Literary Criticism

By Dr. C.G.SHYAMALA | MERCY COLLEGE, PALAKKAD, KERALA (AFFILIATED TO UNIVERSITY OF CALICUT)

Learners enrolled: 52

The endeavour of this course is to familiarise the under-graduate student with the diverse critical practices from Romanticism in the nineteenth century and the tenets of T.S.Eliot, through New Criticism in the twentieth century , moving ahead with Feminism from its inception to the third world and gender expressions in the twentieth century. The intention is to help students understand the theories, critically assess works of art and apply them in literary works. For this purpose, the module has been divided into segments, where the literary essay or book is divided into sub-divisions so that students can comprehend the theories and the related study materials with ease.

Summary

Course Status :	Upcoming
Course Type :	Core
Language for course content :	English
Duration :	15 weeks
Category :	Language
Credit Points :	4
Level :	Undergraduate
Start Date :	05 Jan 2026
End Date :	06 Apr 2026
Exam Date :
Translation Languages :	English

Page Visits

Course layout

Week 1

Introduction to Romanticism

Week 2

Preface to Lyrical Ballads- William Wordsworth- Section 1

Week 3

Preface to Lyrical Ballads- William Wordsworth- Section 2

Week 4

Biographia Literaria- Section 1- S.T.Coleridge

Week 5

Biographia Literaria-Section 2 -S.T.Coleridge

Week 6

Modern Fiction- Virginia Woolf

Week 7

Tradition and the Individual Talent- T.S..Eliot

Week 8

The Function of Criticism- T..S..Eliot

Week 9

Principles of Literary Criticism-.I.A.Richards

Week 10

Practical Criticism- I.A. Richards

Week 11

The Heresy of Paraphrase- Cleanth Brooks

Week 12

The Language of Paradox- Cleanth Brooks

Week 13

Feminism – Maggie Humm

Week 14
Feminism- Maggie Humm

Books and references

Books for Reference
• Abrams, M.H., and Geoffrey Galt Harpham. A Glossary of Literary Terms. 11th ed. Cengage Learning, 2015.

• Atkins, G. Douglas, and Laura Morrow, editors, Contemporary Literary Theory. The U of Massachusetts P, 1989.

• Barry, Peter. Beginning Theory: An Introduction to Literary and Cultural Theory. 4th ed. Manchester UP, 2018.

• Eagleton, Terry. Literary Theory: An Introduction. Basil Blackwell, 1985.

• Guerin, Wilfred L.,et al. A Handbook of Critical Approaches to Literature. 5th ed. Oxford UP, 2006.

• Lodge, David, editor. Twentieth Century Literary Theory: Reader. Longman, 1972

• Newton, K.M. Twentieth Century Literary Theory: A Reader. Macmillan, 1997.

• Selden, Raman, editor. The Theory of Criticism from Plato to the Present: A Reader. Longman,1988.

• Waugh, Patricia, editor. Literary Theory and Criticism: An Oxford Guide. Oxford UP, 2006.

Web links

• https://www.britannica.com/

• https://www.academia.edu/

• https://www.wwnorton.com/college/english/nael/welcome.html

Instructor bio

Dr. C.G.SHYAMALA

MERCY COLLEGE, PALAKKAD, KERALA (AFFILIATED TO UNIVERSITY OF CALICUT)

An Assistant Professor of English and a Research Supervisor in the Post-graduate Department of English and Research Centre for Comparative Studies, Mercy College, Palakkad, Kerala, Dr. C.G.Shyamala is interested in teaching, and preparing and delivering e-content modules. She has authored several books and officiates as a Resource person in seminars, webinars and conferences. She is a member of the Editorial Board of selected journals, publishes research papers, and serves as a reviewer in select journals on English literature. She is the course coordinator of two MOOCs, Literary Criticism and Modern European Drama, which ran successfully in 2019 and 2021 respectively. Moreover, she is a lover of music and a sports enthusiast.

Course certificate

Course Certificate Criteria

1. End-Term Examination:

o Weightage: 70% of the final result

o Minimum Passing Criteria: 40%

2. Internal Assessment:

o Weightage: 30% of the final result

o Minimum Passing Criteria: 40%

Calculation of IA Marks:

o Out of all graded weekly assessments/assignments, the top 50% of assignments shall be considered for the calculation of the final Internal Assessment marks.

All students who obtain 40% marks in the internal assessment and 40% marks in the end-term proctored exam separately will be eligible for the SWAYAM Credit Certificate.

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