Homer in Modern and Contemporary Literature
| Code | School | Level | Credits | Semesters |
| ENGL4341 | English | 4 | N/A | April Full Year UK, Full Year UK, January Full Year UK |
- Code
- ENGL4341
- School
- English
- Level
- 4
- Credits
- N/A
- Semesters
- April Full Year UK, Full Year UK, January Full Year UK
Summary
This pod introduces Homer’s two epic works, the Iliad and the Odyssey, exploring the formal elements and systems of these two narratives first and foremost to give an overview of Homer’s style and the mythical world he creates. The pod will then examine how twentieth- and twenty-first-century texts, from Christopher Logue’s War Music (1959-2016) through to Madeline Miller’s Circe (2018), have reused, revised and transmitted the pairing to illuminate how contemporary authors seek to reorient our understanding of Homeric conflict, heroes, gender and narrative and to suggest how these mythologies still speak to our current moment.
Target Students
Students registered on the School of English online masters scheme.
Assessment
- 100% Participation: Participation
Assessed by end of designated period
Educational Aims
This module comprises an optional component in the following pathways: Applied English, English Literature, and Modern and Contemporary Literature. As such, it contributes in its specific aims to the programme-level coverage of these pathways.Learning Outcomes
Demonstrate knowledge and understanding of Homeric epic, its structures, characters and formal characteristics.
Conduct literary analysis of classic and/or contemporary Homeric texts, showing how specific features can be related to broader conventions and cultures.
Explore classic and/or contemporary Homeric texts using appropriate theoretical frameworks, such as adaptation theory or theories of gender and sexuality.
Demonstrate knowledge and skills acquired to the appropriate disciplinary and professional standard.
Assimilate and present subject-specific material in an appropriate format (assessed within the ‘Assessment Portfolio’ 1, 2 or 3).