A survey of the major figures and movements of English literature through the first part of the seventeenth century: Chaucer, Marlowe, Spenser, Shakespeare, Donne, and others. The goal of the course is a critical and historical understanding of the English literary tradition, with practice in close reading and critical writing. Format: lecture/discussion. Requirements: frequent short exercises, two 5- to 7-page papers, midterm and a final exam. Prerequisites: a 100-level English course, except 150. Enrollment limit: 25 (expected: 20). Preference given to sophomores and to first-year students who have placed out of 100-level courses. (Pre-1700)