The Princeton Comparative Literature program offers a rigorous and enriching curriculum designed to cultivate experts in literary study with a global perspective. This program uniquely blends in-depth training in a chosen major literature with comprehensive exploration of at least two additional literary traditions. Students are encouraged to delve into the historical, critical, and theoretical questions that arise from examining literature across diverse cultures and time periods. The curriculum, typically spanning four to six terms before the general examination, is carefully structured to ensure a balanced and thorough understanding of comparative literature and the student’s chosen areas of literary specialization. A minimum of twelve graduate-level courses are required, with at least ten contributing towards degree credit.
Major Literature: Mastery in a Chosen Field
The cornerstone of the Princeton Comparative Literature curriculum is the development of mastery in a major literature. This specialization is designed to equip graduates with the expertise necessary to teach and research within national and comparative literary contexts. While the historical scope is flexible, it generally aligns with established literary periods, allowing for focused and deep study. Princeton offers diverse pathways for major literature study:
Classical Literatures
For those drawn to the ancient world, a major in Classical Literatures at Princeton Comparative Literature provides an immersive experience in both Greek and Roman literary traditions. This path offers a comprehensive understanding of the foundational texts and critical approaches that have shaped Western literary thought. (For detailed curriculum, refer to the dedicated Schedule for the Classics Major in Comparative Literature).
Post-Classical Western Literatures
Students focusing on Post-Classical Western Literatures at Princeton choose a specific period to concentrate their studies. These periods include:
- Middle Ages to Renaissance: Exploring the rich literary landscape from medieval texts to the burgeoning of Renaissance thought.
- Renaissance to Romanticism: Examining the transformations in literary expression from the Renaissance through the Enlightenment and into the Romantic era.
- Romanticism to the Present: Analyzing the diverse and evolving literary forms and themes from the Romantic period to contemporary literature.
This structured approach ensures a deep understanding of a significant period within Western literary history.
East Asian Literatures
Princeton Comparative Literature also offers specialized tracks for students majoring in Chinese or Japanese literature. These programs are tailored to provide a deep dive into one or both of these rich literary traditions, fostering expertise in East Asian literary studies within a comparative framework. (Detailed curriculum is available in the Schedule for Chinese or Japanese Majors in Comparative Literature).
Near Eastern Literatures
For students interested in the literatures of the Near East, Princeton’s program facilitates individualized programs in Arabic, Hebrew, Persian, or Turkish. Developed in close consultation with faculty advisors, these programs often integrate elements from the Department of Near Eastern Studies, ensuring a robust and interdisciplinary approach to the study of Near Eastern literatures within the broader context of comparative literature. These programs emphasize thematic concentrations and fields of study relevant to Near Eastern literary traditions.
Additional Literatures: Broadening Literary Horizons
A key element of the Princeton Comparative Literature experience is the expectation that students will significantly broaden their literary knowledge beyond their major. This is achieved through the study of additional literatures, fostering a truly comparative perspective. While comparative literature courses themselves contribute to this breadth, students are required to undertake in-depth study of at least one minor literature within the relevant language department. This ensures both specialized knowledge and a wider comparative understanding.
Comparative Literature: The Core of Interdisciplinary Study
At Princeton, Comparative Literature serves as the central unifying element of the curriculum. It acts as a bridge, connecting students’ work in their major and minor literatures through a focused exploration of specific literary areas. This focused area could be:
- A Literary Historical Segment: Concentrating on a specific period like the late Middle Ages, the 16th century, or Romanticism across different literatures.
- A Common Literary Aspect: Examining a genre such as lyric poetry or the novel across cultures, or a literary phenomenon like neoclassicism or modernism in various literary traditions.
- A Critical or Theoretical Problem: Engaging with modes of interpretation, comparing themes and genres across literatures, exploring the relationship between literature and other art forms (like painting and poetry), or delving into literary aesthetics and epistemology.
By focusing on comparative literature as a core discipline, Princeton’s program equips students with a sophisticated understanding of literary techniques and provides a framework for organizing their specialized knowledge within a broader, comparative context. This approach prepares graduates to engage with literature in nuanced and globally informed ways, making the Princeton Comparative Literature program a distinguished choice for aspiring literary scholars.
