IAP 2001 Subjects

Literature

21L.999 Special Topics in Literature 21L.999 SESSIONS 1, 2, and 3 (see separate descriptions) Claudia von Canon Pre-register on WebSIS and attend first class. Listeners welcome at individual sessions (series) Prereq: Two subjects in Literature Level: U 6 units Standard A - F Grading    Open to qualified students who wish to pursue special studies or projects with members of the Literature faculty. Before registering for this subject, students must secure the approval of the Literature faculty chairman. HASS credit for Special Topics subjects awarded only by individual petitions to the Committee on Curricula. Normal maximum is 6 units; to count toward HASS Requirement, 9 units are required. Exceptional 9-unit projects occasionally approved. DISREGARD the ABOVE general PREREQUISITES during IAP sessions! THERE WILL BE 3 SEPARATE SECTIONS OF 21L.999: Section I "Intensive Latin (and Some Greek) for Beginners" is open to everyone! Section II "Caesar and Asterix" is for those who took the the Basic Latin last IAP, or who have had some Latin in high school. Section III "Selected Letters of Pliny" requires a reasonably solid background of Latin grammar. Web: http://web.mit.edu/lit/www Contact: Briony Keith, 14N-407, x3-3581, lit@mit.edu I: Intensive Latin (and Some Greek) for Beginners Claudia von Canon 9:00-10:30 am every day. Everyone is welcome. For those who have had no background in classic languages but wish they had. Prospective scientists (Latin word), computer engineers (Latin words), programmers (Greek word), etc., make acquaintance with the classic languages (especially Latin) as the spiritual idioms of occidental civilization. Learn the exact meaning of many technical terms. Enjoy grammar, syntax, and etymology. We will also sing and read poetry in Latin. You'll become addicted (Latin word)! Mon-Fri, Jan 8-12, 16-19, 22-26, 29-2, 09-10:30am, 66-156 II: Intermediate Latin: Caesar and Asterix Claudia von Canon 11:00-12:00 pm. For those who have taken last year's Intensive Beginner's Latin, or have had Latin in high school. We will read excerpts from the writings of Julius Caesar (100-44 B.C.) in Latin, and also of the exploits of Asterix, the Gallic hero and his friends, as chronicled by two Gallic authors, Goscinny (1926-1977) and Uderzo (1926- ). This session offers the excitement of understanding a 2000-year-old primary source, the sobering confirmaton that the ways of War and Politics have not changed since 50 B.C., and -- thanks to the model of Caesar's flawless writing -- a heightened ability to detect redundancies, catch-all phrases and fuzzy thinking in prose, including your own, thus a benefit to your style. Mon-Fri, Jan 8-12, 16-19, 22-26, 29-2, 11am-12:00pm, 66-156 III: Selected Letters of Pliny Claudia von Canon 12:00-1:00 pm. Gaius Plinius Secundus (62 -111 AD) was a high government official and writer. His letters to his friends and to his boss, Emperor Trajan, are vivid, elegant and witty. He was a first-class journalist. Today he would write editorials and articles for the New York Times. He shows us everyday life and important events of his time such as the eruption of Vesuvius (79 AD). As a reward, you'll have a look at ancient Rome that was not "ancient" and the realisation that historylinks us to those who went before us, and that two thousand years can seem like a day. Requirements: A reasonably solid background of Latin grammar and a willingness to work hard. Mon-Fri, Jan 8-12, 16-19, 22-26, 29-2, 12-01:00pm, 66-156

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Listing generated: 22-Jan-2001