Overview
Agricultural life and the natural world has often been a theme in the expressions of mankind because we are directly connected to the earth for food and shelter. This expression is known as the pastoral tradition and is seen in literature, art, and music.This course will study literary works responding to the significance of agriculture and nature.
For this course, time has been divided into seven ages:
- Classical
- Medieval
- Renaissance
- Romantic
- Enlightenment
- Realism
- Modern
Since there is much literature during the Realism and Modern periods, we will discuss European and American Realism and European and American Moderism. For each age, literature examples have been selected to represent the relationship between man and agriculture. The course will examine the relationship and the agricultural validity of the writings providing a survey of literature and a look at agricultural practices throughout the ages. It will address the potential need for humans to reconnect with the earth that provides their basic needs. The course entails reading, journal writing, and two essays (analytical and comparative).
