Unit 1: Introduction to Course Materials, Structure, and Themes (Tue 22 Aug)
Unit 2: Literature, History and Biography (Thu 24 Aug - Tue 5 Sep)
Unit 3: Poetry and Formalism (Thu 7 Sep - Tue 12 Sep)
Unit 4: Reading Political Milton (Thu 14 Sep - Thu 5 Oct)
Unit 5: The Matter of Milton (Tue 10 Oct - Tue 21 Nov)
Unit 6: Last Words (Tue 28 Nov - Tue 5 Dec)

RES=Readings available through Electronic Reserve. You need the class user name and password to access reserve readings and Adobe Acrobat and a fast internet connection to view them. You can print readings for 10¢/page at the library. Some campus labs provide free printing, but others do not allow you to print electronic reserve items at all. Make sure you know the policy of the lab before you try to print.

Always bring assigned poems or prose to class for discussion. I have provided links to online versions of assigned works.

Unit 1: Introduction to Course Materials, Structure and Themes

Tue 22 Aug
In class: Overview of course. Assignment to learning groups. Discussion of Quizzes. "Sonnet 23 [Methought I saw]" (ca. 1652-1658).

Unit 2: Literature, History, and Biography

Thu 24 Aug
For class: Subscribe to the class list. Send the message subscribe milton yourfirstname yourlastname to listserv@listserv.arizona.edu (where "yourfirstname" is your first name, etc.). Gather biographical information about Milton from print or online sources. (Consult the page on Critical Reading Skills for suggestions.) Read "Sonnet 7 [How soon hath Time]" (1632), "Sonnet 19 [When I consider]" (?1655), and "Sonnet 23 [Methought I saw]" (ca. 1652-1658). Consider: why is the dating of Sonnet 23 in question?
In class: Quiz 1 on Milton's life. Reading. Discussion. Historical and biographical approaches to literature.

Tue 29 Aug
For class: Gather historical information about the seventeenth century. (Consult the page on Critical Reading Skills for suggestions.) Read "On the New Forcers of Conscience" (ca. 1646-1647), "Sonnet 16 [To the Lord General Cromwell]" (1652), and "Sonnet 18, On the late Massacher" (?1655).
In class: Quiz 2  on major events of the seventeenth century. Reading. Discussion. Critical reading skills. (Initiatory) pastoral poetry.

Thu 31 Aug
For class: Read "Lycidas" (1637).  Read Tillyard, [excerpt from] Milton (RES).
In class: Reading. Analysis/evaluation of Tillyard's argument. Discussion.

Tue 5 Sep
For class: Read Marcus, "John Milton's Voice" (RES). (Take a look at the Trinity Library MS. [RES] to which Marcus refers.) This is a long and complex article: plan ahead.
In class: Quiz 3 on Marcus. Annotated Bibliography Assignment. Sign up for bibliography topic.

Unit 3: Poetry and Formalism

Thu 7 Sep
For class: Read a summary of American New Criticism  in the Johns Hopkins Guide. Read "Lycidas" yet once more. Read Ransom, "A Poem Nearly Anonymous" (RES). Bring  "Sonnet 23 [Methought I saw]" (ca. 1652-1658) to class for discussion (yet once more). Here are some other materials on Sonnet 23, produced by John C. Ulreich: annotations and a scriptural concordance (both RES, but simple text files).
In class: Discussion.

Tue 12 Sep
For class: Read "L'Allegro" and "Il Penseroso" (?1631).
In class: (Close) reading. Music. Discussion.

Unit 4: Reading Political Milton

Thu 14 Sep
For class: Read Maley, "Cultural Materialism and New Historicism." Read Howard, "The New Historicism in Renaissance Studies" (RES).
In class: Quiz 4 on Maley and Howard.

Tue 19 Sep
For class:  Miller, "Chastity, Rape, and Ideology" (RES). Bring Comus (1634) to class.
In class: Reading.  Music.

Thu 21 Sep
For class: Read Comus (1634).
In class: Quiz 5 on Comus. Reading. Discussion.

Tue 26 Sep
For class: Read Michael Bryson's page with a summary of the argument of Areopagitica and some background on the historical events that influenced Milton's writing.
In class: Guest speaker: Jessica Tvordi.

Thu 28 Sep
For class: Read Areopagitica (1644),  part 1 and part 2. It's long and difficult--plan ahead.
In class: Discussion. Quiz 6 on Areopagitica. Discussion.

Tue 3 Oct
For class: Read Fish, "Driving from the Letter" (RES).
In class: Discussion. Introduction to Eikon Basilike and Eikonoklastes.

Thu 5 Oct
For class: Read the Folger Library summary of Eikon Basilike, the meditations of/on Charles I upon his execution. Read some historical accounts of the execution at a Baylor University site. Read Michael Bryson's introduction to Milton's Eikonoklastes. Read Zwicker, "The King's Head" (RES). Review the history of the English civil war. (Consult the page on Critical Reading Skills for suggestions.)
In class: Quiz 7 on history and Milton's Eikonoklastes (including information from Zwicker article). Assignment of Term Paper.

Unit 5: The Matter of Milton

Tue 10 Oct
For class: Read DiCesare, "Milton and the Epic Tradition" (RES). If you don't think you'll have time to read all of Paradise Lost this semester, Noel Petty's verse on Paradise Lost is your salvation. Oh well--bring Book 1 of Paradise Lost (ca. 1658-1667) to class anyway.
In class: Introduction to Paradise Lost. Reading.

Thu 12 Oct
For class: Read two biblical accounts of creation, including the story of Adam and Eve, in Genesis 1-3 (follow the links to all three chapters). Read Book 1 and Book 2 of Paradise Lost.
In class: Quiz 8 on Genesis 1-3 and Books 1 and 2. Reading.

Tue 17 Oct
For class: Read Empson, "[excerpt from] Milton's God" (RES). Read Michael Bryson's summary of The Christian Doctrine. Read Book 3 of Paradise Lost.
In class: Discussion.

Thu 19 Oct
For class: Read Nyquist, "The Genesis of Gendered Subjectivity" (RES). Read Book 4 of Paradise Lost.
In class: Quiz 9 on the week's readings.

Tue 24 Oct
For class: Read Book 5 and Book 6 of Paradise Lost.
In class: Quiz 10 on Books 5 and 6.

Thu 26 Oct
For class: Read Book 7 and Book 8 of Paradise Lost.
In class: Reading. Discussion.

Tue 31 Oct
For class: Bring Book 9 to class. Complete Prospectus and Annotated Bibliography of Term Paper.
In class: Reading. Turn in Prospectus and Annotated Bibliography.

Thu 2 Nov
For class: Read Book 9 of Paradise Lost. Read Aemilia Lanyer, "Eves Apologie."  Read McBride and Ulreich, "'Eves Apologie'" (RES).
In class: Quiz 11on the week's readings. Prospectus and Annotated Bibliography returned.

Tue 7 Nov
For class: Read Book 10 of Paradise Lost. Read Ulreich, "'Argument Not Less but More Heroic" (RES).
For fun: William Blake wrote in The Marriage of Heaven and Hell that Milton "was a true Poet and of the Devils party without knowing it. Read about Blake's poem Milton. Explore Blake's Milton a Poem (these are big files, and you'll need a fast internet connection).
In class: Discussion.

Thu 9 Nov
For class: Read Book 11 and Book 12 of Paradise Lost.
In class: Quiz 12 on week's readings (not including Blake).

Fri 10 Nov : special opportunity
Marathon reading of Paradise Lost--the entire poem--in Modern Languages 451. Show up any time after 8:00 am, and read a few lines. Extra credit for those who read.

Tue 14 Nov
For class: Complete first version of Term Paper. Bring two copies to class.
In class: Peer review of Term Paper.

Thu 16 Nov
For class: Read the story of the temptation of Christ in Matthew 4.1-11 and Luke 4.1-13. Read Book 1 and Book 2 of Paradise Regained (ca. 1667-1670) .
In class: Discussion.

Tue 21 Nov
For class: Read Book 3 and Book 4 of Paradise Regained.
In class: Quiz 13 on Paradise Regained. First version of Term Paper returned. Create final exam.

Thu 23 Nov--no class: Thanksgiving break

Unit 6: Last Words

Tue 28 Nov
For class: Read the biblical account of Samson in Judges 13-16 (follow the links to all chapters). Read Samson Agonistes (wide disagreement about when it was written--perhaps as early as the late1640s or as late as 1670).
In class: Reading. Distribution of Final Exam Study Guide.

Thu 30 Nov
For class: Review Final Exam Study Guide.
In class: Bonus quiz on Study Guide. Discussion.

Tue 5 Dec
For class: Complete final version of Term Paper.
In class: Turn in Term Paper. Discussion.

Tue 12 Dec, 2:00-4:00 pm
Final Exam. Term papers returned.