English 211: Literature as Equipment for Living
Course Description
What makes literature different from other types of writing? Why do we distinguish between “literary” and “non-literary” writing? This course will help students answer such questions by developing a unique skill—one best cultivated through the study of literature: recognizing the difference between form and content in writing. We will survey a wide range of genres–from drama to epic and lyric poetry to novels to short stories–attending to the different literary and rhetorical forms that structure and define each genre. Our focus will be on how writing works at the level of the word, the line, the sentence, the paragraph, the chapter, and the text as a whole. Students will come away with a clearer sense of how a text is put together and why it is put together that way. In the course of our study, we will continually return to the question: what is the value of literature? And why study rather than merely enjoy what we read? I will argue that literature is useful—it is, in words of literary scholar I.A. Richards, an “instrument for living”: “it is less important,” Richards once wrote, “to like ‘good’ poetry and dislike ‘bad,’ than to be able to use them both as a means of ordering our minds.”
The ultimate goal of English 211 is to develop close readers of literature and culture, intelligent and responsible writers, and liberally educated officer-citizens who acknowledge, seek out, and respond thoughtfully and sensitively to ambiguity and complexity. The English 211 classroom, by challenging students to engage complex works of literature, recreates the sorts of complex environments that make up our world, and within which our students will soon be charged to provide leadership as officers and as citizens
Resources
Click here for an overview of the course schedule, including the schedule of readings, meetings, and assignments. Students can also find a copy of the syllabus and USAFA’s academic calendar.
The goal of class discussion and ancillary writing assignments is to help students compose three, high-level argumentative essays. Click here for an overview of this semester’s assignments and grading rubrics.
In the event of an emergency move to fully asynchronous classes, I may ask students to use the discussion board here. If that happens, I will notify you via Teams and provide links to this discussion board in the lesson folders.
This page contains links to the Oxford English Dictionary (OED) and other resources that you can access through the USAFA Library.
This page provides a link to the complete MLA Handbook as well as information about how to properly cite sources and format your essays.
Click here to set up your account profile and view your grades.
Course Information
Schedule EI
Click Here to Schedule EI
Students must schedule appointments 24 hours IN ADVANCE through Microsoft Bookings linked here. Bookings automatically shows you when I am available, automatically adds your appointment to my calendar, and automatically sends reminder emails to you ahead of your appointment. I am happy to meet with students remotely, over Teams, or in-person. Simply select the “service” (Teams or In-person) you want on the Bookings page.
Report Absences
Click here to report an absence
Use this form to report excused absences: SCAs, Medical/Dental Appointments, COVID Testing or Quarantine processes, Bedrest, etc. If you are absent because of a medical/dental appointment, please provide documentation of the appointment via email. If you are absent because your AOC/AMT has approved bedrest, please forward the email granting approval to me.
Required Books
OPTION #1: Students are encouraged to purchase hard copies of each of the assigned texts below. The ISBNs and other information are listed on the syllabus, which you can use to search for a hardcopy on Amazon or other online retailer. I recommend mailing it to my USAFA office rather than the mailroom and I’ll hand deliver it to you. Use this address:
NAME: Your name care of Professor Amy Cooper
ADDRESS 1: 2354 Fairchild Dr.
ADDRESS 2: DFENG, Office 6D-213
CITY: U.S. Air Force Academy
STATE: CO
ZIP: 80840
OPTION #2: Students may use e-book editions of the assigned texts. Click on the images below to purchase the correct copies through Google Play. NOTE: I will only accept the specific digital editions linked below–I will not accept other digital editions. Students who own an iPad or other e-reader (not Kindle) should download the Google Play Books App, so that you can highlight, take notes, and bookmark relevant pages. Students unable to use an e-reader can read using their Chrome browser, which also allows you to bookmark pages, highlight or underline, write notes, etc.
PDF Files of Scanned Readings: I have posted PDFs of scanned readings to individual lesson folders. I am providing them here, as well, for quick reference. Remember, students should be marking their texts. Please download these and save them to your computer. You can then use Adobe Acrobat (or other PDF software of your choice) to highlight, underline, bookmark, write marginal notes, etc.