ENGL 3700 02: Literary Study < Youngstown State University

ENGL 3700 - Literary Study

Fall 2026 Syllabus, Section 02, CRN 41167,
Credit hours: 3

Course Meeting Times

Instructor

Dolores Sisco

Email: dvsisco@ysu.edu

Public Instructor Information

Instructor Title: Professor: Dr. Dolores V. Sisco

Professional Qualifications:

PhD.D. English Literature: Michigan State University, MSU College of Law

Master’s, English Literature: Central Michigan University

Bachelor’s, English Literature: The University of Baltimore

Certificate in Piano Performance: Peabody Conservatory -Johns Hopkins University

Certificate in Foundational Compliance, American Bankers Association

Instructor Office Location: Office: 211 DEBH

Instructor Office Phone: 330-941-3422

Private Instructor Information

Course Description

3700. Literary Study. Gateway course for English majors. Content to include key terms, strategies for reading, interpretation, research, and the conventions for assessing and using sources. Prereq.: Completion of ENGL 1551 with grade "C" or better. 3 s.h.

Course Readings

Group	Title	Author	ISBN
Required	An Introduction to Literary Studies, 4th Edition, Author (s) Mario Klarer

Additional Course Materials: Various short stories and essays are posted on Blackboard.

The Rising of the Moon; This Land is Your Land; Allentown; Youngstown; Living for the City; Beowulf; Geoffrey Chaucer & William Caxton; Sumer Is Icumen In; Widecombe Fair; The Gesta Romanorum; The Canterbury Tales: General Prologue; The Homeric Question – The Greek Poet Homer; The Odyssey; Song of the Volsungs; Epic of Sundiata; The Matter of England/The Matter of Britain; The Case for King Arthur; Piers Plowman; Folk Hero Robin Hood; My Last Duchess; The Bells; Nonsense Poetry by Lewis Carroll; The Second Coming; Modernism; The Devil and Tom Walker; The Fall of the House of Usher; The Murders in the Rue Morgue; The Story of An Hour; An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge; The Passing of Grandison; Cora, Unashamed; Battle Royal; Big Blonde; A Rose for Emily; Sweat; Good Country People; A Good Man Is Hard to Find; Trifles; A Raisin in the Sun

The course readings are subject to change in the event of extenuating circumstances, research developments, current events, and/or to ensure better learning.

Additional Course Materials

Course Learning Outcomes/Objectives/Goals

How to Succeed in This Course

Attendance Expectations

Late Work Submission Policy

Additional Course Expectations

Artificial Intelligence Policy Statement

Assignments/Assessments

Grading and Grading Scale

University Policies

Schedule of Topics and Assignments

Week of	Reading(s)	Proposed Topic	Due/To Prepare for Class
8/24	An Introduction to Literary Studies: Chapter 1: What Is Literature? What Is a Text? Rebel Song: The Rising of the Moon Protest: This Land is Your Land Protest: Allentown by Billy Joel Protest: Youngstown by Bruce Springsteen Protest: Living For the City by Stevie Wonder	ENGL 3700 Lecture I: Intro to Literary Analysis – What Is a Text?	Discussion Forum: N/A
8/31	ENGL 3700: Beowulf ENGL 3700: Geoffrey Chaucer & William Caxton Folk Song: Sumer Is Icumen In Folk Song: Widecombe Fair The Gesta Romanorum The Canterbury Tales: General Prologue	ENGL 3700 Lecture II: Intro to Literary Analysis – Genre, Text Type, and Discourse	Discussion Forum I: Due 9/6
9/7	An Introduction to Literary Studies: Chapter 2: Major Genres in Literary Studies ENGL 3700: The Homeric Question – The Greek Poet Homer ENGL 3700: The Odyssey	ENGL 3700 Lecture III: Major Genres in Literary Genres	Discussion Forum II: Due 9/13
9/14	An Introduction to Literary Studies: Chapter 2: Major Genres in Literary Studies ENGL 3700: Song of the Volsungs ENGL 3700: Epic of Sundiata	ENGL 3700 Lecture III: Major Genres in Literary Genres	Reading Quiz I: 9/18
9/21	Review: What Is Literature? Geoffrey Chaucer & William Caxton; An Introduction to Literary Studies: Chapter 2: Major Genres in Literary Studies	ENGL 3700 Lecture III: Major Genres in Literary Genres	Discussion Forum III: Due 9/27
9/28	Review: An Introduction to Literary Studies: Chapter 2: Major Genres in Literary Studies An Introduction to Literary Studies: Chapter 3: Periods of Literature ENGL 3700: The Matter of England/The Matter of Britain The Case for King Arthur Piers Plowman Folk Hero Robin Hood	ENGL 3700 Lecture III: Major Genres in Literary Genres	Reading Quiz II: 10/2
10/5	An Introduction to Literary Studies: Chapter 3: Periods of Literature ENGL 3700: How to Analyze Poetry My Last Duchess by Robert Browning The Bells by Edgar Allan Poe Nonsense Poetry by Lewis Carroll The Second Coming by William Butler Yeats Modernism	ENGL 3700: How to Analyze Poetry	Midterm Essay Due: 10/11
10/12	Review: An Introduction to Literary Studies: Chapter 2: Major Genres in Literary Studies Review: ENGL 3700 Lecture III: Major Genres in Literary Genres ENGL 3700 Defining the Short Story Understanding the Text: Plot Short Fiction The Devil and Tom Walker by Washington Irving The Fall of the House of Usher by Edgar Allan Poe The Murders in the Rue Morgue by Edgar Allan Poe The Story of An Hour by Kate Chopin An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge by Ambrose Bierce	ENGL 3700 Defining the Short Story	Discussion Forum: N/A
10/19	ENGL 3700 Defining the Short Story Understanding the Text: Character The Passing of Grandison by Charles W. Chesnutt Cora, Unashamed by Langston Hughes Battle Royal by Ralph Ellison Big Blonde by Dorothy Parker	ENGL 3700 Lecture III: Major Genres in Literary Studies - The Great American Novel (40-83)	Discussion Forum IV: Due 10/25
10/26	Review: An Introduction to Literary Studies: Chapter 2: Major Genres in Literary Studies ENGL 3700 Defining the Short Story Understanding the Text: Theme & Setting Fiction: Subgenre Southern Gothic A Rose for Emily by William Faulkner Sweat by Zora Neale Hurston Good Country People by Flannery O’Connor A Good Man Is Hard to Find by Flannery O'Connor	ENGL 3700 Lecture III: Major Genres in Literary Studies - The Great American Novel (40-83)	Reading Quiz III: 10/30
11/2	Review: An Introduction to Literary Studies: Chapter 2: Major Genres in Literary Studies Trifles, a play in one act by Susan Glaspell A Raisin in the Sun by Lorraine Hansberry	Drama	Discussion Forum V Due 11/8
11/9	An Introduction to Literary Studies: Chapter 4 Theoretical Approaches to Literature How to Write a Literary Analysis Essay	How to Write an Essay Proposal	Discussion Forum: N/A
11/16	Review Chapters 2-3: An Introduction to Literary Studies An Introduction to Literary Studies: Chapter 4 Theoretical Approaches to Literature How to Write a Literary Analysis Essay	Writing About Literature	Final Essay Proposal Due 11/22
11/23	An Introduction to Literary Studies: Chapter 4 Theoretical Approaches to Literature How to Write a Literary Analysis Essay	Writing About Literature	11/23: Mandatory Virtual Office Visits 11/24: Mandatory Virtual Office Visits
11/30	Review Chapters 2-4: An Introduction to Literary Studies	Writing About Literature	Discussion Forum: N/A
12/7	Virtual Office Visits	Virtual Office Visits	Final Essay Due 12/7

The course schedule, policies, procedures, and assignments in this course are subject to change in the event of extenuating circumstances, by mutual agreement, and/or to ensure better learning.

ENGL 3700 02: Literary Study