This course will introduce students to the complex and dynamic study of literature and literary criticism. Students will be introduced to the methods and discourses of classical and contemporary literary theory and will use these tools to read prose, poetry and drama in critically informed ways. The techniques of critical thinking, argumentation and textual analysis that students develop in this course will serve as a vital foundation for further study of literature. The course will also provide an introduction to means and methods of literary research and help students understand the many possible alternative paths of study in the English major, including research projects at the senior level. Prerequisite is ENGL 204 and one of the following: ENGL 281, 282, 283, 284, 285 or permission of the instructor. It is recommended that students take the course in their junior year.