The study of literature involves analyzing style and content from various time periods, with courses in medieval, English, and American literature. It broadens students’ worldview and requires general education courses, including philosophy, religion, history, and anthropology. Students focus on fiction, poetry, and drama, including works by Dante, Shakespeare, and modern American poets. Advanced coursework on Renaissance writers, Shakespeare, and John Milton is required for master’s degrees and above.
The study of literature involves analyzing the style and content of literature from a variety of time periods with an emphasis on writing. Literature curricula include courses in medieval literature, English literature, and American literature, and include fiction, poetry, and drama. The study of literature exposes students to a variety of opinions from a large list of authors, which broadens their worldview. It can be earned anywhere from an associate’s degree to a doctorate in literature, and credit hours range from 60 and up depending on level.
The requirements for earning a literature degree include some general education courses, which help develop the skills needed for literature analysis. Most colleges require a course or two in the study of philosophy and religion to aid the student’s critical thinking skills. History courses help the student gain an understanding of the circumstances during the time the piece was written. The study of literature also includes anthropology lessons which give the student an understanding of world cultures.
Students begin a more intensive study of literature after completing the core requirements, starting with a concentration in fiction. Students will evaluate classic fiction from around the world and in different time periods, which may include works by Dante and Shakespeare. They will also evaluate Romantic period fiction, reading works by Samuel Taylor Coleridge and other authors. The study of literature also includes a focus on realism, naturalism and symbolism which were popular styles during the 19th century. Undergraduate programs require some focus on 20th-century literature, and students may be asked to read works by William Faulkner, Flannery O’Conner, or Virginia Woolf.
In addition to the analysis of fiction, the study of literature involves intensive study of the poetry of numerous time periods. A course in the study of the classical Greek poetry of Homer and Hesiod is required and students will need to understand the differences between epic poetry, lyric poetry and plays or tragic comedies. An understanding of poetry from the romantics through modern American poets is standard for people wishing to obtain a literature degree. Some of the works that can be analyzed include poems by earlier poets such as William Blake or William Wordsworth and later American poetry by Walt Whitman and Emily Dickinson.
Individuals looking to earn more than a literature degree can look forward to extensive course work on Renaissance writers. Most master’s level programs require advanced coursework in the study of the plays of Shakespeare and the works of John Milton. Additionally, master’s degrees and above require students to prepare a dissertation paper on the concentration of their choice.
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