English Lit reading list & Uni TBR / what i'm studying this year

TL;DR

Emma discusses the literature she will be studying in her third year of university, including Beowulf, King Lear, and Paradise Lost.

Transcript

so hello how are you today i thought i'd do a short sweet little video basically taking you guys along and over what i'm going to be reading in my first semester of my third year at university if you are new here like i said my name is emma it's super nice to meet you and i'm going back to uni after a couple of years away because of a brain injury ... Read More

Key Insights

• 🥰 Emma's love for English literature is evident as she shares her excitement for studying the various texts.
• 🧡 The reading list includes a mix of classic and more recent works, providing a diverse range of literature.
• 📔 The courses cover different periods and themes of literature, from Renaissance to British to Greek mythology.
• 😑 Emma expresses interest in delving deeper into certain texts through essays or further analysis.
• 🤞 She hopes to engage with viewers through vlogs and discussions about her university experience.
• 💦 The inclusion of more recent works like Solar Bones is refreshing and highlights the significance of contemporary literature in academic studies.
• ❓ Emma's enthusiasm for each text indicates her dedication to studying and analyzing literature.

Questions & Answers

Q: What is Beowulf about?

Beowulf is an old English epic that follows the warrior hero Beowulf on his adventure to defeat the monster Grendel and other challenges, including dragons.

Q: What is the focus of Memorial by Alice Oswald?

Memorial is a retelling of the Iliad and focuses on the atmosphere and lesser-known characters of the war, humanizing the mythological aspects.

Q: What is The Fairy Queen by Edmund Spenser about?

The Fairy Queen is a lengthy poem dedicated to Queen Elizabeth and follows knights on quests to achieve virtues, combining Arthurian romance and Italian Renaissance epic.

Q: What is the plot of King Lear?

King Lear is a tragedy about a king who divides his kingdom among his daughters, leading to family drama and the king's descent into madness, exploring themes of determinism and free will.

Q: What is Utopia by Thomas Moore about?

Utopia explores the concept of an ideal society and discusses various aspects of life within that society, serving as both satire and a source for innovative ideas.

Q: Describe the significance of Frankenstein by Mary Shelley.

Frankenstein explores themes of science, creation, and responsibility, and is a highly influential work of Gothic literature.

Q: What is Endgame by Samuel Beckett about?

Endgame is a play that follows four people in a house, existing in a bleak and uncertain world, and deals with themes of nihilism and existentialism.

Q: What is Paradise Lost by John Milton about?

Paradise Lost is an epic poem that tells the story of humanity's fall, beginning with Satan and his band of angels falling from heaven, and explores themes of biblical myth and the human condition.

Summary & Key Takeaways

• Emma shares the books she will be reading and studying in her third year of university, focusing on English literature.

• She mentions studying Renaissance literature, British literature, and literature from the United Kingdom.

• The books she discusses include Beowulf, Memorial, The Fairy Queen, King Lear, Utopia, Frankenstein, Endgame, Paradise Lost, and Solar Bones.