26/9/2016 Reading and Interpretation (EL4004) ­ Undergraduate modules ­ Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences ­ Kingston University London

Reading and Interpretation

Summary
What is literature? Why is it worthy of our study? What are the distinctive characteristics of narrative
forms, for example the realist novel, children’s literature, or science fiction? In poetry, what are the formal
requirements of a sonnet, pastoral, or epic; or of tragedy, comedy, and realism in drama? To what extent
are these categories useful ways of reading and thinking about literature and who decides anyway?
Taking a broad range of examples from prose, poetry, and drama, and taught through interactive lectures
and an in­depth two hour seminar, this module will answer such questions through close attention to the
literary text and detailed discussion, exploring all aspects of form, genre, and convention.

Aims
• Develop students’ skills of close reading and textual analysis in order to provide a solid foundation for
subsequent work on the degree;
• Promote a deep understanding of the major categories, forms, and genres of literary texts and the
relationships between them;
• Familiarise students with the key concepts, techniques, and vocabulary of practical criticism of literary
texts;
• Develop students’ skills in reading, researching, and writing practical criticism

Learning outcomes
• Read literary texts with a high degree of understanding, recognising the key features of genre, form,
and language in both recent and traditional writing;
• Produce sophisticated interpretations of literary texts which include an awareness of hidden or
ambiguous meaning, figurative language, and experimental form;
• Use the appropriate vocabulary and critical conventions to describe and analyse literary texts;
• Demonstrate the above in fluent and well­organised close readings of texts

Curriculum content
There are four main strands, which may be interleaved or taught as blocks:

• Strand 1: Genre. What characterises the main genres of literature? Why is a novel different from a
romance, a poem different from a play, or a biography different from short story?
• Strand 2: Form. What are the detailed formal characteristics of literary genres? How are poems divided
into subgenres such as epic, ballad, and lyric? What are cantos, stanzas, and verses? How do poets use
rhythm and meter? How are plays structured into acts and scenes? What are the formal requirements of
the novel?
• Strand 3: Language. What is the difference between literal and figurative language? What do we
understand by metaphor, metonymy, and symbolism? How can we analyse tone, context, and register?
How do we interpret writing that is nuanced, ambiguous, or ironic?
• Strand 4: Criticism. How do we communicate our advanced reading of texts to others? How is a close
reading of a text structured and presented? What is an appropriate critical vocabulary? How do we give
an oral presentation? How do we present close readings in electronic media?

Teaching and learning strategy

This module is taught by lecture/workshop and two hour seminar. It runs alongside the other full­field
Level 4 module ‘Great Books’, which provides the literary material for seminar discussion and
assessment. In the lecture/workshops, students will be introduced to key principles of literary analysis via
a range of practical workshop exercises and short textual examples. Then, in seminars, students will
apply this understanding to that week’s text from the ‘Great Books’ lecture series, discussing in detail not
only matters of structure, genre, language and style, but also the historical and social contexts pertaining
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26/9/2016 Reading and Interpretation (EL4004) ­ Undergraduate modules ­ Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences ­ Kingston University London

toAssessment
the ‘Great KIS
Definitive Books’
Typemodule.
Category Lectures
Assessment will
Name
Indicative provide basic information
Assessment
Description and the opportunity to
Weighting test this
Assessment
Percentage
Learning Outcome
(including the opportunity for formative feedback), whilst seminars will allow for detailed individual
Strategy
exploration and discussion.

Breakdown of Teaching and Learning Hours

Definitive KIS Category Indicative Description Percentage
Scheduled learning and Lecture Workshop 44 Seminar 44 Independent reading 88 212
teaching and writing
Total (number of credits x 10) 300

Assessment strategy
This module is assessed by portfolio (100%)

In the first teaching block, students will produce a series of in­lecture exercises, formatively assessed.
They will also complete a close reading of 1000 words, worth 40% of the overall module mark.

In the second teaching block, students will produce a series of in­lecture and in­seminar exercises,
formatively assessed. The students will also complete a detailed essay plan for 10%, which will be
formatively and summatively assessed, the former taking place via seminars. Finally the students will
write an essay of 1500 words, worth 50% of the overall module mark.

Mapping of Learning Outcomes to Assessment Strategy (Indicative)

Assessment
Learning Outcome
Strategy
Read literary texts with a high degree of understanding, recognising the key features Close reading
of genre, form, and language in both recent and traditional writing and essay
Produce sophisticated interpretations of literary texts which include an awareness of Close reading
hidden or ambiguous meaning, figurative language, and experimental form and essay
Use the appropriate vocabulary and critical conventions to describe and analyse Essay Plan
literary texts and Essay
Demonstrate the above in fluent and well­organised close readings of texts Close reading

Breakdown of Major Categories of Assessment

Assessment Type Assessment Name Assessment Weighting
CWK Portfolio 100
Total (to equal 100%) 100%

Achieving a pass
It IS a requirement that the major category of assessment is passed in order to achieve an overall pass
for the module

Bibliography
core texts
Core Texts Abrams, M.H. et al. The Norton Anthology of English Literature. Volume 1., New York:
Norton, 2006 and Abrams, M.H. et al. The Norton Anthology of English Literature. Volume 2., New
York: Norton, 2006.
Bennett, Andrew, and Nicholas Royle, Introduction to Literature, Criticism and Theory, 3rd edn
(London: Longman, 2004)
J.A. Cuddon, The Penguin Dictionary of Literary Terms and Literary Theory, 4th edn (London:
Penguin, 2004)
Lindy Miller, Mastering Practical Criticism (Basingstoke: Palgrave Macmillan, 2006)

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26/9/2016 Reading and Interpretation (EL4004) ­ Undergraduate modules ­ Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences ­ Kingston University London

Bibliography
recommended reading
Bradford, Richard, Poetry: The Ultimate Guide (Basingstoke: Palgrave Macmillan, 2010)
Frow, John, Genre (London: Routledge, 2005)
Hayman, Ronald, How to Read a Play (New York: Grove, 1999)
McCaw, Neil, How to Read Texts (London: Continuum, 2008)
Mullan, John, How Novels Work (Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2008)

Printable module descriptor 1

Basic module summary 2

Module details
Module code
EL4004

Year
2016/7

Level
4

Credits
30.00

Pre­requisites
n/a

Co­requisites
n/a

Links
1. http://fass.kingston.ac.uk/courses/undergraduate/modules/module­print.php?code=EL4004
2. http://fass.kingston.ac.uk/courses/undergraduate/modules/module.php?code=EL4004

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