Description and Objectives

The idea of spiritual journey is planted deep in the human soul. This course will explore the literary legacy of this historic inclination of mankind to trek–often into the face of hazard and danger–to holy places. Our course will follow the arc of pilgrimage as it is traced across the centuries in Judaism, Christianity and Islam, looking at accounts written by pilgrims who chronicled their sacred journeys and also creative works–poems and novels–that reflect the deep impress of pilgrimage on the Western imagination.

Unrelated to pilgrimage, we will start the year by reading Hamlet. All juniors and seniors enrolled in a Heights English elective will read this play first semester to broaden their literary horizons.

Textbooks

Hamlet William Shakespeare(all junior/senior courses will read this)

The Road to Emma’s: Pilgrimage as a Way of Life                 Jim Forest

The Spiritual Meadow                                                                John Moschos

The Inferno(selections)                                                            Dante Alighieri

The Canterbury Tales(selections)                                            Geoffrey Chaucer

Laurus                                                                                           Eugene Vodolazkin

Assorted Essays                                                                            Various authors

 

 

 

 

Course Requirements

Students will be quizzed weekly and tested upon completion of each of the listed works.

Students will be make oral presentations on assigned topics.

Students will write essays both in and out of class to reveal their understanding of the books that will be read.

Successful Students

Keep up with the reading.

Excel on quizzes and tests.

Participate in classroom discussion.

Complete assigned writing projects on time.