Course Catalogue

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This course focuses on the ways in which Romantic-period writers and artists thought about individual identity and social responsibility. The period was one of intense political turmoil, a turmoil reflected in the works of authors who were often struggling to expand the range of representations possible in both aesthetic and sociocultural terms. This course will examine political arguments and popular print alongside the works of canonical writers and the productions of more marginal figures who have until recently been excluded from literary-historical consideration. It will draw on the collections in the University Library and the Hunterian in pursuing interdisciplinary approaches to uncovering the diverse ranges of manners in which Romantic-period discourses figured selves and others.

10 x 2hr seminars

Standard entry to Masters at College level.

1 x 1,500-word mid-term exercise - 30%

1 x 3,500-word final essay - 70%

This course aims to:

■ Familiarise students with the social and cultural history of the Romantic period, building on any previous experience they may have;

■ Allow students to explore the aesthetic and political conflicts of the Romantic period as instantiated in texts;

■ Encourage students to engage critically with questions of genre, periodicity and canonicity;

■ Expand students' knowledge of post-1900 approaches to the Romantic period;

■ Enable students further to engage with Glasgow's special collections and museum holdings from the Romantic period.

By the end of this course students will be able to:

■ Analyse relationships between Romantic-period art and writing and the cultural, political, social and imperial history of the period;

■ Critically engage with a range of different media from across of the Romantic period;

■ Discuss the ways in which Romantic-period writers and artists approached questions relating to the organisation of society and the nature of identity;

■ Use special collections and museum holdings for postgraduate research effectively;

■ Assess a wide range of critical and theoretical approaches;

■ Frame arguments effectively in speech and in writing at an advanced level.

Students must submit at least 75% by weight of the components (including examinations) of the course's summative assessment.