Faculty of Liberal Arts and Professional Studies

AP/EN 4523 3.0: Milton

Fall 2021

1. Essay # 1

This will be a close reading of a passage of text, about 750-1000 words in length.
Due: Friday October 8, 5 pm.
Value: 15%

2. Essay # 2

This will be a critical essay of about 2000 words. You will need to read some critical
material in preparation for it. Details to be posted.
Due Friday December 3rd, 5pm.
Value: 35%

3. Seminar presentation

The purpose of the seminar presentation is to generate interesting discussion of the

text, so choose a topic that interests you yourself. You may focus on a small section of
the text and offer a guided close reading, or address one of the issues that arise out of
the text as a whole. Historical or socio-political information is often quite useful, but
only in the service of interpretation, not for its own sake. Mostly, the presentation
should offer an interpretation of the text, or part of the text, and be sufficiently open-
ended that other students can respond to it. Pose a question at the end, so as to launch
the discussion.

Presentations should be no longer than 10-12 minutes in length. Seven or eight is

sufficient; ten is ideal; fifteen is way too long, and it’s possible that I will (politely) cut
you off.

Value: 20%

4. Response papers

The response papers ask you to respond in detail to a short piece of text, say 10 lines or
so. Choose a passage that interests, excites or even repels you. It’s not as essay, so it
doesn’t need introduction and conclusion, and it shouldn’t be more than a single page in
length. Begin by noting where the lines occur, then show in as much detail as you can
what you find interesting about them. This can be thematic; structural (is it a turning
 point, for example?); key to the development of an idea, or a character, or a situation; a
close reading of the language; or anything else that you find particularly interesting.

Submit 3 of these at any time during the term, by 5pm any Friday.

Due: any three Fridays, 5pm.

Value: 5% each.

5. Active participation

The forum for participation is presently undetermined, because it’s not yet clear to what
extent we will we able to meet either in the same room, or over Zoom. Either way, the
expectations include showing up, unless you have a compelling reason not to (in which
case you’ll have let me know); reading the text with close attention before the meeting
and thinking about it; reading/listening to any additional materials I’ve posted; being
prepared to contribute to the discussion; and being equally prepared to listen
attentively to what other students have to say, and respond courteously to it.

Grades for participation: 60 is a sort of median: if you show up every week but don’t say
anything, your grade will be about 60; similarly, if you show up only half the time but
you are engaged in the conversation when you are present, your grade will be about 60.
Grades go up or down from 60 depending on your attendance and engagement. Do
note, though, that if you are present every week and try to own the whole conversation
without listening to your peers, you won’t get the A you are hoping for.

Important: If you have any form of performance anxiety, or deep shyness, so that
speaking in class is difficult for you, please be in touch. I can help. And if I can’t, we can
find a way to work around it.

Value: 15%