Literature

📘 Online Literature Course – Overview

Course Title: Introduction to Literature (or customizable e.g., World Literature, Modern Literature, American Literature)

Delivery Mode: 100% Online (can be self-paced, instructor-led, or blended)

🎯 Course Purpose

This course introduces students to the study of literature through a range of genres, themes, and time periods. Students will explore classic and contemporary texts to develop skills in literary analysis, critical thinking, and interpretive writing.

🧠 Learning Objectives

By the end of this course, students will:

• Understand key literary terms and concepts

• Analyze texts using literary techniques and critical thinking

• Identify themes, symbolism, character development, and narrative structure

• Recognize historical and cultural contexts of literature

• Express interpretations through discussion and writing

📝 Course Content Breakdown

1. Introduction to Literature

• What is literature? Why do we study it?

• Genres: Fiction, Poetry, Drama, Nonfiction

• Literary devices: metaphor, irony, imagery, symbolism

• Close reading and annotation skills

2. Fiction

• Elements: plot, character, setting, point of view, theme

• Sample texts:

  • “The Lottery” by Shirley Jackson

  • “A Good Man is Hard to Find” by Flannery O’Connor

  • Excerpts from Frankenstein or The Great Gatsby

• Activities: narrative analysis, character studies, creative response

3. Poetry

• Forms and structures: sonnet, free verse, narrative poetry

• Poetic devices: meter, rhyme, metaphor, alliteration

• Sample poets: Robert Frost, Emily Dickinson, Langston Hughes, Pablo Neruda

• Activities: poetry analysis, write-your-own poem, voice and tone analysis

4. Drama

• Understanding dramatic structure: acts, scenes, stage direction

• Sample plays:

  • Romeo and Juliet (Shakespeare)

  • A Raisin in the Sun (Lorraine Hansberry)

  • Trifles (Susan Glaspell)

• Activities: reading scenes aloud, character analysis, monologue writing

5. Nonfiction & Literary Essays

• Memoir, personal essay, literary journalism

• Sample texts:

  • Letter from Birmingham Jail by Martin Luther King Jr.

  • Excerpts from Night by Elie Wiesel

• Activities: analyzing rhetorical devices, writing reflective essays

6. Themes in Literature

• Common themes: identity, conflict, love, freedom, justice, power, nature

• Comparative analysis across genres and time periods

• Group discussions and thematic essay writing