English 206 - Topic: History of the Essay

'Since the seventeenth century, prose stylists have written essays to examine, analyze, argue, and satirize. In this course we will follow the evolution of the essay, including the development of the sentence, prose rhythms, and grammatical patterns. We'll examine how the essay develops and changes, beginning with Francis Bacon and ending with contemporaries such as David Foster Wallace and Barry Lopez. Students will master the form by writing their own essays. This course includes extensive feedback on student writing and is intended to address the writing needs of students from all disciplines. Readings include essays by John Donne, Jonathan Swift, Samuel Johnson, Henry David Thoreau, Virginia Woolf, George Orwell, Martin Luther King, Adrienne Rich, Jamaica Kincaid, and others.'

Course limited to sophomores, juniors and seniors