Syllabus
Course Description: In this course we will be focusing on literary and linguistic theories of allusion and how they can be applied to the dialogue between Vergil's Aeneid and Ovid's Metamorphoses. Only in the last few decades have scholars begun to understand that Ovid may have been Vergil's most astute reader and that his many and intricate allusions can be unpacked to expand our understanding and appreciation for both poets and their epics. So we will begin with a look at the mechanics of Augustan allusion and then attempt to apply our hypothetical understanding to a variety of passages, many chosen by the instructor and some eventually chosen and presented by the students.
Course Requirements: Above all else, students will be required to study the assigned texts carefully and prepare thoughtful reactions to them, whether in the form of developed questions or tentative insights. Some of these reactions will be published on the course blog/wiki to be discussed by fellow students. Each student will write a short essay on the theory of allusion. Each student will attempt an artistic translation of a short passage (10 to 20 lines) from Ovid's Metamorphoses that exploits allusions to modern English culture (including with the translation a short essay describing the difficulties confronted and solutions reached in the attempt). Each student will present a passage containing an interesting allusion to the class which will then be critiqued by the class and become a final essay. Finally, in order to focus our various thoughts and discoveries from the whole semester's reading and discussion, we will interrupt and conclude the course with a midterm and final reviewing our Latin reading.
Grading:
Class Participation 20%Recommended Texts:
R.J. Tarrant, Ovid's Metamorphoses, Oxford Classical Text.
W.S. Anderson, Ovid's Metamorphoses 1-5, U. of Oklahoma Press.
W.S. Anderson, Ovid's Metamorphoses 6-10, U. of Oklahoma Press.
N.B. The instructor does not allow make up tests under any circumstances, nor does he accept late work.
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last changed July 6, 2016