #131 to Milton Waldman - Selected paragraphs on Tolkien's passion for myth and fairy-story Session 2: Creation Myths and Cosmology - "Ainulindalë" and "Valaquenta" from The Silmarillion - Complete - "The Music of the Ainur" from The Book of Lost Tales, Part One - Focusing on differences from the published Silmarillion version - Selected passages from Morgoth's Ring - "Myths Transformed" essays I and II Session 3: Languages as Cultural Foundation - Appendix F from The Lord of the Rings: "The Languages and Peoples of the Third Age" - "The Lhammas" from The Lost Road and Other Writings - Introduction and sections on Elvish languages - Elvish poems with translations: "Namárië" and "A Elbereth Gilthoniel" - Complete texts with pronunciation guides Session 4: The Hero's Journey Through Ages - "Of Túrin Turambar" from The Silmarillion - Sections describing Túrin's character and major confrontations - From The Hobbit: "Riddles in the Dark" and "The Last Stage" - Complete chapters - From The Lord of the Rings: "The Shadow of the Past" and "The Bridge of Khazad-dûm" - Complete chapters Session 5: Power and Corruption - "Of the Rings of Power and the Third Age" from The Silmarillion - "The Council of Elrond" from The Fellowship of the Ring - Discussions of the Ring's history and power - "The Mirror of Galadriel" and "The Breaking of the Fellowship" from The Fellowship of the Ring Session 6: Death, Immortality and Time - "Akallabêth" from The Silmarillion - Sections about the Númenóreans' growing fear of death - "Leaf by Niggle" - "Athrabeth Finrod ah Andreth" from Morgoth's Ring - Dialogue about mortality - Letter #153 - Sections discussing the "doom and gift" of mortality Session 7: Nature, Technology and Modernity - "Treebeard" and "The Voice of Saruman" from The Two Towers - "The Scouring of the Shire" from The Return of the King - Tolkien's foreword to the second edition of The Lord of the Rings - Letter #178 - Sections discussing industrialization Session 8: Legacy and Influence - "The Quest of Erebor" from Unfinished Tales - "The Notion Club Papers" from Sauron Defeated - Frame narrative and discussions of time and memory - "Epilogue" from The History of Middle-earth, Vol. XII: The Peoples of Middle-earth - Selections from The Road to Middle-earth by Tom Shippey - Chapter 1 "Lit. and Lang." 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One of the earliest stories of J.R.R. Tolkien’s legendarium committed to writing was the tragic tale of Túrin Turambar. As Tolkien himself acknowledged, in creating Túrin’s tale, he drew on elements of real-world legends, particularly those of Sigurd the Volsung, Oedipus, and the Finnish Kullervo. In this module, we’ll look at the interplay between these legends (in the forms that young Tolkien had likely encountered them) and Tolkien’s own creation of the tale of Túrin. The module’s objective is twofold: a semi-biographical examination of young Tolkien’s early creative processes, and familiarization with the historical sources for these legends that proved so inspirational for him. [show less]

While Shakespeare is famous for his plays, he also wrote more than 150 sonnets, which display his wit, his charm, his insight, and his unparalleled talent for turning a phrase and playing into double-entendres. Join us as we scan and analyze the whole compendium of Shakespeare's sonnets from beginning to end, exploring the nuances of each individual poem as well as the wide sweep of personal love and loss in his own life explained between the pages of Shakespeare's poetry. To give each of the sonnets their due, this will be a non-sequential series in which each month, we will cover some of the sonnets, their structure, history and inspiration behind them. No previous knowledge of sonnets is required. Note: Each module in the series will enrich the understanding of the overall sonnet project, but students will be able to enter into any of the modules of this series independent of each other without needing the context of the previous class. [show less]

Something dangerous is lurking on the periphery of polite Edwardian society. Master of dark social comedy H. H. Munro (pen name “Saki”) offers a world populated by duchesses, vicars, and idle London playboys—but also escaped hyaenas, talking cats, werewolves, and malevolent pageant gods. When these wild, menacing forces intrude into a world of decorous familiarity and boredom, the results are shockingly funny (or sometimes just shocking). This course will examine a selection of Saki’s short fiction, along with a brief look at his biography and historical context. Marked by a combination of acid wit, sudden terrible reversals, and a knack for precisely conveying the unmentionable, Saki’s stories are essential reading for anyone interested in the gothic tale, the comic anecdote, or the craft of short fiction writing. [show less]