Describes a method for giving a final examination in a British Literature class by having students write a paper using an original approach based on the works studied during the semester. Provides four possible approaches and includes an example written by a student. (TJ)

Designed for young adults, this book on William Shakespeare's tragedies is one of an anthology series providing accessible resources for students researching great literary lives and works. Contributing writers' essays in the book are taken from a wide variety of sources and are edited to accommodate the reading and comprehension levels of young…

Samuel Taylor Coleridge, one of the greatest of the Romantic-era poets, has much to say to the students of today. Throughout his life he struggled with physical and emotional illness, drug and sometimes alcohol abuse. Despite his problems, he managed to write meaningful works. Coleridge is best known for his epic poem, "The Rime of the…

A senior English course at Padua Academy (Delaware) is going to be taught through an interdisciplinary approach that involves as many faculty members as possible, stresses the teaching of the writing process, and reinforces the concept that writing is not just for the English class. Speaker presentations by members of other departments will be…

One consequence of teaching British literature far away from British shores is the loss of intimacy that comes from a shared culture. American teachers can help bring Britain into their classrooms by requesting audiovisual aids from the various museums and galleries in Britain that are willing to supply material. Among such sources are (1) Walton…

One of a series of works aimed at presenting contemporary critical opinion on major authors, this collection includes essays by Alfred Harbage, H. B. Charlton, Willard Farnham, H. T. Price, Donald A. Stauffer, Brents Stirling, Maynard Mack, Helen Gardner, C. S. Lewis, Alvin Kernan, Bernard Spivack, L. C. Knights, Francis Fergusson, G. Wilson…

This book, which is most suitable for high school or junior college teachers, is a guide to the teaching of twelve of Shakespeare's plays. For each play the authors include an opening essay about the general character of the play, its main theme, and the dramatic design expressing this theme. A detailed discussion of the dramatic action follows,…

A course putting emphasis on the enjoyment of poetry is presented. It includes an introduction to poetic language and a study of various types of poetry, such as the lyric and the narrative. Performance objectives include: (1) The student will write an original, personal definition of the form of poetry; (2) The student will define a list of terms…

Outlines theatrical and teaching techniques for classroom discussion of Shakespeare's plays, including scene preparation and performance, sound/movement exercises, and improvising scenes that Shakespeare "might have written but discarded." Provides questions for post-performance discussion. (RL)

"The Horse Dealer's Daughter" is usually taught as being about love's redeeming power. Usual interpretations of this story, however, ignore its title. It is also about a woman who discovers and uses her sexual power. To begin discussion, students are asked how many have ridden a horse and whether they have ever bought or sold a horse at…

Criticizes a thematic approach to English instruction advocated by J. R. Osgerby Yin English in a College of Education: A New Approach," The Use of English," vol. 21, no. 4 (Summer 1970), pp. 306-16, 321I on the basis that such an approach leads students away from an experience of the literature itself and into the realms of sociology…

Describes a British college of education's thematic approach to English based on a tutorial unit containing 6-8 students. (DD)

A performance-oriented approach to teaching William Shakespeare's literature has been found to be effective and enthusiastically received by college students. Ten years of teaching Shakespeare through full play production has shown that the rewards, eloquently expressed in the testimony of students, more than compensate for extra work required of…

Describes and reports on a survey of 164 U.S. universities to ascertain what is taught as the current canon of British Romantic literature. Asserts that the canon may now include Mary Shelley with the former standard six major male Romantic poets, indicating a significant emergence of a feminist perspective on British Romanticism in the classroom.…

This article describes a multi-part approach to Shakespeare's playwriting, including his conception of comedy, his method of characterization, aspects of staging, and the status of male and females. It can accommodate all types of Shakespearean plays. "A Midsummer Night's Dream" is treated as seminal, while other plays are also…