Students will read four prose works centered on London life: Charles Dickens’s Oliver Twist, Robert Louis Stevenson’s Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, Israel Zangwill’s Children of the Ghetto, and William Morris’s News from Nowhere (an illustrated version is at www.uiowa.edu/~wmorris). These will be supplemented with writings by several London-based poets associated with the Pre-Raphaelite movement: Christina Rossetti, D.G. Rossetti, Augusta Webster, and William Morris. In addition, we will visit Oxford and Cambridge, and read Oxford-associated works such as Matthew Arnold’s "Sweetness and Light," G.M. Hopkins’s "Binsley Poplars" and "Duns Scotus’s Oxford," and Lewis Carroll’s Alice in Wonderland.
Assignments
Students are expected to write brief essays on the readings and sites visited and prepare a 6-8 page page using materials found in the rare books, periodicals or manuscripts in the British Library.
The program includes trips to view artifacts at the Tate Gallery, the Victoria and Albert Museum, the National Portrait Gallery, and the London Museum. In addition, students will visit Kensington Palace and Hampton Court, Dickens’s house in central London, Keats' House in Hampstead, Morris’s house in Hammersmith, the Leighton House, and Zangwill’s neighborhood in the East End. During an excursion to Oxford, participants will view Pre-Raphaelite paintings at the Ashmolean Museum; visit colleges of Victorian interest, such as Keble, Exeter, and Balliol; and observe the stained glass windows of Christ Church College.
Syllabus
First week. classes meeting in EPB 4, 12:30-4:45, except for visit to Special Collections, at 12:15 on Friday the 18th (meet at Special Collections, third floor library)
Tuesday May 15th
introduction; Pre-Raphaelite slides
Wednesday May 16th
News from Nowhere, chapters 1-14; Morris slides
Thursday 17th
News from Nowhere, chapters 15-32; Morris slides
Friday 18th
12:15 Special Collections
slides News
Assignments:
read News from Nowhere;
look at BBC Oliver Twist website;
look at British Library Alice in Wonderland site;
plan 4 projected trips to relevant London sites, with maps, and post non-visual portions to class web site;
one posting on visit to Special Collections.
London Tuesday May 22nd
Arrive in London; meet Florence by 10 a. m. at Heathrow arrival point; we’ll wait until 10:45 for late arrivals and then make our way to the Accent offices 99-103 Great Russell Street, London as cheaply as possible. They will take you to your housing.
2-4 student orientation at 99 Great Russell Street. Florence may be reached at Janet Poole House, Flat 6, 105 Gower Street, tel: 020-1291-3067.
6:30 p. m. meet for dinner at place to be arranged; dinner probably on Charlotte Street or Tottenham Court Road
Wednesday May 23rd
Students have waking tour 9-12
Class: 2-5 p. m. Accent center, room 7
discussion of student choices for visits, if possible
historical background
reading poetry: stanza forms and metrics
D. G. Rossetti, “The Blessed Damozel”
Thursday May 24th
Class 9-12: D. G. Rossetti, “Jenny”
Alice in Wonderland, part I
afternoon, visit to British Museum
Friday May 25th
Students visit British Library and/or place of their choice
Saturday May 26th
Trip to Victoria and Albert and Leighton House, meet at 11 a. m. at High Street Kensington
Sunday May 27th
Trip to Kensington Palace, meet at 11 a. m. at Queensway Tube Station on Central Line
Assignments:
go to British Library to begin deciding on manuscript/rare book project;
one posting on readings for week;
one posting on first independent trip, if possible.
Second week London
Monday May 28th
Class 9-12: Alice in Wonderland Part II
William Morris, “The Defence of Guenevere”
Bank holiday, Accent center closed
Dickens House trip start at 1:30, meet in front of Museum
Tuesday May 29th
Class 9-12: Augusta Webster, “The Castaway”
Matthew Arnold, “Sweetness and Light”
Wednesday and Thursday 30th and 31st
Wednesday to Oxford and Kelmscott Manor starting at 8:20 a. m. from Victoria Tube station, corner of Terminus Street and Buckingham Palace Road.
Thursday to Ashmolean Museum 10-12, Christ College Church, Alice in Wonderland Museum, Bodleian Library, Keble College
Friday June 1st
Class 9-12:
Oliver Twist, first third
Christina Rossetti, “Goblin Market”
Saturday June 2nd
Students to visit site of their choice (Parliament, Westminster Cathedral, tower of London, National Gallery).
Sunday June 3rd
To Keats’ house and Hampstead Heath, meet at 1 at Hampstead Tube Station.
Assignment:
posting on visit to site of your choice;
posting on one of readings for the week, or something we saw in Oxford;
begin on longer paper using British Library sources.
Third Week London
Monday June 4th
Class 9-12: Oliver Twist, second third
G. M Hopkins, nature sonnets and “Duns Scotus’ Oxford”
Students go see London Museum
Tuesday June 5th
Free day—students will visit one of the four sites they have chosen.
Wednesday June 6th
Class 9-12: Oliver Twist, all
G. M. Hopkins, dark sonnets
All go to Tate Gallery leaving at 1, open to 5:30 p. m.
Thursday June 7th
Class –12: R. L. Stevenson, Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde
discussion of student projects
All go to William Morris House 1-5.
Friday June 8th
Day trip to Hampton Court, 9:30 a. m. meet at Waterloo Train Station under the clock in the middle of the station hall.
Saturday June 9th
Weekend free for students to take trip on their own (suggested, Stratford, Canterbury Cathedral, those mentioned earlier). This would also be a good time to work on your final paper.
Sunday June 10th
Monday June 11th
Class 9-12: Zangwill, Children of the Ghetto
Students will go to the National Portrait Gallery.
Tuesday June 12th
Class 9-12: Zangwill, Children of the Ghetto
George Egerton, “Going Under”
All will visit the Jewish Museum in Camden Town.
Wednesday June 13th
morning free for students to visit one of their four sites
Class 1-4: John Ruskin, selections from Modern Painters
Sarah Grand, “A Fantasia”
.
Thursday June 14th
Class 9-12: John Ruskin, selections from “Modern Painters”
Oscar Wilde, “The Ballad of Reading Goal”
students work on projects in library
Friday June 15th
Day trip to Cambridge—Fitzwilliam, King’s College, All Saints Church, the backs. I will get the time for this, but it will be about 7:30 a. m.
Saturday June 16th
Students will visit site of their choice.
Sunday June 17th
tour of Hampstead synagogue if possible
Assignments:
Students prepare draft of final paper
Student post reading response to course site
Students complete another trip and post comments to site.
Monday June 18th
Class 9-12: John Ruskin, “The Nature of Gothic”
second topic
students visit their fourth site and post comments
Tuesday June 19th
Class 9-12: student reports on projects
a second topic, possibly Pater’s “Leonardo” and the “Conclusion”
final dinner before leaving?
Wednesday June 20th
flight home
Summary of assignments:
Readings and visits;
Weekly posting on an aspect of the readings;
Students visit four London sites mentioned in works we have read and post comments to the course site;
A 6-8 page paper on course-related topic using specialized materials from the British Library. I will provide sample suggestions.