Department of Slavic Languages and Literatures

SLA429S Taras Shevchenko, Spring 2024

Class meets on Thursdays from 1:00 PM to 3:00 PM in Teefy Hall 101.

SLA 429S offers a detailed examination of Taras Shevchenko as a poet, as a painter, as a person, and as a prophet of the Ukrainian nation. The course covers all of Shevchenko's written works: his poetry, prose, letters, diary, and drama. It also examines some of his artwork. The significance of Shevchenko in Ukrainian literature and history is shown by examining critical works about him. The primary goal of the course, however, is to read and enjoy and then to read again Shevchenko's wonderful poetry.

Final papers are due after the last class and must be submitted by email no later than midnight April 14, 2024. Papers are to be 6–8 pages long. They are to be typed, double spaced, and in English. Papers may be written on any topic after consulting with the instructor.

Essay 1 will be a short, three page essay on an assigned topic. The topic will be announced one week before the due date.

Class Presentations are oral reports before the class. Every week each student is required to make a brief introduction to a particular poem or section of a poem before the rest of the class. Please email the instructor with your choice of text by Tuesday, two days before class.

There will be a Concluding test held in class in the second half of our last meeting, April 4, 2024.