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Ecology and Romanticism

Special Subject, Semester 1, 2010-11

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SpecialSubjectsI,U67080

Ecology & Romanticism

Time&Place:
Tuesdays,14pm,GibbsG5.37
Ecology&RomanticismSeminarLeader: SimonKvesi

Email:

skovesi@brookes.ac.uk
Office:

Tonge,T4.08
Tel.:

01865483587
OfficeHours:

Monday,1011am;Wednesday,1011am

AttheendTheSongoftheEarth,JonathanBateassertsthatpoetryistheplace
wherewesavetheearth.Canthisbetrue?Canliterature,morebroadly,playa
concreteroleinourrelationshipwiththenaturalworld?Istheliterarypastofany
relevancetotheenvironmentalissueswefacetoday?Thiscourseaimsto
interrogatethissetofproblems,alongwithmanyothersprofferedbytheloose
schoolofcurrentecocriticism.ItapproacheswritersoftheRomanticperiod(c.
17801832)throughthetheories,practicesandethicsofcontemporaryecological
criticism,anditfocusesinparticularonthewaysoneRomanticwriterJohnClare
isbeingusedbycontemporaryenvironmentallyconsciouswritersfordiffering
ends.Thisisthereforeacoursewhichisengagedwithaparticularpartofliterary
history,butonewhichistheoreticallybasedincurrentecologicalconcerns.The
coursewillfocusexplicitlyuponarangeofecologicallygroundedtheoretical,critical
andpoliticalpositions,including:deepecology;ecoanarchism;apocalypticism;
ecofeminism;environmentalism;millenarianism;social(orMarxist)ecology;
ecofascism.Itwillconsiderhownatureisconstructedinliterature,andtowhat
ends.

ThisspecialsubjectfocusesuponpoetryandprosebyWilliamWordsworth,Samuel
TaylorColeridge,MaryShelley,PercyShelley,GeorgeGordonByronandJohnClare;
thenovelTheLastManbyMaryShelley,andtheplayPrometheusUnboundbyPercy
Shelley.ItalsoconsiderscontemporaryproseworksbyAdamFoulds,IainSinclair
andRichardMabey.Theweeklyreadingofecologicalcriticismwillbeacentralpart
oftheworkforthismodule,andstudentsmustexpecttoreadallofGregGarrards
Ecocriticism(whichislistedasaprimarytextbelow),andtoreadsupplementary
criticalandtheoreticalmaterialssuppliedbythetutor.Studentswillberequiredto
presentinclasstwice:firstlyananalysisofaRomanticperiodtext,andsecondlyon
theirowncriticaldiscoveryinthefinalweek.TextsbySmith,Blake,William
Wordsworth,Coleridge,Byron,KeatsandPercyShelleyareavailableintheDuncan
Wuanthology(listedbelow).Othertextsyouwillbereadingarelistedbelow,orare
providedinanAppendixofTextsinweek1.

Primary Reading List

(studentsareexpectedtohavecopiesofallprimarytextsandtobringthemtoclass)

Clare,John,MajorWorks,EricRobinson(ed.)(OxfordWorlds
Classics,2008).
Foulds,Adam,TheQuickeningMaze(JonathanCape,2009).
Garrard,Greg,Ecocriticism(Routledge,2004).
Mabey,Richard,NatureCure(Vintage,2008).
Shelley,Mary,TheLastMan(OxfordWorldsClassics,1998).
Sinclair,Iain,EdgeoftheOrison:IntheTracesofJohnClares
JourneyOutofEssex(Penguin,2006).
Wu,Duncan,(ed.),Romanticism:AnAnthology.ThirdEdition.
(Blackwell,2005).

Cheap(sometimesverycheap!)copiesofallofthesebookscanbeboughtvia
websitessuchasabebooks.co.uk,amazon.co.uk,bookdepository.co.uk,
acadreamia.co.ukandsoon.Itisworthhavingalookaround,forsure.

Reading & Seminar Schedule

Unlessotherwiseindicated,pagereferencesaretoRomanticism,3rdEdition,ed.
DuncanWu.HOindicatesthatthetextisprovidedintheHandOutAppendixof
Texts.

Week

EcocriticalReading

RomanticLiteratureReading

Week1

RaymondWilliams,
definitionofnaturefrom
Keywords(1983)(HO)

CharlotteSmith:SonnetIVTotheMoon,86;
SonnetXIIWrittenontheSeashore,89.
WilliamBlake:TheBookofThel,176;TheSick
Rose,196;APoisonTree,202.
WilliamWordsworth:TheRainbow,528;
ResolutionandIndependence,529;Daffodils
(Iwanderedlonelyasacloud);546,The
SolitaryReaper,548.
PreRomanticSamplesofNaturePoetry:
AnneFinch,ANocturnalReverie(1713)(HO)
JohnGay,TheShepherdandthePhilosopher
(1728)(HO)
ThomasGray,ElegyWritteninaCountry
ChurchYard(1751)(HO)
WilliamWordsworth,TinternAbbey,407;
Nutting,475;Ode.Initiationsof
Immortality...,538.

WilliamBlake,TheShepherd,TheEchoing
Green,TheLamb,180;TheSickRose,The
Fly,196;TheTyger,197;MyPrettyRose
Tree,Ah,Sunflower!,198;TheGardenof
Love,199.
WilliamWordsworth,Michael:APastoral
Poem,510
JohnKeats,ToAutumn,1419

SamuelTaylorColeridge,Chamouny:theHour
BeforeSunrise,677;
PercyShelley:ToWordsworth,1052;Mont
Blanc,1075;
JohnClare,Iam,1237;AnInvitetoEternity,
1238
JohnKeats,WhenIhavefears...,1351;Bright
star...,1433

MaryShelley,TheLastMan
Byron,Darkness(onhandout)(HO)

Tues,
28Sep

Week2
5Oct

Week3
12Oct

Week4
19Oct

Week5
26Oct

Garrard,Beginnings,115

JonathanBate,
IntroductiontoRomantic
Ecology(HO)

Garrard,Positions,1632
andPastoral,3358.

TerryGifford,ThreeKinds
ofPastoral(HO)

Garrard,Wilderness,59
84.
KarlKroeber,Introducing
EcologicalCriticism(HO)

Garrard,Apocalypse,85
107.
MortonPaley,TheLast
Man:ApocalypseWithout
Millennium(HO)

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Week6

Week7
9Nov

Week8
16Nov

Week9
23Nov

Week10
30Nov
Week11
7Dec
Week12

ReadingWeek

NoSeminar
Submit2,000wordessayby1pmonFriday5
November.

Garrard,Dwelling,108
SamuelTaylorColeridge,KublaKhan,???;
135.
FrostatMidnight,625

DorothyWordsworth,ACottageinGrasmere
Vale,588
LeighHunt,ToHampstead,795
JohnClare,TheFlitting,1230
PercyShelley,Epipsychidion(HO)

Garrard,Animals,136159. RobertBurns,ToaMouse,Wu,268
SamuelTaylorColeridge,TheNightingale;A

JamesMcKusick,Ecology, ConversationalPoem,353
PercyShelley,ToaSkylark,1181
fromRomanticism:An
JohnKeats,OdetoaNightingale,1395
OxfordGuide(HO)
JohnClare,TheNightingalesNest,Major
Works,213

Garrard,Futures,160182. RichardMabey,NatureCure
JohnClare,MajorWorks,xviixxxii;196.

BobHeyes,JohnClareand
Enclosure(HO)

TimothyMorton,John
IainSinclair,EdgeoftheOrison
ClaresDarkEcology(HO)
JohnClare,MajorWorks,96249;429483.

DaleJamieson,Natures
future,fromEthicsandthe
Environment(HO)

WritingWeek

AdamFoulds,TheQuickeningMaze
JohnClare,MajorWorks,250354.

NoSeminar
Submit4,000wordessayby1pm,Friday,17
December.

Tasks

Reading:everyweek

Readthepoetry,playsandnovelonthereadinglistasindicatedweekbyweek
aboveincontinuousconjunctionwiththecriticalreadingfromGregGarrards
Ecocriticism,andtogetherwiththeothersuggestedcriticalreading.Thesereading
tasksyoushouldofcoursecarryoutbeforeattendingthatweeksseminar.The
readingwillprepareyoutoengagefullyinclassdiscussionaboutthem,every
seminar,everyweek.Youmightnotunderstandeverythingyouread:thatswhat
seminarsarefor!So,bringquestions,problems,yourowneurekamoments(or
theiropposite),andhopefullywecanworkthroughtheminseminar,andsoallreach
better,fuller,andmoresophisticatedcomprehensionofthetextsandtheissues
theyraisethroughdialogue.

Criticalandecologicalresearch:everyweek

Asonehalfofthetitleofthismodulesuggests,weareheretoengagewithand
understandecologyandthebestwayforyoutodothatistobuildupaportfolioof
materialsarticles,essays,commentaries,websites,newsitemsandsoonthat
helpyoudevelopandchallengeyourcomprehensionofcontemporarydebates
aboutecology,environmentalissues,literarywritingaboutnature,andecocriticism.

Seminars:everyTuesday

Courseslikethisoneonlyworkifyouengage100%andthatmeansattendevery
session,andturnupontimeandwellprepared,readytotalk,askquestionsand
provideyourfellowseminargoersresponsestotheirquestionsandproblems.
Ideally,thetutorisjustafacilitatorofstudentdiscussion,whosetsupandchairs
debateandoralcritique.Seminarswillhoweverincludelecturestylemonologue
fromthetutor,aswellasactiveinclassanalysisofRomanticandcriticaltexts.As
usual,seminarattendanceismonitored,allabsencesrecordedandforwardedtothe
moduleleaderandthirdyeartutor.

SeminarPresentations:oncethissemester

Insession1youwillbeaskedtosignuptodoapresentationononeofthetexts.This
isnotassessedbutismandatoryforallstudents.Thepresentationcanhighlightany
aspectofatext,approachorcontextyouchoose,andisintendedtobeastimulant
forclassdiscussion.Thepresentationshouldbesomehowtiedtooneofthe

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Romanticperiodtextswearestudyingthatweek.Thepresentationdoesnothaveto
lastlongerthan5minutes,shouldnottakemuchtimetoprepareandshouldbe
informal,basedonnotes(i.e.notascriptedreading)andshouldsetupsome
questionsandissuesfortheclasstoconsider.Thetutorwillhelpyouifyoureatall
worried,butyoushouldntbe.Itisachanceforyoutoleadtherunofplayfora
while,havefunandbecriticallycreativeandplayful,andtakerisks.Ifyouwish,you
canteamuptodojointpresentations.Youcanalsousepresentationstodevelop,
testanddiscussideasyouareconsideringforyouressays.

Essays:week6andweek12

Yourtwoassessedessaysmustaddressseparatetopicsandincludereferencesto
differenttexts(i.e.youmustnotdotwoessaysonthesametextorthesametopic),
thoughyoucanmakesomebriefreferencestothesametexts.Asthisisadouble
creditthirdyearmodule,youarerequiredtousecritical,historicaland/or
theoreticalworkforbothyouressays.Youareencouragedtorangewaybeyondthe
setandrecommendedtextsinyourframeofreference,thoughsettextsmustbe
substantiallyreferredtoinbothessays.Thelongeressayshoulddiscusstwoormore
primarytexts.

Firstessay:2,000words,submitduringweek7seminarorby1pmtoblue
dropbox,onFriday5November.30%oftotalmarks.

Secondessay:4,000words,submitby1pm,Friday17December(endof
week12).70%oftotalmarks.

Essaysubmission

Essaysshouldbetypedwithdoublespacesbetweenlines.Essaysmustbe
accompaniedbyanattachedsignedanddatedstandardEnglishStudiesEssayCover
andMarkSheet,andshouldbeplacedinSimonKvesisbluedropboxonthe
groundfloorofTongebeforethedeadlineasindicatedabove.Pleasefastenyour
essayandcoversheettogethersecurelyaspagescangomissing.Anyessaysnot
followingthesebasicformattingandpresentationalrequirementswillbereturned
unmarked.TheessaysmustfollowtheregulationsassetoutintheEnglishStage2
handbookandwillbemarkedaccordingtothecriteriasetouttherein.

TheusualUniversitypenaltiesforlatesubmissionapply.Forguidanceandforhelp
onwritingessays,andforlatesubmissionregulations,pleaseconsultyourEnglish
StudiesStudentHandbook.Forfurtherguidanceoncitationinyouressays,visitthe
libraryresearchguidesonlineat:

http://www.brookes.ac.uk/services/library/guideintro.html#research.

EssayTitles

Alistofsuggestedtitlesfromwhichtodraw,forbothessays,appearsbelow.Youcan
alsowriteyourownessayquestions,forbothessays,butyoumustconsultwiththe
seminartutorbeforeyoustartwritinguptheessay.Thisrequirementisforyour
benefit,sopleasetakethetimetotalkthroughtheessaytitle,andafullessayplan,
withyourtutor,alongtimebeforethedeadline.Essayquestionsshouldbe
answeredwithreferencetocriticalandRomanticperiodtextsyouhavereadforthis
course.

1. Itiscriticallyinvalidtowriteabouttheworldofphysicalnature,andtheworldof
text,atthesametime,withthesameauthority,orwiththesameapproach:
Romanticpoets,theircontexts,andindeedRomanticvisionsofnature,onlyexist
tousastexts.AsDerridasaid,thereisnothingoutsidethetext.Considerthis
quotationinlightofthereadingyouhavedoneforthiscourse.

2. DiscusshowandwhytheRomanticpoetsthoughtpoetrycouldchangethe
world.

3. Environmentalcriticisminliteratureandtheartsclearlydoesnotyethavethe
standingwithintheacademyofsuchotherissuedrivendiscoursesasthoseof
race,gender,sexuality,class,andglobalisation.(LawrenceBuell,TheFutureof
EnvironmentalCriticism,129).Considertheextenttowhichenvironmental
criticismshouldorshouldnothavethesamestandingasotherissuedriven
criticalapproaches.

4. Thebrightsunwasextinguish'd,andthestars/Didwanderdarklinginthe
eternalspace,/Rayless,andpathless,andtheicyearth/Swungblindand
blackeninginthemoonlessair(Byron,Darkness).Whyandinwhatwaysdo
theRomanticsimagineandexploredeathofhumanity,andofthenaturalworld?

5. Allsighedwhenlawlesslaw'senclosurecame(JohnClare,TheMores).Was
JohnClarerighttobesoangryaboutenclosure?

6. Thouhastavoice,greatMountain,torepeal/Largecodesoffraudandwoe
(PercyShelley,MontBlanc).WhydidtheRomanticpoetsbelievesostronglyin
theliberatingpowerofthenaturalworld?

7. TheperspectiveofWilliamWordsworthandSamuelTaylorColeridgemay
legitimatelybetermedanecologicalviewofthenaturalworld,sincetheirpoetry
consistentlyexpressesadeepandabidinginterestintheEarthasadwelling
placeforalllivingthings.(JamesC.McKusick,GreenWriting:Romanticismand
Ecology,29).DoyouagreewithMcKusickscharacterisationofWordsworthand
Coleridge,andcanthesameecologicalviewbefoundinotherwritersofthe
Romanticperiod?

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8. ExploretherelationshipbetweenRomanticsubjectivityandthenaturalworldin
textsyouhavereadforthiscourse.

9. Ecocritics,todosomethinggenuinelymeaningfulmustofferreadersabroader,
deeper,andperhapsmoreexplicitexplanationofhowandwhatenvironmental
literaturecommunicatesthanthewritersdothemselves,immersedastheyarein
theirownspecificnarratives.Crucialtothisecocriticalprocessofpullingthings
(ideas,texts,authors)togetherandputtingtheminperspectiveisourawareness
ofwhoandwhereweare.(ScottSlovic,GoingAwaytoThink:Engagement,
RetreatandEcocriticalResponsibility,34).Discusswithreferencetotextsand
contextsyouhaveencounteredonthiscourse.

10. Prophetsproclaimingimminentcatastrophearenothingnewinthehistoryof
Westernculture...Theapproachofinevitabledoomhasbecomethe
conventionalwisdomofthelatetwentiethcentury.(RonaldBailey,EcoScam:
TheFalseProphetsofEcologicalApocalypse,2).Howsignificantis
apocalypticismafactorintheenvironmentaldiscourseofRomanticism,and
howmightitrelatetotheenvironmentaldiscourseofthetwentyfirstcentury?

11. IstheresponseoftheRomanticstonaturealwaysgendered?

12. Followingothercritics,GregGarrard(Ecocriticism,115)suggeststhatweshould
alwaysbeawareoftherhetoricaldeviceswhichenvironmentalwritersdeployto
getusthinkingincertainwaysaboutnatureandaboutourrelationshiptoit.
ConsidertheimplicationsoftherhetoricalstrategiesoftwoormoreRomantic
periodwritersintheirconstructionofnature.

13. Deepecologyidentifiesthedualisticseparationofhumansfromnature...asthe
originofenvironmentalcrisis(GregGarrard,Ecocriticism,21).DoRomantic
writersfollowthissamedistinctionbetweenmanandnature,ordotheyclose
thegap?

14. Considerthewaysinwhichcontemporarycreativeartistshaverespondedto
JohnClareslegacy,andexplorethepossibleintentionstheymighthavein
decidingusing,andrewriting,Clare.Youmayrefertoanynovelists,prose
writers,poets,artists,andmusiciansyoufind.

15. JohnClareisapoetoflossofthenaturalworld,andthisisthecentralreason
Mabey,Sinclair,Fouldsandothersarefascinatedbyhim:contemporarysociety
hasitselflostallconnectionwithanaturalworldwhichithasruined
irredeemably.Societysonlyrecourseisnostalgicsentimentality.Discuss.

16. Aseparationbetweenmanandnatureisnotsimplytheproductofmodern
industryorurbanism;itisacharacteristicofmanyearlierkindsoforganized
labour,includingrurallabour.(RaymondWilliams,IdeasofNature,[1972],
CultureandMaterialism,[Verso,2005],82).Discusswithreferencetoboth
Romantictextsandcontemporarytexts.

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Library Resources

Itisarequirementofthismodulethatyoushowengagementwithcritical,historical
andtheoreticalresearchontheauthorsandthewiderRomanticperiod,andon
ecologicaltheoriesandcurrentenvironmentaldebates.TheBrookeslibrarystocks
papercopiesofandprovideselectronicaccesstojournalssuchasRomanticism,
StudiesinRomanticism,theJohnClareSocietyJournal,EssaysinCriticism,ELH,
GothicStudies,NineteenthCenturyContexts,NineteenthCenturyFiction,
NineteenthCenturyLiterature,StudiesinEnglishLiteratureandYearsWorkinEnglish
Studies.TwoRomanticperiodonlinejournalsprovidefullyscholarly,peerreviewed
editionsandarticles:RomanticCirclesandRomanticismontheNet(detailsunder
websitesbelow).

ResearchTip(1):MLABibliography

Tofindspecificarticles,youshouldmakeuseoftheonlineMLABibliography.
Togettoit,gototheElectronicLibraryat:

www.brookes.ac.uk/services/library/eleclib.html

...thenclickonDatabases,thenM,thenonMLAinternationalbibliography.Not
allthearticleslistedwillbeavailableatOBU,butmanywill,andsomeareaccessible
onlineviatheOBULibrarysite.Askme,oralibrarian,forhelp.

ResearchTip(2):JSTOR

AnotherexcellentdatabaseofarticlestowhichthelibrarysubscribesisJSTOR.
Again,ontheBrookeslibrarywebsite,gotoDatabases,clickonJandscrolldown
toJSTOR.IfyouusetheAdvancedSearchoption,thentakethetickoutofthebox
SearchforlinkstoarticlesoutsideofJSTOR,andthenputatickintheboxbelow
nexttoTypewhichsaysArticle,theresultsreturnedtoyouonyoursearchwill
containonlylinkstoarticleswhicharestoredbyJSTORandwhichyoucanopen,
saveand/orprintoutasPDFs.
IfyouarenotalreadyusingtheOEDonlinetofindoutwhatwordsmeantin
theRomanticperiod,youwillfinditalsoviatheElectronicsectionoftheOBUlibrary
website(DatabaseorReferencesections).Thisisavitaltoolforthestudyof
languageuseinourperiod.
Usethelibraryssubjectbasedguidetogetstraighttotheheartofthemany
resourcesonoffer,here:

www.brookes.ac.uk/library/english.html

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Reading Lists

Thesebrokendownbelowintosectionsforeaseofusebutnotexhaustive
successonthiscourseisdependentuponyourownextensiveresearchandcritical
discoveries.Thisisnotacomprehensivelistofpossiblesecondarysources:itisjusta
start!

Afineplacetostartandasolidintroductiontothetopicofthiswholecourse(which
includessomemodelecologicalreadingsofRomantictexts),andwhichisincludedin
yourAppendixofTexts,is:

McKusick,JamesC.,Ecology,Romanticism:AnOxfordGuide,ed.NicholasRoe
(OxfordUniversityPress,2005),199218.

Ecology,Ecocriticism&Romanticism

Baker,Brian,IainSinclair(ContemporaryBritishNovelists)(ManchesterUniversityPress,
2007).
Barrell,John,TheIdeaofLandscapeandtheSenseofPlace,17301840:anApproachtothe
PoetryofJohnClare(CambridgeUniversityPress,1972).
Bate,Jonathan,JohnClare:ABiography(Picador,2003).
RomanticEcology:WordsworthandtheEnvironmentalTradition(Routledge,1991).
TheSongoftheEarth(Picador,2000).
Beer,John(ed.),QuestioningRomanticism(JohnsHopkinsUniversityPress,1995).
Biehl,Janet,FindingOurWay:RethinkingEcofeministPolitics(BlackRoseBooks,1991).
Brewer,Richard,TheScienceofEcology,2ndedition(SaundersCollege,1994).
Brownlow,Timothy,JohnClareandPicturesqueLandscape(ClarendonPress,1983).
Buell,Lawrence,TheFutureofEnvironmentalCriticism:EnvironmentalCrisisandLiterary
Imagination(BlackwellPublishing,2005).
Butler,Marilyn,Romantics,RebelsandReactionaries(OxfordUniversityPress,1981).
Chandler,James,Englandin1819:thePoliticsofLiteraryCulture(UniversityofChicago
Press,1998).
Clare,John,TheNaturalHistoryProseWritingsofJohnClare,ed.MargaretGrainger(Oxford
UniversityPress,1984).
Coupe,Laurence,ed.,TheGreenStudiesReader:fromRomanticismtoEcocriticism
(Routledge,2000).
Crawford,Rachel,Poetry,Enclosure,andtheVernacularLandscape,17001830(Cambridge
UniversityPress,2002).
Curran,Stuart(ed.),CambridgeCompaniontoRomanticism(CambridgeUniversityPress,
1993).
Fill,Alvin,andPeterMhlhusler,eds,TheEcolinguisticsReader:Language,Ecologyand
Environment(Continuum,2001).
Fisch,Audrey,(ed.)etal.TheOtherMaryShelley:BeyondFrankenstein(OxfordUniversity
Press,2003).

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Foot,Paul,RedShelley(SidgwickandJacksonandMichaelDempsey,1980).
Foster,JohnBellamy,EcologyAgainstCapitalism(MonthlyReviewPress,2002).
TheVulnerablePlanet:aShortEconomicHistoryoftheEnvironment(MonthlyReview
Press,1999).
Foulds,Adam,TheQuickeningMaze(JonathanCape,2009).
Garrard,Greg,Ecocriticism(Routledge,2004).
Gill,Stephen,TheCambridgeCompaniontoWordsworth(CambridgeUniversityPress,2003).
Gilroy,Amanda(ed.),GreenandPleasantLand:EnglishCultureandtheRomantic
Countryside(Peeters,2004).
Goodridge,JohnandSimonKvesi,(eds.),JohnClare:NewApproaches(JohnClareSociety,
2000).
Guattari,Flix,TheThreeEcologies,trans.IanPindarandPaulSutton(Continuum,2000).
Hanley,KeithandRamanSelden(eds),RevolutionandEnglishRomanticism(Harvester
Wheatsheaf,1990).
Haughton,Hugh(ed.),[etal],JohnClareinContext(CambridgeUniversityPress,1994).
Holmes,Richard,Shelley:thePursuit,secondedition(Flamingo,1995).
Jamieson,Dale,EthicsandtheEnvironment:anIntroduction(CambridgeUniversityPress,
2008).
Jarvis,Robin,TheRomanticPeriod:theIntellectualandCulturalContextofEnglishLiterature,
17891830(PearsonLongman,2004).
Kerridge,RichardandNeilSammells,eds,WritingtheEnvironment:Ecocriticismand
Literature,(Zed,1998).
Kroeber,Karl,EcologicalLiteraryCriticism:RomanticImaginingandtheBiologyoftheMind
(ColumbiaUniversityPress,1994).
Lacey,Norman,WordsworthsViewofNature,anditsEthicalConsequences(ArchonBooks,
1965).
Lederer,SusanE.,Frankenstein:PenetratingtheSecretsofNature(RutgersUniversityPress,
2002).
Love,GlenA.,PracticalEcocriticism:Literature,BiologyandtheEnvironment(Universityof
VirginiaPress,2003).
Lovejoy,ArthurO.,TheGreatChainofBeing:aStudyoftheHistoryofanIdea(Harperand
Row,1960).
Lovelock,James,Gaia:aNewLookatLifeonEarth(OxfordUniversityPress,1979).
Mabey,Richard,InaGreenShade:EssaysonLandscape,19701983(Hutchinson,1983).
TheUnofficialCountryside(Collins,1973).
Weeds(ProfileBooks,2010).
McCalman,Iain[etal](eds),AnOxfordCompaniontotheRomanticAge:BritishCulture
17761832(OxfordUniversityPress,2001).
McKusick,James,GreenWriting:RomanticismandEcology(Macmillan,2000).
Morton,Timothy(ed.),TheCambridgeCompaniontoShelley(CambridgeUniversityPress,
2006).
EcologyWithoutNature:RethinkingEnvironmentalAesthetics(HarvardUniversityPress,
2007).
O'Flinn,Paul,HowtoStudyRomanticPoetry,secondedition(Macmillan,2001).
Preminger,AlexandT.V.F.Brogan[etal](eds),TheNewPrincetonEncyclopediaofPoetry
andPoetics(PrincetonUniversityPress,1993).

13
Rigby,Kate,TopographiesoftheSacred:ThePoeticsofPlaceinEuropeanRomanticism
(UniversityofVirginiaPress,2004).
Roe,Nicholas(ed.),Romanticism:AnOxfordGuide(OxfordUniversityPress,2005).
Rossendale,Steven,ed.,TheGreeningofLiteraryScholarship:Literature,Theory,andthe
Environment(UniversityofIowaPress,2002).
Sheppard,Robert,IainSinclair(Writers&TheirWork)(NorthcoteHouse,2007).
Sinclair,Iain,LondonOrbital:aWalkAroundtheM25(Penguin,2003).
Slovic,Scott,GoingAwaytoThink:Engagement,Retreat,andEcocriticalResponsibility
(UniversityofNevadaPress,2008).
Stabler,Jane,BurketoByron,BarbauldtoBaillie,17901830(Palgrave,2002).
Storey,Mark,TheProblemofPoetryintheRomanticPeriod(Macmillan,2000).
Thompson,E.P.,CustomsinCommon(Penguin,1993)
TheMakingoftheEnglishWorkingClass(Penguin,1991)
TheRomantics:EnglandinaRevolutionaryAge(Merlin,1997)
Williams,Raymond,Keywords:Avocabularyofcultureandsociety(Fontana,1983).
Worster,Donald,NaturesEconomy:aHistoryofEcologicalIdeas(CambridgeUniversity
Press,1985).
Wu,Duncan,ed.,ACompaniontoRomanticism,(Blackwell,1998).

MaryShelley,TheLastMan:

Canuel,Mark,Acts,Rules,andTheLastMan,NineteenthCenturyLiterature,53:2
(September1998),14770.URL:http://www.jstor.org/stable/2902981
Fisch,Audrey,(ed.)etal.TheOtherMaryShelley:BeyondFrankenstein(OxfordUniversity
Press,2003)[ContainsvariousessaysonLastMan].
Lederer,SusanE.,Frankenstein:PenetratingtheSecretsofNature(RutgersUniversityPress,
2002).
Mellor,Anne,MaryShelley:herLife,herFiction,herMonsters(Routledge,1988).
Sussman,Charlotte,IslandedintheWorld:CulturalMemoryandHumanMobilityinThe
LastMan,PMLA,118:2(March2003),286301.URL:
http://www.jstor.org/stable/1261415
Sterrenburg,Lee,TheLastMan:AnatomyofFailedRevolutions,NineteenthCenturyFiction,
33:3(December1978),32447.URL:http://www.jstor.org/stable/2933018
WagnerLawlor,Jennifer,PerformingHistory,PerformingHumanityinMaryShelleysThe
LastMan,StudiesinEnglishLiterature,15001900,42:4,NineteenthCentury
(Autumn2002),75380.URL:http://www.jstor.org/stable/1556295
Williams,John,MaryShelley:aLiteraryLife(Macmillan,2000).

PercyShelley

Allott,Miriam(ed.),EssaysonShelley(LiverpoolUniversityPress,1982).
Blank,Kim(ed.),TheNewShelley:LaterTwentiethCenturyViews(Macmillan,1991).
Wordsworth'sInfluenceonShelley:aStudyofPoeticAuthority(Macmillan,
1988).

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Clark,TimothyandJerroldHogle,(eds),EvaluatingShelley(EdinburghUniversity
PressfortheUniversityofDurham,1996).
Cox,Jeffrey,PoetryandPoliticsintheCockneySchool:Keats,Shelley,HuntandTheir
Circle(CambridgeUniversityPress,1998).
Everest,Kelvin(ed.),ShelleyRevalued(BarnesandNoble,1983).
(ed.),PercyByssheShelley:BicentenaryEssays(D.S.Brewer,1992).
Foot,Paul,RedShelley(SidgwickandJacksonandMichaelDempsey,1980).
Gilmour,Ian,TheMakingofthePoets:ByronandShelleyinTheirTime(Chattoand
Windus,2002).
Holmes,Richard,Shelley:thePursuit,secondedition(Flamingo,1995).
Holmes,Richard(ed.),ShelleyOnLove:anAnthology(AnvilPress/WildwoodHouse,
1980).
McCalman,Iain(ed.),AnOxfordCompaniontotheRomanticAge:BritishCulture
17761832(OxfordUniversityPress,2001).
Morton,Timothy(ed.),TheCambridgeCompaniontoShelley(CambridgeUniversity
Press,2006).
O'Neill,Michael,Shelley(Longman,1993).
Scrivener,MichaelHenry,RadicalShelley(PrincetonUniversityPress,1982).
Tomalin,Claire,ShelleyandHisWorld(ThamesandHudson,1980).
Wasserman,Earl,Shelley:aCriticalReading(JohnsHopkinsPress,1971).

JohnClare(seebackissuesoftheJohnClareSocietyJournaltoo)

Barrell,John,TheIdeaofLandscapeandtheSenseofPlace,17301840:anApproach
tothePoetryofJohnClare(CambridgeUniversityPress,1972).
Bate,Jonathan,JohnClare:ABiography(Picador,2003).
Brownlow,Timothy,JohnClareandPicturesqueLandscape(ClarendonPress,1983).
Chirico,Paul,JohnClareandtheImaginationoftheReader(PalgraveMacmillan,
2007).
Clare,Johanne,JohnClareandtheBoundsofCircumstance(McGillQueen's
UniversityPress,1987).
Clare,John,ChampionofthePoor:PoliticalPoetryandProse(MidNAG/Carcanet,
2000).
TheLettersofJohnClare,MarkStorey(ed.),(Clarendon,1985).
TheLivingYear1841,TimChilcott(ed.),(TrentEditions,1999).
TheProseofJohnClare,J.W.andAnneTibble(eds),(RoutledgeandKeganPaul,
1970).
TheShepherd'sCalendar,EricRobinsonandGeoffreySummerfield(eds),(Oxford
UniversityPress,1964).
Deacon,George,JohnClareandtheFolkTradition,secondedition(FrancisBoutle,
2002).
Goodridge,John,(ed.),TheIndependentSpirit:JohnClareandtheSelfTaught
Tradition(JohnClareSocietyandtheMargaretGraingerMemorialTrust,1994).
Goodridge,JohnandSimonKvesi,(eds.),JohnClare:NewApproaches(JohnClare
Society,2000).

15
Haughton,Hugh(ed.),[etal],JohnClareinContext(CambridgeUniversityPress,
1994).
Janowitz,Anne,LyricandLabourintheRomanticTradition(CambridgeUniversity
Press,1998).
Kvesi,Simon,JohnClares"I"and"eye":EgotismandEcologisminGreenand
PleasantLand:EnglishCultureandtheRomanticCountryside,ed.Amanda
Gilroy(Leuven,2004),7388.
Leader,Zachary,RevisionandRomanticAuthorship(ClarendonPress,1996).
Lucas,John,EnglandandEnglishness:IdeasofNationhoodinEnglishPoetry1688
1900(Hogarth,1990).

JohnClare(NorthcoteHouse,1994).
Martin,Philip,AuthorialIdentityandtheCriticalAct:JohnClareandLordByron,in
QuestioningRomanticism,ed.byJohnBeer(JohnsHopkinsUniversityPress,
1995).
McKusick,James,GreenWriting:RomanticismandEcology(Macmillan,2000).
Sales,Roger,JohnClare:ALiteraryLife(Palgrave,2002).
Storey,Mark,Clare:theCriticalHeritage(RoutledgeandKeganPaul,1973).
Vardy,Alan,JohnClare,PoliticsandPoetry(Palgrave,2003).

SelectedCreativeWorksrespondingtoJohnClare(otherthantheoneson
primaryreadinglist:alloftheseareinshortloan)

FineArt:
Akroyd,Carry,naturespowers&spells:LandscapeChange,JohnClareandMe
(LangfordPress,2009).
Shields,Brian,InsideOutside(ClarewithClaire),http://brianshieldsartist.co.uk/
[Seetoprightimageonfrontofthishandbook].

Novels:
Allnatt,Judith,ThePoetsWife(Doubleday,2010).
Moore,Alan,VoiceoftheFire(TopShelfProductions,2009).

Plays:
Bond,Edward,TheFool,inPlays,Three:Bingo/TheFool/TheWoman/Stone
(MethuenDrama,1987).
Rae,Simon,Grass(TopEdgePress,2003).

Poetry:
Lucas,John,ed.,ForJohnClare:AnAnthologyofVerse(JohnClareSociety,1997)

AlsoseebackissuesoftheJohnClareSocietyJournal,whichcontainsawidevariety
ofpoetry,proseandart.FullstockinOBUlibrary.

16

Websites

N.B.:ThereisofcourseamassiveamountofRomanticrelatedmaterialonthe
Internet,andprobablyevenmoreaboutecologyandenvironmentalissuessuchas
globalwarming.Pleasebeverydiscerningwhenonlinematerials,andensureyou
followtheguidelinesproducedbythelibraryforcorrectreferencingofInternet
sourcesinwrittenwork,onlineat:
http://www.brookes.ac.uk/services/library/citeweb.html

Ageneralruleofthumbforuseoftheinternetforyourresearchis:ifinanydoubtat
allastoqualityandveracityofwhatyoufind,gotoabookinstead.Beverycautious
ifyoucannotfindanauthorsnameoradateofpublicationonaninternetsource.
Academicbooks,essaysandarticlesgothrougharigorousprocessofpeerrefereeing
andreviewingbyexperts;mostwebsiteresources,includingthedelightfulmessthat
isWikipedia,donot.TwoRomanticexceptionsarethehighlyreliable,scholarlysites,
RomanticCirclesandRomanticismontheNet,listedbelow.

Goodplacestostart,oncurrentdebatesabouttheenvironment:

GuardianUnlimited,Environment
http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment

TheTimesOnline,Environment
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/environment/

TheTelegraph,Earth
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/earth/index.jhtml

NewStatesman,GreenThinkingbyMarkLynas
http://www.newstatesman.com/columns/greenthinking

AssociationfortheStudyofLiteratureandEnvironment
http://www.asle.org/

WorldWildlifeFund
http://www.wwf.org.uk/core/index.asp

Greenpeace
http://www.greenpeace.org.uk/

17

RomanticSites:

ByronChronology:
http://www.rc.umd.edu/reference/byronchronology/index.html

Byron(someusefulinfo.especiallyonCarolineLambandAnneIsabellaMilbanke):
http://www.englishhistory.net/byron.html

Byron(goodtextualresource):
http://www.cas.astate.edu/engphil/gallery/byron.html

PBShelleyChronologybyCarlStahmer:
http://www.rc.umd.edu/cstahmer/shelcron/

JohnClarePage:
http://www.johnclare.info/

RomanticCircles:
http://www.rc.umd.edu/

RomanticPeriodChronology:
http://english.ucsb.edu:591/rchrono/

RomanticismontheNet:
http://www.ron.umontreal.ca/

VoiceoftheShuttle:Romanticism(links):
http://vos.ucsb.edu/browse.asp?id=2750

18

OfficialDocumentation

1.MODULENUMBERANDTITLE:U67082SPECIALSUBJECT3:
OPTION:ECOLOGYANDROMANTICISM

2.ModuleLeader: CarolineJacksonHoulston
UnitLeader:
SimonKvesi

3.CourseDescription
This advanced Honours module and the other Special Subjects modules offer a
basketofcoursesinEnglishfromwhichstudentscanselect,inordertopursuetheir
particular areas of historical interest or thematic specialisms. The options offered
are based on the current research interests of staff and may therefore vary from
yeartoyear,butthedepartmentsustainshistoricalandgenericcoverageinlinewith
theCorecourses.Individualoptionsdifferintheexercisessetbutallequateto6,000
wordsofcoursework.Alloptionssharetheaimofintroducingstudentstoareasof
staffresearchspecialismsothattheycanengagedirectlywithcurrentresearchand
evaluateitinrelationtoaspecialisedbodyofprimarytextsandtothecontextsof
original production and subsequent reproduction of those texts. Students will be
expectedtotakeproactivecontroloftheirownlearningthroughfulfillingarangeof
assessmentpossibilitiesuniquetoeachoption.

AttheendTheSongoftheEarth,JonathanBatesuggeststhatpoetryistheplace
wherewesavetheearth.Canthisbetrue?Thisoptionaimstointerrogatethis
claim,alongwithmanyothersprofferedbythelooseschoolofcurrentecocriticism.
ItapproacheswritersoftheRomanticperiod(c.17801832),andcontemporary
writersrespondingtoRomanticism,throughthetheories,practicesandethicsof
contemporaryecologicalcriticism.Itisthereforeamodulewhichisengagedwitha
particularpartofliteraryhistory,theRomanticperiod,butonewhichistheoretically
basedincurrentecologicalconcerns.

4.RelationshipwithotherModules

Prerequisites:
Corequisites:
LevelandStatus:

2creditsfrom:U67020,U67021,U67022,U67023,U67024,
U67025,U67029

none
.
Level6HonoursComponentdoublemodule.
AlternativecompulsoryforBAEnglish(XE),BAEnglishStudies
(EX)
AcceptableforEnglish(EA),EnglishStudies(EN)
Semester2

Placement:

5.Content
Thecoursewillfocusexplicitlyuponarangeofecologicallygroundedtheoretical,
criticalandpoliticalpositions,including:deepecology;ecoanarchism;
apocalypticism;ecofeminism;environmentalism;millenarianism;social(orMarxist)

19
ecology;ecofascism.Inlightofthesepoliticisedcriticalpositions,thecourse
approachesandevaluatesRomanticperiodtextsinextendedseminardiscussion,
suchaspoetryofCharlotteSmith,WilliamWordsworth,SamuelTaylorColeridge,
GeorgeGordonByron,JohnKeats,PercyShelleyandJohnClare;thejournalof
DorothyWordsworth;thenovelFrankensteinbyMaryShelley,andPercyShelleys
playPrometheusUnbound.

6.LearningOutcomes

6.1 KnowledgeandUnderstanding
Taught
Practised Assessed
Havingcompletedthismodulesuccessfully,
studentswillhavedevelopedtheirabilitiesto:
9
9
9
i. Displayknowledgeandunderstandingofarange

ofrepresentativeRomanticwriting

9
9
9
ii. Displayknowledgeandunderstandingofthe

social,politicalandhistoricalcontextsofthese

writings

iii. Displayknowledgeandunderstandingofrecent
9
9
9
andcurrentecocriticalinvestigationintothe

conceptsandissuesofawidevarietyof

responsestonatureandenvironment

iv. Consider,compareandcontrastthewaysin

whichtheRomanticwriterswroteaboutthe
9
9
9
naturalworldandmanspositioninrelationtoit

6.2ProfessionalSkills
Havingcompletedthismodulesuccessfully,studentswill Taught Practised Assessed
havedevelopedtheirabilitiesto:
9
9
9
i. Deployclosereadingskillsinavarietyoftexts

9
9
9
ii. Contextualisetextstheoretically,withparticular

attentiontoissuesofnatureandenvironment

9
9
9
iii. Applyecocriticaltheoreticalmodelstothosetexts

andcontexts

iv. Producetheoreticallyinformed,wellstructured,
9
9
9
relevantarguments,supportedbyappropriate
textualevidence

20

6.3TransferableSkills
Havingcompletedthismodulesuccessfully,students
willhavedevelopedtheirabilitiesto:
i. Communicatefindingsorallyandinwrittenform

ii. Workproductivelyindependentlyandingroups

iii. Listeneffectivelyandlearnfromdiscussion

iv. Recogniseanddiscriminatebetweenavarietyof
competingtheoretical,social,andaesthetic
positions

v. Producewrittenworkinlinewithcorrectacademic
protocol

vi. Makeuseoffeedbacktoimproveperformance

vii. Thinkanalytically

viii. Carryoutindependentresearchusingarangeof
resources,includingbooks,journalarticles,and
electronicsources

ix. Developandcomplicateunderstandingand
knowledgeofliteraryhistory

x. Developaninformedunderstandingof
contemporaryenvironmentalandecopolitical
discourse

7.TeachingandLearningExperiences

Taught

Practised Assessed

Studentscompletingthismodulewillhavebeengiventheopportunityto:
attend30hoursofseminars(10x3hoursessions)whichincorporatealecturestyle
element,butwhicharepredominantlyfocusedaroundstudenttextbasedactivities
andpresentationofweeklydiscoveriesandlinesofenquiry
researchandwriteabouttopicsandtextswithintheremitofthemodule
useelearningresourcessuchasarticlesandonlinemediatoenhanceseminar
preparationandresearchtowardsassessment
attendonehourofonetoonetutorialtimeacrossthesemestertodiscussissues
raisedbythecourse
receiveoralandwrittenfeedbackonassessedtasks

21
Studentscompletingthismodulewillhave:
completedwrittenwork

receivedfeedbackonassessedwork

ThemoduleandoptionwillruninSemester2ofeveryyear,aslongasstaffing
allows.ItiscurrentlyscheduledforMondaymornings.

8.NotionalLearningTime

Total:300hoursforthisdoubleUndergraduatemodule.

Seminars
30hours
1hour
Tutorial
269
Selfdirectedstudy

9. Assessment
Coursework
100%

TheassessmentwillprimarilyaddressLearningOutcomes6.1,6.2and6.3,inthe
followingways:
Firstessay(2,000words,30%):6.1iiv;6.2iiv;6.3i,iv,v,viix
Secondessay(4,000words,70%):6.1iiv;6.2iiv;6.3i,iv,v,viix

10. IndicativeReading

Seeabove

11. ValidationHistory

ThismoduleandindicativeoptionswerevalidatedFebruary2003.