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World Literature

Your Guide to Becoming Very Well Read

Eve Williams MMus

Do you really love to read? Do you want to be very widely read and understand key texts, literary movements and historical contexts in World Literature? Then this is the course for you.

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Do you really love to read? Do you want to be very widely read and understand key texts, literary movements and historical contexts in World Literature? Then this is the course for you.

This World Literature course is unique on Udemy. Coming from a historicist perspective, it examines texts from across the world and from ancient times to the present day in their historical, political, philosophical and cultural contexts. After the course you will have a thorough knowledge of world literature and be able to discuss literature with the literati.

I am a lecturer at the C.S. Lewis Literary Festival in Belfast. I hold a Master of Arts degree in English Literature from the Queen's University of Belfast (a Russell International Excellence Group University) and have taught at the Institute of Lifelong Learning at Queen's University, as well as being a writer and professional lyricist. I'm looking forward to being your guide through World Literature.

We will learn about:

  • Greek and Roman mythology, history and epic poetry which still influences literature and popular culture today.

  • The influence of the Bible on texts ranging from Dryden's Absalom and Achiptophel to Steinbeck's East of Eden to Tolkien's The Lord of the Rings.

  • The growth of the Arthurian myths

  • Fairy tales (they weren't always for children)

  • Key authors from different time periods in Europe, North and Latin America, Australia, Africa, the Far East and Asia.

Writers include Homer, Virgil, Malory, Dryden, Steinbeck, Cervantes, Dante, Dostoevsky, Tolstoy, Shakespeare, Dickens, Austen, James Joyce, W.B. Yeats, Mark Twain, Louisa May Alcott, F. Scott Fitzgerald, Harper Lee, L.M. Montgomery, Margaret Atwood, Jeannie Gunn, Machado de Assis, Juana Inés de la Cruz, José Martí, Chinua Achebe, Wole Soyinka, Kofi Anoonor, Confucius, Kim Young-ha, Roma Tearne, Monica Ali, Rabindranath Tagore and many more.

This course is an epic journey with alot to discover on the way. You can enrol today risk free due to Udemy's 30 day money back guarantee. I'm looking forward to meeting you on the course.

Enroll now

What's inside

Learning objectives

  • Discover key texts in world literature
  • Understand key literary movements
  • Understand literary philosophies
  • Appreciate the historical and cultural events which shaped world literature
  • Discover exciting authors and texts from the ancient world to the present day
  • Gain an understanding of literature in depth enough to pass citizenship tests and university entrance exams
  • Discuss literature with the literati
  • Improve your skills in textual analysis and contextualising written works
  • Indulge in the sheer joy of reading
  • This course will help you if you are undertaking or plan to undertake further or higher education studies in literature
  • Monthly zoom book club
  • Show more
  • Show less

Syllabus

Introduction
Introduction: What This Course Is and Is Not
Sourcing Texts for Free: Project Gutenberg
Course Reading List and Bibliography/Webliography
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Greek and Roman Mythology and Classical Literature
The Lasting Impact of Classical Literature
The Gods of Olympus
Homer
Virgil
Herodotus
Suetonius
The Middle East & The Bible: The Most Quoted Work of Literature in the World
Based on the Bible: Quoted for Milennia
The Old Testament and Literature
The New Testament and Literature
The Bible and the Technology of Writing: Scrolls, Manuscripts & Printing Presses
Bonus: Making an Anglo-Saxon text
Arthurian Legend: A European Literary Phenomenon
Was there a real King Arthur?
The Development of the Arthurian Myth
Characters in King Arthur's Court
Malory's Morte D'Arthur
Sir Gawain and the Green Knight
Fairy Tales and Folk Tales
The Point of Fairy Tales
Grimm's Fairy Tales
Hans Christian Andersen
Italian Literature
Dante
Cervantes' Don Quixote
Russian Literature
Tolstoy
Dostoevsky
Chekhov
Pasternak
English Literature
Shakespeare
Milton
Jane Austen
Dickens
Irish Literature
Yeats
James Joyce
French Literature
Molière
Dumas
Hugo
Camus
German Literature
Goethe
Schiller
American Literature
Mark Twain
Louisa May Alcott
Harriet Beecher Stowe
F. Scott Fitgerald
Harper Lee
Canadian Literature
L.M. Montgomery
Margaret Atwood
Bartolomé de las Casas
Juana Inés de la Cruz
Esteban Echeverría
José Martí
Machado de Assis
Australian Literature
Henry Savery
Jeannie Gunn
African Literature
Why place a whole continent in only one section?
Chinua Achebe
Wole Soyinka
Kofi Anoonor
Négritude: African Anthology of Poems in French
Breyten Breytenbach
Far Eastern Literature
How I Chose Texts for This Section
The First Home of Printing
Confucius
The Tale of Genji
Kim Young-ha
Indian and Asian Literature
How I Chose Asian Writers to Cover
Rabindranath Tagore
Saadat Hassan Manto
Brick Lane by Monica Ali
Roma Tearne
Conclusion

Good to know

Know what's good
, what to watch for
, and possible dealbreakers
Explores World Literature in a historicist perspective from different parts of the world and different time frames
Examines the influence of mythology, religion, and cultural events on literature
Taught by Eve Williams, a lecturer at the C.S. Lewis Literary Festival in Belfast with a Master of Arts degree in English Literature
Suitable for those interested in passing citizenship tests and university entrance exams
Covers a wide range of authors and texts, providing a comprehensive overview of World Literature
Includes a Monthly Zoom Book Club for interaction and discussion

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Activities

Be better prepared before your course. Deepen your understanding during and after it. Supplement your coursework and achieve mastery of the topics covered in World Literature: Your Guide to Becoming Very Well Read with these activities:
How to Write a Literary Analysis Essay
Watch tutorials on how to write a literary analysis essay to improve your writing skills.
Browse courses on Essay Writing
Show steps
  • Search for tutorials on how to write a literary analysis essay.
  • Watch a few tutorials to get an overview of the process.
  • Take notes on the key points from the tutorials.
Literary Term Drills
Complete drills to reinforce your understanding of literary terms and concepts.
Browse courses on Quizzes
Show steps
  • Review the literary terms covered in the course.
  • Find online quizzes or flashcards that cover literary terms.
  • Take the quizzes or use the flashcards to test your understanding of the terms.
Create a Character Analysis Essay
Write an essay analyzing a character from a work of world literature to demonstrate your understanding of character development and literary techniques.
Browse courses on Character Analysis
Show steps
  • Choose a character from a work of world literature that you have read.
  • Write a thesis statement that expresses your main argument about the character.
  • Write a body paragraph that discusses the character's motivations.
  • Write a body paragraph that discusses the character's development throughout the work.
  • Write a body paragraph that discusses the character's significance to the work as a whole.
  • Write a conclusion that summarizes your main argument and discusses the character's lasting impact.
Four other activities
Expand to see all activities and additional details
Show all seven activities
Discussion Group on Literary Movements
Join a discussion group with peers to discuss and analyze different literary movements.
Show steps
  • Find a discussion group that focuses on literary movements.
  • Join the discussion group and introduce yourself.
  • Participate in the discussions by sharing your thoughts and ideas.
Hamlet and Greek Tragedy
Read Hamlet and Greek Tragedy to understand connections between Shakespeare's work and Greek drama.
Show steps
  • Obtain a copy of Hamlet by William Shakespeare.
  • Obtain a copy of Hamlet and Greek Tragedy by Thomas Gould.
  • Read Hamlet completely.
  • Read Hamlet and Greek Tragedy and take notes on any connections between Hamlet and Greek tragedies.
World Literature Author Workshop
Attend a workshop led by an author to gain insights into the writing process and the world of literature.
Show steps
  • Research upcoming author workshops in your area.
  • Register for a workshop that interests you.
  • Attend the workshop and take notes on the author's insights.
Comparative Literature Research Project
Conduct a research project to compare and contrast two works of literature from different cultures or time periods.
Show steps
  • Choose two works of literature from different cultures or time periods.
  • Read the two works carefully and take notes on their similarities and differences.
  • Write a research paper that compares and contrasts the two works, discussing their themes, characters, settings, and styles.

Career center

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