Sunday 11th August 19.00 UK time Sixteenth Century Poetry ( I’ll only do this if there is demand, make yourself known in the comments)
Sunday 8th September 19.00 UK time Twelfth Night and Hamlet
TO BE REARRANGED. Sunday 22nd September 19.00 UK time Sixteenth Century Poetry (repeat session I’ll only do this if there is demand, make yourself known in the comments)
Sunday 13th October 19.00 UK time Troilus and Cressida and Anthony and Cleopatra
Sunday 10th November 19.00 UK time The Winter’s Tale and The Tempest
Sunday 8th December 19.00 UK time Seventeenth Century Poetry
Poetry reading lists
I have (mostly) focussed on poetry in the Elizabethan and pre-Civil War era. We’ll cover people like Herrick, Cowley, Milton etc another time. Thematically, we are largely reading about religion, love, and death. The distinction between sixteenth and seventeenth century poetry is just a simple way of splitting out the reading into two sessions.
Sixteenth Century Poetry
Essential reading
This article about The English Renaissance is a good place to start for some context and background.
The Passionate Shepherd to his Love, Christopher Marlowe and The Nymph’s Reply to the Shepherd, Walter Raleigh and To Celia, Ben Jonson.
Optional reading
Philip Sidney, selected sonnets: Come Sleep, O sleep; With How Sad Steps; A Strife is Grown; Who Will In Fairest Book of Nature Know; My True Love Hath My Heart.
Thomas Campion: Now Winter Nights Enlarge; Follow Thy Fair Sun; When to Her Lute.
Raleigh: The Passionate Man’s Pilgrimage.
Jonson: On My First Daughter; On My First Son; Inviting a Friend to Supper.
Seventeenth Century Poetry
Essential reading
This article about The English Renaissance is a good place to start for some context and background.
Anne Bradstreet: By Night When Others Soundly Slept and Mary Sidney: O and George Herbert: The Flower and John Donne: Batter My Heart.
Optional reading
Anne Finch: To Death; John Donne: This is My Play’s Last Scene and Death Be Not Proud;
Anne Bradstreet: To My Dear and Loving Husband; Anne Finch: A Song
Shakespeare’s sonnets—as many as you want to read!
Previous schedule
Sunday 4th Feb, 19.00 UK time Romeo & Juliet
Sunday 3rd March, 19.00 UK time Love’s Labour’s Lost
Sunday 7th April, 19.00 UK time Henry IV part I
Sunday 19th May, 19.00 UK time Much Ado About Nothing UPDATED TO AVOID MOTHERS’ DAY!
***Sunday 23rd June, 19.00 UK time As You Like It***
How does one access the discussion?
Did I miss Richard II discussion? I picked up a copy last year, but can't remember why..