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Classical Literature Portal
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An Intensive Reading of the Tao Te Ching/Daode jing 道德經 Part II
We will continue onwards with our intensive reading and discussion of the text from wherever we end in "An Intensive Reading of the Tao Te Ching/Daode jing 道德經".
Precepted by
Dr. Robert Steed
An Intensive Reading of the Zhuangzi/Chuang Tzu 莊子
Zhuangzi is often presented as the second thinker of classical Daoist thought after Laozi, but in terms of impact on East Asian philosophy and fine arts, Zhuangzi is probably the more significant figure. We will read the text together, taking plenty of time to discuss participant interpretations, all within the framework of the preceptor-provided cultural and historical commentary. Zhuangzi is simply delightful, treating weighty topics with a light and humorous touch. Come join us for Free-and-Easy Wandering through this most idiosyncratic of classical Chinese texts!
Precepted by
Dr. Robert Steed
A Sip of Tea and Tea Culture
In this module we will explore the cultural history of tea production, tea consumption, and tea-related cultural forms and practices. Primary focus will be on Asia, with side-expeditions to other parts of the world. White, green, Oolong, red (black), the Silk Road, tea bricks, tea ceremonies, tea-and-Zen, tea as world commodity, tea as entheogen---we can explore all of this and more!
Precepted by
Dr. Robert Steed
Bible as Literature: The Gospels in the Their Contexts
This module considers the gospels in their contexts; addressing their genre, the communities to whom they are addressed, their origins, early tradition and legend about how they came to be, comparisons of their literatures to other Hellenistic and Near Eastern ones, the synoptic problem, and related issues.
Precepted by
Dr. Larry Swain
Book Club: Frankenstein by Mary Shelley, Ha! Ha! You’re Mine!
Considered the first sci-fi novel, Frankenstein is much more than the famous monster who has entered pop culture. From philosophy to science, this novel deals with many issues, confuses the reader, and makes us wonder who the real hero is. We will discuss the themes, imagery, character development, and the many different allusions to other texts mentioned in the book in a relaxed and interactive way.
Precepted by
Pilar Barrera
Children's Literature Modules: Exploring the Magic, Depth, and Adventures in Children's Books
This is the parent page for our Children's Literature modules which introduce students to the breadth and depth of texts available for study. Each month, our preceptors survey the group to see which text students are most interested in exploring next.
Children's books are full of unforgettabel characters, settings, and adventures. They take us to magic, often dangerous lands, and they also evoke beautiful imagery and deep feelings. In these modules we will explore from the gentleness of Japanese children's books to the wild Pippi Longstocking. We'll talk about their themes, setting, worldbuilding, and imagery.
Each module stands on it own, and no previous knowledge is required. Some of the texts we could explore in a given month include:
• Nordic Madness: Exploring Children's Literature in Three Nordic Authors
• Japanese Fairy Tales and Children's Literature
Note: Please refer to the Required Texts section on a month's iteration page to see which texts the group has decided upon for a given month.
Children's books are full of unforgettabel characters, settings, and adventures. They take us to magic, often dangerous lands, and they also evoke beautiful imagery and deep feelings. In these modules we will explore from the gentleness of Japanese children's books to the wild Pippi Longstocking. We'll talk about their themes, setting, worldbuilding, and imagery.
Each module stands on it own, and no previous knowledge is required. Some of the texts we could explore in a given month include:
• Nordic Madness: Exploring Children's Literature in Three Nordic Authors
• Japanese Fairy Tales and Children's Literature
Note: Please refer to the Required Texts section on a month's iteration page to see which texts the group has decided upon for a given month.
Precepted by
Pilar Barrera
Christmas Carols in Latin!
In this mini module of four one-hour sessions, we will have fun with Latin Christmas Carols. Any "homework" is optional, texts will be provided, fun shall be had!!! Come and enjoy!
Note: This mini module is a special group experience designed for a small and intimate group of 3 to 4 students for the cost of 1 Token.
Note: This mini module is a special group experience designed for a small and intimate group of 3 to 4 students for the cost of 1 Token.
Precepted by
Dr. Larry Swain
Creative Writing: Aristotle's Poetics for Story-Tellers
What makes a good story? How can we make our characters feel like real people?
Using a combination of recorded lectures, in-class discussion and exercises, you will find out how to employ Aristotle’s precepts on character, theme and emotional catharsis to enrich your creative practice. You will also discover how Aristotle’s teleological understanding of causality can help you discover the final design of your creative work. This module will be a must for fiction authors, screenwriters and directors, RPG game masters, or anyone who wants to weave a dynamic tale!
The module will follow an 8-session structure as shown below:
Using a combination of recorded lectures, in-class discussion and exercises, you will find out how to employ Aristotle’s precepts on character, theme and emotional catharsis to enrich your creative practice. You will also discover how Aristotle’s teleological understanding of causality can help you discover the final design of your creative work. This module will be a must for fiction authors, screenwriters and directors, RPG game masters, or anyone who wants to weave a dynamic tale!
The module will follow an 8-session structure as shown below:
Outline | 8-Session Structure |
---|---|
Week 1 | Lecture 1: Introduction to the Poetics |
Workshop 1: Your Narrative's Purpose | |
Week 2 | Lecture 2: Character and Theme |
Workshop 2: Discovering Your Character and Theme | |
Week 3 | Lecture 3: Structure |
Workshop 3: Unfolding Your Story's Structure | |
Week 4 | Lecture 4: Catharsis |
Workshop 4: Sticking the Landing |
Precepted by
Dr. Julian Barr
C.S. Lewis' The Four Loves and Greek Philosophy
What is love? This is the question C.S. Lewis explored in his classic book, The Four Loves. Over four weeks, we will read and discuss The Four Loves as a class, exploring his four classifications and their philosophical underpinnings. Comparing and contrasting Lewis with short excerpts from Plato's Symposium and Aristotle's Nicomachean Ethics, we will explore the themes of affection, friendship, eros and charity.
Precepted by
Dr. Julian Barr
Exploring Romance of the Three Kingdoms 三國演義
Considered to be one the major classics of pre-modern Chinese literature, Romance of the Three Kingdoms focuses on a story of political and military struggle featuring an impressive array of characters, many of whom have become touchstones of Chinese cultural heritage and artistic interest. This novel has spawned a wide arrange of operas, stories, video game series, musical compositions, television and web series, as well as garnering much academic attention since it was first published in the 14th century. Join us as we read, discuss, analyze, and place in its cultural and historical contexts this major work of Chinese historical fiction.
Precepted by
Dr. Robert Steed
Exploring Sei Shonagon's The Pillow Book 枕草子
Sei Shōnagon 清少納言 is a major writer of the Heian period (794-1185) whose Makura no Sōshi 枕草子 (The Pillow Book) has intrigued and delighted reading audiences for centuries. Colorful, witty, incisive, charming, thoughtful, melancholy, poetic---these qualities and more characterize this diary of the famous lady of the court. Join us as we read this text in-depth and place it within the frame of the flow of Japanese culture and history.
Precepted by
Dr. Robert Steed
Introduction to Japanese Religions Series
Over the course of two modules, we will cover the basics of Japanese religious history. Particular areas of focus will be Shintō 神道 tradition and various forms of Japanese Buddhism, shamanism, and Shugendō 修験道. Time permitting (unlikely) we can also touch upon Japanese New Religions and/or Japanese Christianity.
Precepted by
Dr. Robert Steed
Introduction to Japanese Religions I First in the Series
Over the course of this module, we will cover the basics of Japanese religious history. Particular areas of focus will be Shintō 神道 tradition and various forms of Japanese Buddhism, shamanism, and Shugendō 修験道. Time permitting (unlikely) we can also touch upon Japanese New Religions and/or Japanese Christianity.
Precepted by
Dr. Robert Steed
Introduction to Japanese Religions II Continuing Series
Picking up from where we left off in the first module, we will continue to explore the basics of Japanese religious history.
Precepted by
Dr. Robert Steed
Readings in Middle High German: Prose Selections
In 2024, Oxford University Press published An Introduction to Middle High German, which promises to become the new standard textbook for learning Middle High German. It has a selection of readings, both prose and poetry, all of which are edited for readability and annotated for instruction.
Due to popular demand, we at Signum University’s SPACE program are offering a month of just perusing the Introduction textbook and reading the prose as a group. We will begin with the introductory text “Von den siben planêten” by Berthold von Regensburg before moving on to the religious literature at the end of the book. Time permitting, we will also look at legal texts in the larger Oxford Guide to Middle High German, which will be supplied as scans according to the Fair Use doctrine. These readings will offer a chance to focus on the language’s syntax when it is not as heavily constrained by the demands of meter and rhyme.
This course is open to both veterans and newcomers to SPACE’s small, but growing Middle High German program.
Due to popular demand, we at Signum University’s SPACE program are offering a month of just perusing the Introduction textbook and reading the prose as a group. We will begin with the introductory text “Von den siben planêten” by Berthold von Regensburg before moving on to the religious literature at the end of the book. Time permitting, we will also look at legal texts in the larger Oxford Guide to Middle High German, which will be supplied as scans according to the Fair Use doctrine. These readings will offer a chance to focus on the language’s syntax when it is not as heavily constrained by the demands of meter and rhyme.
This course is open to both veterans and newcomers to SPACE’s small, but growing Middle High German program.
Precepted by
Dr. Isaac Schendel
Representing Utopia through the Ages
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.
Precepted by
Dr. Hamish Williams
Stoicism and the Meditations of Marcus Aurelius
This course will be structured as a guided reading of Aurelius' "Meditations". We will explore the life of Marcus Aurelius and then spend the bulk of the class reading/discussing his Meditations Books I-XII.
The goal of the course is to get the novice reading of ancient literature comfortable with the text and introduced to an exemplar of stoicism. For the more seasoned student it will serve to deepen their engagement with such an influential and deep thinker in the Western philosophical tradition.
The goal of the course is to get the novice reading of ancient literature comfortable with the text and introduced to an exemplar of stoicism. For the more seasoned student it will serve to deepen their engagement with such an influential and deep thinker in the Western philosophical tradition.
Precepted by
Dr. John Soden
Such an Odyssey! Non-Sequential Series
This 6-module series will work slowly through the 24 books of Homer’s Odyssey. Each week we will read one book of the Odyssey aloud together, comparing editions and language and then discussing translation choices, plot development, character and setting descriptions, and overall themes. With two hours to spend on each book, students can enjoy a slow reading pace, little to no homework, and lots of class discussion.
Precepted by
Dr. Faith Acker
Such an Odyssey 1
This 6-module series will work slowly through the 24 books of Homer’s Odyssey. Each week we will read one book of the Odyssey aloud together, comparing editions and language and then discussing translation choices, plot development, character and setting descriptions, and overall themes. With two hours to spend on each book, students can enjoy a slow reading pace, little to no homework, and lots of class discussion.
Precepted by
Dr. Faith Acker
Such an Odyssey 2
This 6-module series will work slowly through the 24 books of Homer’s Odyssey. Each week we will read one book of the Odyssey aloud together, comparing editions and language and then discussing translation choices, plot development, character and setting descriptions, and overall themes. With two hours to spend on each book, students can enjoy a slow reading pace, little to no homework, and lots of class discussion.
Precepted by
Dr. Faith Acker
Such an Odyssey 3
This 6-module series will work slowly through the 24 books of Homer’s Odyssey. Each week we will read one book of the Odyssey aloud together, comparing editions and language and then discussing translation choices, plot development, character and setting descriptions, and overall themes. With two hours to spend on each book, students can enjoy a slow reading pace, little to no homework, and lots of class discussion.
Precepted by
Dr. Faith Acker
Such an Odyssey 4
This 6-module series will work slowly through the 24 books of Homer’s Odyssey. Each week we will read one book of the Odyssey aloud together, comparing editions and language and then discussing translation choices, plot development, character and setting descriptions, and overall themes. With two hours to spend on each book, students can enjoy a slow reading pace, little to no homework, and lots of class discussion.
Precepted by
Dr. Faith Acker
Tales of Korea: Core Traditional Tales
This module seeks to introduce students to some of the core stories at the heart of Korean society. The module will include an exploration of the foundation myth of Dan Gun, the Tale of Shim Cheong, two other P'ansori tales, an exploration of Hong Gil Dong (Korea's "Robin Hood"), and a few shorter folk tales.
Precepted by
Sam Roche
The Iliad in Translation, Part 1
Homer's Iliad is the foundational text of Western Literature, focusing on powerful perpetual problems of human life and experience: the desire for glory, the destructiveness of war, the struggle against overwhelming fate, the complex and powerful bonds of family, and the unexpected value of pity. Its impact can hardly be underestimated, as the list of its direct descendants stretches from "The Aeneid" to Milton's "Paradise Lost" and beyond, and the works that it has inspired are too many to count. Whether you are a newcomer or an old friend of the text, there is always something new, arresting, strange, and poignant to be found in the story that started it all. Come join in the exploration!
Precepted by
Patrick Lyon
The Life and Legend of St Nicholas
Who was the real historical figure behind Santa Claus? In this module, we will read the earliest biographical sources about fourth century bishop, St Nicholas of Myra. Your preceptor will facilitate discussions of Nicholas' historical context and examine the development of his legend. Together, we will examine Byzantine stories of Nicholas' benefaction and miracles, his role as patron saint of seafarers, students and merchants (among others), and how he came to embody the tradition of gift-giving in Christendom. A wonderful end-of-year treat!
The module will follow an 8-session structure as shown below:
The module will follow an 8-session structure as shown below:
Outline | 8-Session Structure |
---|---|
Week 1 | Lecture 1: Introducing the Historical Nicholas |
Discussion 1: Early Sources (5th – 8th Centuries) | |
Week 2 | Lecture 2: Literary Sources and Oral Storytelling |
Discussion 2: Michael the Archimandrite (9th Century) | |
Week 3 | Lecture 3: Nicholas as Protector of Seafarers |
Discussion 3: Later Sources (9th-10th Centuries) | |
Week 4 | Lecture 4: Nicholas and the High Middle Ages |
Discussion 4: The Translation of Nicholas |
Precepted by
Dr. Julian Barr
The Minoans and Modernity: Minotaurs, Labyrinths, and Other Myths
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.
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.
Precepted by
Dr. Hamish Williams
Tolkien and the Classical World
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.
Precepted by
Dr. Hamish Williams
Tolkien and the Romantics: Dark Romanticism and the Gothic Literary Tradition
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:
Note: The hybrid 8-lesson structure above is the new format for this module moving forward.
The module will follow an 8-lesson structure:
- Lecture 1: The Funk of Forty Thousand Years: A Literary History of the Gothic
- Discussion 1: Chilly Echoes in Tolkien's Middle-earth
- Lecture 2: Bottomless Supernatural: Terror, Horror, Abject
- Discussion 2: Conjuring Creepy Creatures
- Lecture 3: The Weird, the Eerie, and the Dark Side of the Mind
- Discussion 3: Defamiliarising Middle-earth
- Lecture 4: Ruined Landscapes
- Discussion 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.
Precepted by
Will Sherwood
Tolkien and the Romantics: Forging Myth and History
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-session structure as shown below:
The module will follow an 8-session structure as shown below:
Outline | 8-Session Structure |
---|---|
Week 1 | Lecture 1: The 1760s, the Age of Forgery |
Discussion 1: Which Red Book are we reading? | |
Week 2 | Lecture 2: The Growth of Romantic Nationalism |
Discussion 2: The Book of Lost Tales: a mythology for which England? | |
Week 3 | Lecture 3: Oral Traditions: Immortality and Youth |
Discussion 3: Vocalising Myth and History | |
Week 4 | Lecture 4: Textual Traditions: Mortal Anxiety and Tangible History |
Discussion 4: Writing myth and history |
Precepted by
Will Sherwood
Tolkien and the Romantics: Imagining and Dreaming
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.
Class Outline:
Class Outline:
- 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)
Precepted by
Will Sherwood
Túrin's Bones: The Influences of Sigurd, Oedipus, and Kullervo on J.R.R. Tolkien's Tale of Túrin Turambar
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.
The module will follow an 8-session structure as shown below:
The module will follow an 8-session structure as shown below:
Outline | 8-Session Structure |
---|---|
Week 1 | Lecture 1: Introduction to Túrin Turambar and his legendary inspirations (reading: “Turambar and the Foalókë”). |
Discussion 1: Comments on and questions about Túrin Turambar and his legendary inspirations (reading: “Turambar and the Foalókë”). | |
Week 2 | Lecture 2: Oedipus & Túrin (reading: excerpts Sophocles, ed. Jebb, “The Oedipus Tyrannus”). |
Discussion 2: Comments on and questions about Oedipus & Túrin (reading: excerpts Sophocles, ed. Jebb, “The Oedipus Tyrannus”). | |
Week 3 | Lecture 3: Sigurd & Túrin (reading: excerpts from “The Story of Sigurd”, ed. Lang; excerpts from “Völsunga saga”, trans. Eiríkur Magnusson & Morris). |
Discussion 3: Sigurd & Túrin (reading: excerpts from “The Story of Sigurd”, ed. Lang; excerpts from “Völsunga saga”, trans. Eiríkur Magnusson & Morris). | |
Week 4 | Lecture 4: Kullervo & Túrin (reading: excerpts from “Kalevala”, ed. Kirby; excerpts from Tolkien, “The Story of Kullervo”). |
Discussion 4: Kullervo & Túrin (reading: excerpts from “Kalevala”, ed. Kirby; Tolkien, “The Story of Kullervo”). |
Precepted by
Dr. Carl Edlund Anderson