In this introductory course, students will read some influential works in English literary history, and encounter debates about the function, power and reach of literary texts. We will follow a chronological path from the medieval period to postmodernism in order to appreciate how literary writers, across the span of this period, adopted and developed certain forms and features in order to serve their own ideological and aesthetic purposes. The course is split into three parts, focusing on poetry, drama and fiction. We will closely read both traditional and radical forms of each medium, to consider the different ways in which literature can be pushed beyond our traditional notions of storytelling. The class will be largely discussion based, with great emphasis placed on participation and student preparedness. The course will develop the skills essential to English literary studies, including a discipline-specific vocabulary, and skills in literary and critical analysis and research.