English 3401: What I did/did not know about Middle English life, art, and culture
Contents
Instructions
Read J. A. Burrow, Medieval writers and their work: Middle English literature and its background 1100-1500 and write a brief essay discussing some aspect of high Medieval English life, art, or culture that intrigues you. This might involve
- something that you already knew something about but have a deeper knowledge of after reading Burrow’s book
- something you did not know, but found interesting
- something you wish Burrow had covered but did not
- something that you think Burrow is wrong about or about which another view is possible.
In writing this essay, you will almost certainly need to consult other sources in the library, on the Internet, or from our reading list. The precise choice and number of sources other than Burrow (if any) should be determined by your approach and the nature of your argument.
Purpose
The goal of this project is to help you organise your thinking about the medieval period by helping you discover what you do and do not know. It will also help you learn about various research tools for the study of the period and perhaps identify areas you will like to explore more thoroughly in one of your subsequent essays.
Rubric
For this project, I will be following my standard essay rubric, though with less emphasis on argument and thesis and more on evidence of engagement and problem definition. I will also be taking into account the preliminary and slightly informal nature of the assignment.
Due date and Length.
- Due: February 1, 23:59.
- Location: Hand the essay in on Turnitin (instructions for how to sign-up in Turnitin and register for this class can be found on our class page in Moodle).
- Length: Approximately 1000 words (i.e. between 900 and 1200 words). This is approximately 4 pages double-spaced.
- Presentation: Please follow my standard style sheet.
Value
Depending on how you do, this essay will be worth either 5% or 15% of your final grade. It will be worth 5% if you do better on your second essay than on this one. It will be worth 15% if you do better on this essay than on your second essay. See the relevant section of the syllabus for details.
