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The module focuses on literature written between 1700 and 1789: from the turn of the eighteenth century to the eve of the French Revolution. This period was a time of extraordinary experimentation in literature, culture and the arts and of revolutionary development in the study of humankind (a process sometimes referred to as ‘the Enlightenment’). The literature of this period includes the very first examples of genres, modes and processes that now dominate our literary scene: the rise of the novel, for example, provides a unique opportunity to study a major genre from its inception, while the establishment of professional authorship permanently altered the dynamics of literary production. At the same time, innovation resulted in works that defy definition. You will have the opportunity to study texts that transcend generic categories, are intellectually and formally subversive, and which challenge the standards and assumptions of the culture in which they were produced (including works by Swift, Fielding, Sterne and Johnson).

The module is taught by means of a combination of lectures, seminars and tutorials. Some lectures will focus on single authors; others may consider larger themes or literary groupings, such as ‘peasant poets’, journalism or the essay. Seminars in the autumn term will cover a range of set texts, and in the spring term students may choose from a number of ‘sign-up’ seminars which may include topics such as ‘the novel’, ‘satire’, ‘comedy’, ‘prose’ or ‘women writers’. You are encouraged to study any literature from the period that appeals to them, but authors that may receive particular attention on the course include: Addison, Steele, Defoe, Leapor, Gay, Fielding, Pope, Swift, Montagu, Haywood, Richardson, Sterne, Sheridan, Goldsmith, Thomson, Gray, Burney, Johnson, Boswell, Cowper, and Equiano.

Examination is by means of a written exam paper, or by Course Essay, if preferred and if no other Course Essay is being submitted by the candidate that year.