You may choose to do one of two options. Your essay should be from 1200-1700 words--check the syllabus for the due date.
Option 1, A Christian Reading of Literature. You can choose to write a literary analysis, focused on reading a piece of literature through the lens of a Christian worldview. Your object is not to judge whether or not a text is Christian or not, but rather to explore the spiritual themes, perspectives and attitudes found in the text and evaluate them through your understanding of Christianity.
Your essay should display the criteria necessary for good literary analysis: a strong thesis, abundant support from the text, effective style, and an exploration of your topic's significance. You will also be evaluated on displaying evidence of a thoughtful, balanced analysis of the text's worldview, informed by a Christian perspective.
Sample Topics:
• an analysis of Wordsworth's use of religious language and ideas in "Tintern Abbey" and the development of his apparent religion of nature.
• an argument exploring Tennyson's poetic struggles between Christianity and the new scientific discoveries in "In Memoriam."
• a study of Browning's depiction of Catholic clergy in "Soliloquy of a Spanish Cloister."
• an exploration of how Hardy depicts the natural world in his poems, in the absence of a God who is both good and personal.
Option 2, A Creative Exploration of a Piece of Literature. Instead of writing a formal literary analysis, you may choose to do a creative piece that approaches a work of literature with a thoughtful, knowledgeable and imaginative eye. This assignment may be in the narrative, epistolary, dramatic, or poetic mode-or possibly a hybrid or alternate mode to be approved by me in advance.
Your piece of writing must be grounded in a particular text from this semester, and the connection must be clear and self-evident. As with the first option, you'll be graded on the quality of the writing, your depth of insight into the literary text, and your investment of time and effort.
Sample Topics:
• a retelling of "The Eve of St. Agnes," from the perspective of Madeline.
• a poem describing a dream/vision of your own-preferably not inspired by drug-use like Coleridge's "Kubla Khan."
• finish "Christabel," either in prose or poetry.
• a dramatic monologue along the lines of Browning's, including his normal characteristics and strategies.
• a letter to Charles Darwin, addressing the issues his work brings up for you - it would need to be grounded in knowledge of his work and writings, not just prompted by generalizations about evolution.
• a conversation, in dialogue, between you and J. Alfred Prufrock.
• a short story in stream-of-consciousness, like Virginia Woolf's "The Mark on the Wall."
Remember, you only choose one of the two options to complete. And I will be grading them with the same criteria, in terms of the quality of the writing, the knowledge and engagement with the text, adherence to the conventions of the genre you use (literary analysis, poetry, dialogue, etc.), and thoughtful development of your ideas.