Lit 126.2: Western Literature II

Western Literature II offers a survey of major literary works from the Age of Enlightenment to the Postmodern Period. Seven periods are identified (Classical, Medieval, Renaissance, Enlightenment, Romantic, Modern, and Postmodern) with the first four periods taught in the first term (in Lit 126.1) and the next three for Lit 126.2. A month is set aside for each period, for a total of four months of reading and two weeks for the introduction and final exams given a 4.5-month term.

The readings for both classes are inspired by the content of the Norton Anthology of World Masterpieces, which is linked in the Literature in General page.

The schedule is easy to follow and to remember: a work per week and three works for each historical period (except for the Classical Age, where two months are set aside), followed by a week set aside for evaluation (such as an open forum, examination, or essay).

The readings for this class also offer the following advantages: most are presented in their complete form and in most cases represent works that are readily available in the public domain. (A public domain textbook containing these works will be made available soon.)

To see a list of readings, visit the link below.

Readings