Exploring literature: an introduction to prose and poetry

What is the course about?

This course introduces you to a variety of prose texts and poems from the nineteenth century to the present. You’ll be able to discover different forms of writing, learn about classic works and about literature that might be new to you, and share your own experiences of reading.

The course includes short stories by Edgar Allan Poe, Sam Selvon and George Saunders and work by a variety of poets including W.H. Auden, Emily Dickinson and Liz Berry. We’ll look at extracts from Charlotte Brontë’s Jane Eyre and we’ll read two novels: Wide Sargasso Sea by Jean Rhys (published in 1966) and Audrey Magee’s The Colony (longlisted for the Booker Prize in 2022).

We’ll discuss our experiences of reading and analyse how writers work to shape our responses. Reading prose, we’ll explore how writers create characters and how they use different styles and techniques to tell their stories. We’ll read poems and also listen to them, studying how they work both as spoken words and ‘on the page’. We’ll also consider the times and social contexts in which the texts were written, and what’s distinctive about different forms of literature.

What will we cover?

We’ll explore how writers bring people and places to life, and the techniques they use to create and shape characters. Reading prose texts, we’ll consider how short stories and novels develop themes and the voices they use. We’ll read and listen to poems, thinking about their form, rhythms and sounds, and about the effects they have on us as readers. We’ll also consider the historical and social contexts in which these texts were written, and think about how this knowledge can enhance our experience of reading.

What will I achieve?
By the end of this course you should be able to...

• Gain confidence and build your vocabulary for discussing and analysing poetry and prose
• Consider narrative techniques and how writers shape our responses to novels and short stories
• Build your knowledge of the historical and social circumstances that shaped the texts
• Take away ideas and inspiration to enhance your future reading.

What level is the course and do I need any particular skills?

All you need is enthusiasm for reading! You don’t need to have studied literature before. This course is ideal for people who enjoy discussing books and are interested in sharing their ideas and listening to others’ views of the reading.

How will I be taught, and will there be any work outside the class?

Short presentations from the tutor, group discussion, small group activities, close reading and analysis, and working with additional materials such as audio clips. Guided by the tutor, the focus is on participation and interaction, with opportunities for sharing responses and ideas.

Work outside the class involves doing the reading for each week, and thinking in advance about reading prompts and questions provided by the tutor.



Teaching on the course includes: short presentations from the tutor, group discussion, small group activities, close reading and analysis, and working with additional materials such as audio clips. Guided by the tutor, the focus is on participation and interaction, with opportunities for sharing responses and ideas.

Are there any other costs? Is there anything I need to bring?

You’ll need to buy or borrow these two books, both available in paperback:

Jean Rhys, Wide Sargasso Sea (e.g. Penguin Modern Classics)
Audrey Magee, The Colony (Faber and Faber)

The tutor will provide links and copies of short stories, poems and other class materials.

When I've finished, what course can I do next?

The same tutor will be teaching HLT250 Writing from Life and HLT269 Writings on Solitude in term one and HLT291 Epistolary Fiction and HLT35 Imposters, Fakes and Hoaxes in Fiction in term two.
Look for other literature courses under History, Culture and Writing/Literature at www.citylit.ac.uk.