| Unit name | Riddles, Puzzles, Enigmas |
|---|---|
| Unit code | ENGL30152 |
| Credit points | 20 |
| Level of study | H/6 |
| Teaching block(s) |
Teaching Block 2 (weeks 13 - 24) |
| Unit director | Dr. Cathy Hume |
| Open unit status | Not open |
| Units you must take before you take this one (pre-requisite units) |
N/A |
| Units you must take alongside this one (co-requisite units) |
N/A |
| Units you may not take alongside this one |
N/A |
| School/department | Department of English |
| Faculty | Faculty of Arts |
Why is this unit important?
This unit is an opportunity to spend some time grappling with the meaning of some intriguing medieval texts. Riddles, tales of supernatural wonder, puzzles, and ethical dilemmas invite readers to engage deeply with them and figure out what they mean. We will divide our time between close reading tricksy literary texts, and looking at theoretical perspectives that can help us to understand them, always working together to tease out linguistic complexities. The unit promises to be playful, focussed, and to involve lots of debate and deep thinking as we try to puzzle out riddles and dilemmas framed centuries ago. You will read a range of short theoretical texts, and we will work together to develop an understanding of literary meaning as you build toward the conclusion of your English degree!
How does this unit fit into your programme of study?
Specialisation units challenge and empower you to engage with specific elements of advanced literary study. Specialisation units include taught options, which are closely informed by the world-leading research of individual academic staff, as well as final-year dissertation units that will enable you to pursue your own research or creative interests. Specialisation units cultivate ambition and independent learning, and showcase the department’s wide-ranging and varied expertise.
An overview of content
This unit explores puzzles, starting with riddles with one- word solutions and going on to larger questions of interpretation: meaning, motivation, morals. Medieval literature was often designed to be playful and interactive, to provoke debate and discussion: we will consider a range of possible responses to each of our texts. We will puzzle out what poems mean both at the smallest level – that of individual words – and also investigate character motivation and the ethical principles literature offers. We will range widely across medieval literature, reading Middle English texts in the original language and other texts in translation. After Old English riddles and riddle-adjacent poetry, we will read lyrics, supernatural romances, and texts by major writers such as Chaucer, Langland, Gower, and Malory. The unit will centre on close reading (fairly) short texts together and will incorporate a range of theoretical perspectives to puzzles, ethics, and how we make meaning.
How will students, personally, be different as a result of the unit?
As with textual puzzles, there are a range of possibilities here. Will you find yourself more open to finding and contemplating alternative solutions and interpretations, in literature and life? Will you be better at close reading and analysing texts? Will you think of literature as playful, ethical, or disruptive? Will you be perturbed, conflicted, and puzzled? You will certainly have encountered a new range of literary texts and theoretical approaches, and thought more deeply and extensively about how readers and authors interact to make meaning.
Learning Outcomes
On successful completion of the unit, students will be able to:
1) Demonstrate advanced interpretative and analytical skills, appropriate to level H/6;
2) Describe and classify the kinds of puzzles, mysteries, and reader interaction found in medieval literature;
3) Apply a range of theoretical approaches to interpreting literary puzzles;
4) Construct detailed and sustained arguments in relation to questions of meaning in medieval literature, communicating complex ideas with clarity.
Teaching will involve asynchronous and synchronous elements, including group discussion, research and writing activities, and peer dialogue. Students are expected to engage with the reading and participate fully with the weekly tasks and topics. Learning will be further supported through the opportunity for individual consultation.
Short written analyses and responses completed during the unit will both help your learning throughout the unit and will develop your skills in writing textual analyses that can form part of your final essay.
Tasks which help you learn and prepare you for summative tasks (formative):
Students will be given the opportunity to submit an abstract and annotated bibliography of the final essay, and receive formative feedback.
Tasks which count towards your unit mark (summative)
Portfolio, 3,500 words (100%) [ILOs 1-4].
When assessment does not go to plan
When required by the Board of Examiners, you will normally complete reassessments in the same formats as those outlined above. However, the Board reserves the right to modify the format or number of reassessments required. Details of reassessments are confirmed by the School/Centre shortly after the notification of your results at the end of the year.
If this unit has a Resource List, you will normally find a link to it in the Blackboard area for the unit. Sometimes there will be a separate link for each weekly topic.
If you are unable to access a list through Blackboard, you can also find it via the Resource Lists homepage. Search for the list by the unit name or code (e.g. ENGL30152).
How much time the unit requires
Each credit equates to 10 hours of total student input. For example a 20 credit unit will take you 200 hours
of study to complete. Your total learning time is made up of contact time, directed learning tasks,
independent learning and assessment activity.
See the University Workload statement relating to this unit for more information.
Assessment
The assessment methods listed in this unit specification are designed to enable students to demonstrate the named learning outcomes (LOs). Where a disability prevents a student from undertaking a specific method of assessment, schools will make reasonable adjustments to support a student to demonstrate the LO by an alternative method or with additional resources.
The Board of Examiners will consider all cases where students have failed or not completed the assessments required for credit.
The Board considers each student's outcomes across all the units which contribute to each year's programme of study. For appropriate assessments, if you have self-certificated your absence, you will normally be required to complete it the next time it runs (for assessments at the end of TB1 and TB2 this is usually in the next re-assessment period).
The Board of Examiners will take into account any exceptional circumstances and operates
within the Regulations and Code of Practice for Taught Programmes.
