WiSe 17/18: S-Literatures of Medieval Britain: Modernity and Alterity in the Literature of Medieval Britain II: William Dunbar - Poet and Princepleaser
Regina Scheibe
Comments
This course will provide a thorough introduction to the most outstanding poet of the Middle Scots era, William Dunbar. Many of his poems are highly topical, celebrating occasions in the life of the court of James IV of Scotland and frequently abounding in satirical attacks of the glitter of courtly life. He delights in comedy, the grotesque and bawdy, but also reveals a profound interest in philosophical and devotional concerns of his time. Apart from a remarkable versatility of style, technical brilliance, and a virtuosic mastery of the Middle Scots language, his work is not just characterized by a highly pictorial language, but also by an abundance of performative features typical for his time. His poems abound in coloured and vivid descriptions, frequently emblematic of the divine or of his own demonic imagination. We will study the function of all these features in relation to the communicative displays current at that time.
Language of instruction: English. Required language level: C1-C2.
His works are available as a TEAMS edition (www.dlib.rochester.edu/teams/publication/conlee-dunbar-complete-works). A select bibliography will be provided in the first session.
Assessment: Each week poems will be earmarked for study at home and discussion in class. The final mark will be based on participation in class, a brief presentation, and a 4000-word final essay.
close16 Class schedule
Regular appointments