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English Major in Literature
Our Mission Statement
Rainer Maria Rilke’s
poem “An Archaic Torso of Apollo” ends with the sentence “You
must change your life.” A degree in English with an emphasis in
literature will change your life by affording you intimate
experiences with the most inspiring writers of all time. It is
the right choice for students who seek a richer, deeper life
experience and an expanded understanding of the human condition, and for students who want to be writers, editors, or publishers of literature themselves.
In addition to helping students cultivate aesthetic
sensibilities and multiply their reading pleasures, professors
facilitate group encounters with great books and their vital
wisdom. How students incorporate that wisdom into their lives is
up to them; in this way literary study serves both individual
humanity and the values of a democratic society. English majors
with the literature emphasis learn to interpret a wide variety
of texts representing the great range of human experience and
expression. Through guided practice in written and oral
presentations, students engage in disciplinary and
interdisciplinary conversations about literature, culture, and
human diversity. A literary education is one of the best foundations for all careers requiring character, intellect, leadership, and the ability to harness the power of language. Literature emphasis majors develop broad-based
skills in research and writing as well as practical knowledge of
the dynamic role of language in culture, history, and society,
all of which will provide them with a solid foundation for many
different careers or graduate programs, including management,
communications, law, entertainment, and just about anything
else. What can you do with an English major? Anything you want.
"One's destination is never a place, but a new way of seeing things." -- Henry Miller
“It is difficult / to get the news
from poems / yet men die miserably every day / for lack / of
what is found there.” –
William Carlos Williams