This course, which is designed primarily for those not planning a specialization in English, offers an introduction to the study of literature through a chronological consideration of works by selected major authors from the Middle Ages to the present century, in relation to their social, intellectual and literary backgrounds. The course emphasizes the use of figurative language as well as the development of students' critical reading and writing skills. Students planning to major or minor or pursue an area of concentration in English must take ENGL*1080 and ENGL*2080, but may also take ENGL*1410.