School of Humanities  
 
 
ENG-10029 Playing Parts: Studying Drama and Poetry  
Co-ordinator: Dr Nicholas Seager   Tel:33142  
Teaching Team: Mrs Tracey  Lea, Mrs Amanda  Porritt, Miss Jo-Anne  Watts, Dr Roger  Pooley  
Lecture Time: See Timetable...  
Level: 1 Credits: 15 Study Hours: 150  
School Office: Tel: 01782 733147
 
 
 
Programme/Approved Electives for
English and American Literatures Single Honours (Level 1)
English with Creative Writing Single Honours (Level 1)
English Dual Honours (Level 1)
English Major (Level 1)
English Minor (Level 1)
Available as a Free Standing Elective
Yes
Prerequisites
None
Barred Combinations
None
Description

How do authors create and manipulate different voices within their texts? How autobiographical is literary writing? What influence might the reader or audience have on dramatic and poetic texts? What new meanings can a text take on in performance? 'Playing Parts' aims to introduce students to the critical study and evaluation of drama and poetry through close attention to issues of performance, voice and style. Focusing on the development of different styles of poetry and drama between the seventeenth century and the present day, it will encourage a reading of literary texts with respect to the historical, formal, and cultural contexts informing them. Texts will be selected and arranged according to a unifying theme, such as: courtship and marriage; travel, colonialism and postcolonialism; life and death; the country and the city. Writers studied may include: Caryl Churchill, Samuel Taylor Coleridge, John Donne, Carol Ann Duffy, T. S. Eliot, Alexander Pope, Oscar Wilde and William Wycherley.
Aims
To familiarize students with the distinctive characteristics of poetry and drama.

To enable students to carry out close analysis of a range of poetry and drama by a number of authors from different historical periods.

To equip students with a knowledge of key literary concepts and terminology with respect to poetry and drama.

To provide students with a knowledge of the historical development of poetry and drama from the seventeenth century to the present.

To familiarize students with key modes of writing within poetry and drama such as lyric, satire, comedy, modern and post-modern.

To provide students with an awareness of the relationship between socio-historical contexts and literary meaning in poetry and drama.
Intended Learning Outcomes
identify the distinctive features of a range of poetic and dramatic modes such as lyric, satiric, comic, modern and postmodern will be achieved by assessments: 01, 02, 03, 04
demonstrate a knowledge of the historical development of poetry and drama will be achieved by assessments: 01, 02, 03, 04

engage in close textual analysis of a range of styles of poetry and drama by different writers will be achieved by assessments: 01, 02, 03, 04

articulate key concepts in poetic and dramatic theory and relate these to literary texts will be achieved by assessments: 02, 03, 04

demonstrate an awareness of the relationship between socio-historical contexts and the production of meaning in poetry and drama will be achieved by assessments: 02, 03, 04

show a knowledge of the relationship between the concepts of authors, voice, characters and reader/audience in poetry and drama will be achieved by assessments: 01, 02, 03, 04

demonstrate a sensitivity to the complexity of literary language and critical discourse will be achieved by assessments: 01, 02, 03, 04

demonstrate an ability to use consistent and accurate bibliographic references in written work will be achieved by assessments: 01, 02

demonstrate an ability to construct a clear and convincing argument (orally and on paper) using reasoning, analysis and judgement will be achieved by assessments: 01, 02, 03, 04
Study hours
Lectures (10 hours)
Small group classes (10 hours)
Seminar preparation and private study (75 hours)
Exam writing and preparation (44 hours)
Formative exercise preparation and writing (10 hours)
Essay feedback (1 hour)
Description of Module Assessment
01: Short Paper weighted 20%
close reading of a scene from a play or a short poem
Students will be asked to analyse a scene from a play or a short poem with attention to key aspects of poetic/dramatic genres.
02: 2 Hour Seen Exam weighted 70%
2-hour exam; candidates to answer 2 questions
The exam paper will ask students to examine works of poetry and drama studied on the course bringing in relevant discussion of genre, socio-historical contexts and poetic/dramatic theory.
03: Class Participation weighted 10%
assessment of student's contribution to tutorial discussion
Students will be assessed on their preparation for, and contribution to, seminar discussions. They will be assessed on their ability to work with others in class tasks and to communicate their ideas to the group. Tutors will keep weekly records to support marks awarded.
Version: (1.06B) Updated: 02/Oct/2013

This document is the definitive current source of information about this module and supersedes any other information.