ELIT515 Literary Criticism & Theory I: From Plato to Present

Syllabus | International University of Sarajevo - Last Update on Mar 03, 2026

Referencing Curricula

HOSTED BY

English Language and Literature

Academic Year

2020 - 2021

Semester

Course Code

ELIT515

Weekly Hours

3 Teaching + 0 Practice

ECTS

Prerequisites

None

Teaching Mode Delivery

Online

Prerequisite For

Teaching Mode Delivery Notes

Cycle

II Cycle

TBA

Course Lecturer

Position

Phone

033 957

Assistant(s)

Assistant E-mail

Course Objectives

The course has two goals: (1) to foster close study, analysis, and appreciation of literary texts and (2) to enhance writing skills useful in academic and professional settings. Discussion will focus on characteristics of each of the three major literary genres (fiction, poetry, and drama), general critical approaches, interpretation of individual works, and methods of analyzing and writing about literature.

Learning Outcomes

After successful completion of the course, the student will be able to:

Identify, describe and define a variety of literary theories and their functions from Plato to the present day

Apply literary theories and applicable concepts to discuss literary works as an individual or as part of a team

Identify the major theorists and their ideas pertaining to literary theory criticism

Write an essay - analysis and interpretation of a work of literature using principles of a particular literary theory

Employ acquired knowledge and skills to discuss how different theoretical literary perspectives are connected to various social and cultural movements

Course Materials

Required Textbook

Terry Eagleton: Literary Theory (Blackwell, Oxford); Gregory Castle: The Blackwell Guide to Literary Theory (Blackwell Publishing);

Additional Literature

Texts to be studied (but not limited to) extracts from: Plato: Republic; Aristotle: Poetics; Philip Sidney: An Apology for Poetry; Pope: An Essay on Criticism; Kant: Critique of Judgement; Shelley: Defence of Poetry; Emerson: The American Scholar; Poe: The Philosophy of Composition; Wilde: The Critic as Artist; Jameson: The Political Unconscious; Wimsatt and Beardsley: The Intentional Fallacy; The Affective Fallacy; Fry: The Archetypes of Literature; Barthes: The Death of the Author; Derrida: On Grammatology

Teaching Methods

Weekly lectures; in-class discussions and group work; close reading

Individual work; student self-assessment and peer evaluation;

Weekly Topics

This weekly planning is subject to change with advance notice.

Week	Topic	Readings / References
1	introduction to the course; Why Literary Theory? Using the introduction to the textbook, students will be asked to formulate in writing their answers to this question and to identify the crucial issues involved.
2	Classical literary criticism, commencing with issues: what precisely is Plato's argument for banning poetry? Is it epistemological or moral? How does it relate to Plato's theory of Forms? Does Plato contradict these arguments in his Ion? To what extent is Aristotle's conception of poetry epiphenomenal of his quarrel, at a philosophical level, with Plato's theory of Forms? Was Horace a revolutionary or a reactionary apologist? Was it possible to theorise, beyond Stoicism, in a Roman world where only one ma	extracts from Plato's Republic + Ion; Aristotle's Poetics; Horace's Ars Poetica
3	Maedieval literary theory: ; the principal characteristics of Mediaeval semiotic theory; Aquinas' conception of beauty; functions of figurative language; Dante's highly allegorical modes	Thomas Aquinas; Dante Aleghieri / selections from texts
4	Renaissance literary theory: Sydney's attempts to situate poetry within a broader (Christian) scheme of things and to insist on its didactic character	Sir Philip Sydney's An Apology for Poetry;
5	Neoclassical literary theory: Pope’s An Essay on Criticism reflecting the values of neoclassical criticism, addresses an issue raised by Horace: Nature versus Art.	Pope’s An Essay on Criticism; Dryden "An Essay"
6	Revision of literary criticism and theories from antiquity to 17th century
7	MID-TERM EXAM
8	From Enlightenement to Romanticism: : The Romantics’ argument for the autonomy of poetry --its freedom from religious, moral or political constraint -- is still influential today	Kant's Critique of Judgment; Hegel's "Introduction" to Lectures on Fine Art; and Shelley's Defence of Poetry
9	What were the connections between European and American Romanticism? How much did American Romantics owe to German idealism?	Emerson, "The American Scholar" and "The Poet"; Poe, "The Philosophy of Composition"
10	Symbolism and Aestheticism: : what was the nature of the symbolists' reaction to the modern world? How does symbolist poetry relate to Romanticism, and how does it prepare the way for modernist aesthetics?	Gautier, Preface to Mademoiselle de Maupin; Baudelaire, selections, ; Mallarme, "Crisis in Poetry"
11	Victorian period: How subversive were the emphasis on art for art's sake and the principles of aestheticism? In what ways does Nietzsche challenge and undermine the basic tenets of Western philosophy and aesthetics?	Wilde, "The Critic as Artist"; Nietzsche, "On Truth and Lying";
12	What is the Marxist conception of the "human": scientific, humanist, fatalistic? Must literary value be related to a particular ideological stance? If not, how do Marxist aesthetics accommodate political commitment?	Horkheimer and Adorno, Dialectic of Enlightenment; Jameson, The Political Unconscious
13	20th century: Formalism: What are the central features of formalism, according to Eichenbaum?	Boris Eichenbaum, "The Theory of the 'Formal Method'; A Wimsatt and Beardsley, "The Intentional Fallacy" and "The Affective Fallacy":
14	Structuralism and Deconstruction: how does Structuralism advance beyond previous methods of analysis? What are its philosophical assumptions about identity, authorship and language?	Northrop Frye, "The Archetypes of Literature"; Roland Barthes, "The Death of the Author" and "From Work to Text"; Jacques Derrida, Of Grammatology;
15	Revision of literary criticism and theories from 17th century to present day theories

Course Schedule (All Sections)

Course Schedules with all sections will be available here soon.

Office Hours & Room

Course Office hours will be available here soon.

Assessment Methods and Criteria

Assessment Components

40%x1

Final Exam

AI: Not Allowed

Alignment with Learning Outcomes : 3 4

20%x2

In-class activity / presentation

AI: Not Allowed

Alignment with Learning Outcomes : 1 2 3 5

20%x1

In-term exam

AI: Not Allowed

Alignment with Learning Outcomes : 3 4

10%x1

Homework

AI: Not Allowed

Alignment with Learning Outcomes : 1 2

10%x1

Assignment / written

AI: Not Allowed

Alignment with Learning Outcomes : 3 4 5

IUS Grading System

Grading Scale	IUS Grading System	IUS Coeff.	Letter (B&H)	Numerical (B&H)
0 - 44	F	0	F	5
45 - 54	E	1	F	5
55 - 64	C	2	E	6
65 - 69	C+	2.3	D	7
70 -74	B-	2.7	D	7
75 - 79	B	3	C	8
80 - 84	B+	3.3	C	8
85 - 94	A-	3.7	B	9
95 - 100	A	4	A	10

Late Work Policy

Information about late submission policies will be shared during class and posted in this section. Please check back for official guidelines.

ECTS Credit Calculation

📚 Student Workload

This 6 ECTS credit course corresponds to 150 hours of total student workload, distributed as follows:

Lecture hours

45 hours ⏳ (15 week × 3 h)

Home study

45 hours ⏳ (15 week × 3 h)

Presentation

6 hours ⏳ (2 week × 3 h)

Assignment

4 hours ⏳ (1 week × 4 h)

In-term exam study

20 hours ⏳ (2 week × 10 h)

Final exam study

30 hours ⏳ (3 week × 10 h)

150 Total Workload Hours

6 ECTS Credits

Course Policies

Academic Integrity

All work submitted must be your own. Plagiarism, cheating, or any form of academic dishonesty will result in disciplinary action according to university policies. When in doubt about citation practices, consult the instructor.

Attendance Policy

Students are expected to adhere to the attendance requirements as outlined in the International University of Sarajevo Study Rules and Regulations. Excessive absences, whether excused or unexcused, may impact academic performance and eligibility for assessment. Mandatory sessions (e.g., labs, workshops) require attendance unless formally exempted. For detailed policies on absences, documentation, and penalties, please refer to the official university regulations.

Technology & AI Policy

Laptops/tablets may be used for note-taking only during lectures. Phones should be silenced and put away during all class sessions. Audio/video recording requires prior permission from the instructor.

Artificial Intelligence (AI) Usage: The use of AI tools (e.g., ChatGPT, Copilot, Gemini) varies by assessment component. Please refer to the AI usage indicator next to each assessment item in the Assessment Methods and Criteria section above. Submitting AI-generated content as your own work, where AI is not explicitly allowed, constitutes an academic integrity violation.

Communication Policy

All course-related communication should occur through official university channels (institutional email or SIS). Emails should include [ELIT515] in the subject line.

Academic Quality Assurance Policy

Course Academic Quality Assurance is achieved through Semester Student Survey. At the end of each academic year, the institution of higher education is obliged to evaluate work of the academic staff, or the success of realization of the curricula.

More info

Learning Tips

Engage Actively

Be prepared to contribute thoughtfully during class discussions, labs, or collaborative work. Active participation deepens understanding and encourages critical thinking.

Read and Review Purposefully

Complete assigned readings or prep materials before class. Take notes, highlight key ideas, and jot down questions. Aim to grasp core concepts and their applications—not just facts.

Think Critically in Assignments

Use course frameworks or methodologies to analyze problems, case studies, or projects. Begin early to allow time for reflection and refinement. Seek feedback to improve your work.

Ask Questions Early

Don’t hesitate to reach out when something is unclear. Use office hours, discussion boards, or peer networks to clarify concepts and stay on track.

Syllabus Last Updated on Mar 03, 2026 | International University of Sarajevo

Print Syllabus

Referencing Curricula Print this page

Course Code	Course Title			Weekly Hours*		ECTS		Weekly Class Schedule
				T	P
ELIT515	Literary Criticism & Theory I: From Plato to Present			3	0	6
Prerequisite	None		It is a prerequisite to	-
Lecturer			Office Hours / Room / Phone	Currently not available
E-mail
Assistant			Assistant E-mail
Course Objectives	The course has two goals: (1) to foster close study, analysis, and appreciation of literary texts and (2) to enhance writing skills useful in academic and professional settings. Discussion will focus on characteristics of each of the three major literary genres (fiction, poetry, and drama), general critical approaches, interpretation of individual works, and methods of analyzing and writing about literature.
Textbook	Terry Eagleton: Literary Theory (Blackwell, Oxford); Gregory Castle: The Blackwell Guide to Literary Theory (Blackwell Publishing);
Additional Literature	Texts to be studied (but not limited to) extracts from: Plato: Republic; Aristotle: Poetics; Philip Sidney: An Apology for Poetry; Pope: An Essay on Criticism; Kant: Critique of Judgement; Shelley: Defence of Poetry; Emerson: The American Scholar; Poe: The Philosophy of Composition; Wilde: The Critic as Artist; Jameson: The Political Unconscious; Wimsatt and Beardsley: The Intentional Fallacy; The Affective Fallacy; Fry: The Archetypes of Literature; Barthes: The Death of the Author; Derrida: On Grammatology
Learning Outcomes	After successful completion of the course, the student will be able to:
	Identify, describe and define a variety of literary theories and their functions from Plato to the present day Apply literary theories and applicable concepts to discuss literary works as an individual or as part of a team Identify the major theorists and their ideas pertaining to literary theory criticism Write an essay - analysis and interpretation of a work of literature using principles of a particular literary theory Employ acquired knowledge and skills to discuss how different theoretical literary perspectives are connected to various social and cultural movements
Teaching Methods	Weekly lectures; in-class discussions and group work; close reading, individual work; student self-assessment and peer evaluation;
Teaching Method Delivery	Online	Teaching Method Delivery Notes
WEEK	TOPIC						REFERENCE
Week 1	introduction to the course; Why Literary Theory? Using the introduction to the textbook, students will be asked to formulate in writing their answers to this question and to identify the crucial issues involved.
Week 2	Classical literary criticism, commencing with issues: what precisely is Plato's argument for banning poetry? Is it epistemological or moral? How does it relate to Plato's theory of Forms? Does Plato contradict these arguments in his Ion? To what extent is Aristotle's conception of poetry epiphenomenal of his quarrel, at a philosophical level, with Plato's theory of Forms? Was Horace a revolutionary or a reactionary apologist? Was it possible to theorise, beyond Stoicism, in a Roman world where only one ma						extracts from Plato's Republic + Ion; Aristotle's Poetics; Horace's Ars Poetica
Week 3	Maedieval literary theory: ; the principal characteristics of Mediaeval semiotic theory; Aquinas' conception of beauty; functions of figurative language; Dante's highly allegorical modes						Thomas Aquinas; Dante Aleghieri / selections from texts
Week 4	Renaissance literary theory: Sydney's attempts to situate poetry within a broader (Christian) scheme of things and to insist on its didactic character						Sir Philip Sydney's An Apology for Poetry;
Week 5	Neoclassical literary theory: Pope’s An Essay on Criticism reflecting the values of neoclassical criticism, addresses an issue raised by Horace: Nature versus Art.						Pope’s An Essay on Criticism; Dryden "An Essay"
Week 6	Revision of literary criticism and theories from antiquity to 17th century
Week 7	MID-TERM EXAM
Week 8	From Enlightenement to Romanticism: : The Romantics’ argument for the autonomy of poetry --its freedom from religious, moral or political constraint -- is still influential today						Kant's Critique of Judgment; Hegel's "Introduction" to Lectures on Fine Art; and Shelley's Defence of Poetry
Week 9	What were the connections between European and American Romanticism? How much did American Romantics owe to German idealism?						Emerson, "The American Scholar" and "The Poet"; Poe, "The Philosophy of Composition"
Week 10	Symbolism and Aestheticism: : what was the nature of the symbolists' reaction to the modern world? How does symbolist poetry relate to Romanticism, and how does it prepare the way for modernist aesthetics?						Gautier, Preface to Mademoiselle de Maupin; Baudelaire, selections, ; Mallarme, "Crisis in Poetry"
Week 11	Victorian period: How subversive were the emphasis on art for art's sake and the principles of aestheticism? In what ways does Nietzsche challenge and undermine the basic tenets of Western philosophy and aesthetics?						Wilde, "The Critic as Artist"; Nietzsche, "On Truth and Lying";
Week 12	What is the Marxist conception of the "human": scientific, humanist, fatalistic? Must literary value be related to a particular ideological stance? If not, how do Marxist aesthetics accommodate political commitment?						Horkheimer and Adorno, Dialectic of Enlightenment; Jameson, The Political Unconscious
Week 13	20th century: Formalism: What are the central features of formalism, according to Eichenbaum?						Boris Eichenbaum, "The Theory of the 'Formal Method'; A Wimsatt and Beardsley, "The Intentional Fallacy" and "The Affective Fallacy":
Week 14	Structuralism and Deconstruction: how does Structuralism advance beyond previous methods of analysis? What are its philosophical assumptions about identity, authorship and language?						Northrop Frye, "The Archetypes of Literature"; Roland Barthes, "The Death of the Author" and "From Work to Text"; Jacques Derrida, Of Grammatology;
Week 15	Revision of literary criticism and theories from 17th century to present day theories

Assessment Methods and Criteria	Evaluation Tool	Quantity	Weight	Alignment with LOs	AI Usage
	Final Exam	1	40	3,4	Not Allowed
	Semester Evaluation Components
	In-class activity / presentation	2	20	1,2,3,5	Not Allowed
	In-term exam	1	20	3,4	Not Allowed
	Homework	1	10	1,2	Not Allowed
	Assignment / written	1	10	3,4,5	Not Allowed
* ECTS Credit Calculation *

Activity	Hours	Weeks	Student Workload Hours	Activity	Hours	Weeks	Student Workload Hours
Lecture hours	3	15	45	Home study	3	15	45
Presentation	3	2	6	Assignment	4	1	4
In-term exam study	10	2	20	Final exam study	10	3	30
				Total Workload Hours =			150
*T= Teaching, P= Practice				ECTS Credit =			6
Course Academic Quality Assurance: Semester Student Survey						Last Update Date: 27/03/2026

Print this page

ELIT515 Literary Criticism & Theory I: From Plato to Present

English Language and Literature

TBA

Course Objectives

Learning Outcomes

Course Materials

Required Textbook

Additional Literature

Teaching Methods

Weekly lectures; in-class discussions and group work; close reading

Individual work; student self-assessment and peer evaluation;

Weekly Topics Expand All

Course Schedule (All Sections)

Office Hours & Room

Assessment Methods and Criteria

Assessment Components

Final Exam

In-class activity / presentation

In-term exam

Homework

Assignment / written

IUS Grading System

Late Work Policy

ECTS Credit Calculation

📚 Student Workload

Lecture hours

Home study

Presentation

Assignment

In-term exam study

Final exam study

Course Policies

Academic Integrity

Attendance Policy

Technology & AI Policy

Communication Policy

Academic Quality Assurance Policy

Learning Tips

Weekly Topics