Many students who decide to be English degree seekers do so because they have a love of language and a love of reading. Sometimes that love involves ancient literature and in turn apply that literature to the modern world. In order to be a successful candidate for an English degree, one must be willing to put in great time and effort in reading and writing as the English degree program is heavy on both skills. Many English majors will enjoy the rich diversity of a course of study that can trace its history back thousands of years and offer a wide variety of materials to learn from.
The first step to success in an English degree program is to be a good writer. Being skilled at writing does not come overnight and while some people are gifted with the keyboard, many others need to acquire a few skills in order to impress professors who are discerning critics. One item of interest for many students is diction. In order to turn a clever phrase, students should work on increasing the complexity of their diction. Another part of writing is grammar. Long viewed as the worst part of writing, learning grammar is a necessary part of being a successful writer.
Many English courses offered in colleges have great diversity in the works of literature that will be read. In turn, many students who are pursuing an English degree will gravitate towards one area of literature that piques there interest. There are many different literature courses in the English degree catalog; however these courses can be grouped into British literature, American literature, poetry and courses that study the many works of William Shakespeare.
British literature is the oldest form of English literature and in some cases British literature can be found before the Norman invasion of 1066. Examples of these works are "Beowulf" and "Sir Gawain and the Green Knight". There are many different time periods within British literature, such as the Enlightenment Period, the Industrial Age, the Glorious Revolution and the Elizabethan Era. Some famous British authors include Oscar Wilde, Percy Bysshe Shelley and his wife, Mary Shelley, and Jonathan Swift.
American literature is the cousin of British literature in that American literary standards are derived from the standards that British colonists brought with them in the colonization period. American literature spans many time periods and is hailed for its diversity. Some time periods of literature worth studying are the Colonial Period, the Great Depression, the Gilded Age and the Post-War Era. Famous American authors include John Steinbeck, Ernest Hemingway, Herman Melville and Walt Whitman.
Poetry is the oldest form of literature in the world. The key ingredients to creating great poetry are to write the work in verse form and to make sure the poem is laced with figurative language that excites the senses. Famous poets include Robert Frost, Maya Angelou, Emily Dickinson and T.S. Eliot.
William Shakespeare is probably the most well-known playwright in the history of English literature. He is responsible for many of the different turns of phrase in the language today. Famous dramas that are studied are "Hamlet", "Othello", "Macbeth", and "Romeo and Juliet".
There are going to be many who reluctantly start their college path with courses in English lit, yet will find they are drawn to this engaging field and will continue until they have a graduate degree in English. On-campus and online degrees offer the same benefits and are viewed the same when seeking employment. This degree program requires a lot of work, but at the same time is incredibly rewarding for those who choose this field of endeavor.
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