ENL 5246 - Spring 2026 - Pascoe

Writing well is the best revenge. In this class we’ll read the work of six women poets—Phyllis Wheatley, Anna Letitia Barbauld, Charlotte Smith, Mary Robinson, Jane Taylor, and Felicia Hemans—who managed to write innovative poetry under hostile social and political circumstances. We’ll also read poems by William Blake, John Keats, and William Wordsworth. This course introduces students to Romantic-era poetry, as well as to critical responses to that poetry.

Students will be encouraged to think about their artistic, critical, practical, and professional methodologies. This is a class about how writers do what they do under difficult circumstances. As a finale to the class (and a preamble to their careers), students will be encouraged to make significant progress on thoughtfully designed and deeply researched writing projects. This is a class about immersing oneself in creative work under less than ideal conditions.

Course objectives:
1) Students will have a rich intellectual and creative experience.
2) Students will become familiar with Romantic-era poetry, with debates in the field of Romantic studies, and with innovative critical approaches to the field.
3) Students will refine their writing and research skills.
4) Students will identify their personal aspirations and tailor their approach to class coursework accordingly.

Requirements: This course fulfills the general literature requirement for coursework in the historical period 1660-1900, and the concentration requirement in Literary Genre (Poetry) and British and Irish Literary and Cultural Studies: 1660-1900.