English Honours VBU University Syllbus
If you’re pursuing a degree in English Honours from Vinoba Bhave University (VBU), having a clear understanding of the syllabus is the first step toward academic success. This article provides a complete overview of the VBU English Honours syllabus, semester-wise structure, and downloadable notes for key topics. Whether you’re preparing for upcoming exams or just starting your journey, these syllabus details and topic-wise notes will help you study in a focused and organized way. From classic literature to modern texts, this guide ensures you don’t miss anything important.
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Table of Contents
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BA English Honours Semester I
| Core Paper I: Basic Literary Concepts |
| Unit I: Poetry | 1. Types of Poetry 2. Literary Terms & Metres |
| Unit II: Drama | 1. Types of Drama and Elements and Dramatic Terms of Drama |
| Unit III: Fiction | 1. Types of Fiction 2. Element and Literary Terms |
| Unit IV: Scansion | 1. Learn Scansion |
| Core Paper II: World Classical Literature In English Translation |
| Unit I: The Iliad Book I by Homer | 1. Homer: Life and Work 2. Summary 3. Critical Appreciation of the Iliad |
| Unit II: Godaan by Premchand | 1. Life and Work 2. Godaan Summary 3. Critical Appreciation of Godaan |
| Unit II: Short Stories | 1. Guy De Maupassant Life and Work 2. The Necklace 3. Two Friends 4. The Piece of String 5. Boule de Suif 6. Two Little Soldiers |
BA English Honours Semester 2
| Core Paper III: Indian Writing In English |
| Unit I: Historical Background of India | 1. Social Condition, Political Condition, Religious Condition, and Economic Condition. |
| Unit II: The Guide by R.K. Narayan | 1. R.K. Narayan Life and Work 2. Summary 3. Critical Appreciation of The Guide |
| Unite III: Nagamandala by Girish Karnad | 1. Life and Work 2. Nagamandala Summary 3. Critical Appreciation of Nagamandala |
| Unite IV: Important Indian Poets and Their Works. | 1. H.L. Derozio 2. Toru Dutt’s life and works (a) Lotus by Turu Dutt 3. Sarojini Naidu (a) Summar Woods Summary 4. Nissim Ezekiel 5. Jayanta Mahapatra life and Work (a) Lost Summary 6. Keki N. Daruwalla 7. Kamla Das Life and Works (a) The Doubt Summary (a) The Dance of The Eunuchs Summary. |
| Core Paper IV: British English Literature during 14th to 17th Century |
BA English Honours Semester 3
Core Paper V: American Literature form 19th century to 20th century  |
| Unit I: Historical Background of America | 1. American Literature 19th to 20th Century 2. American Poetry in the 19th Century |
| Unit II: Selected Poetry | 1. Walt Whiteman: Life and Works (a) A child said, What is the grass? (b) Song of Myself (c) I believe a leaf of grass is no less than the journey-work of the stars, 2. Robert Frost’s Life and Work (a) The Road Not Taken (b) Two Tramps in Mud Time 3. Sylvia Plath: Life and Work (a) Mirror (b) Tulips |
| Unit III: The Old man and the Sea by Ernest Hemingway | 1. Ernest Hemingway: Life and Work 2. Summary 3. Critical Appreciation |
| Unit IV: Death of a Salesman | 1. Arthur Miller: Life and Work 2. Summary 3. Critical Appreciation |
| Core Paper VI: Popular Literature |
| Unit III: Five Points of Someone by Chetan Bhagat | 1. In India 2. In England 3. In America |
| Unit II: The Sign of the Four- Sherlock Holmes (fictional detective) | 1. Life and Work of Arthur Conan Doyle 2. Summary 3. Critical Appreciation |
| Unit III: Five Point of Someone by Chetan Bhagat | 1. Chetan Bhagat: Life and Work 2. Summary 3. Critical Appreciation |
| Unit IV: The Sellout by Paul Beatty | 1. Paul Beatty: Life and Work 2. Summary 3. Critical Appreciation |
| Core Paper VII: British Poetry and Drama 18th Century |
| Unit I: Historical Background and Movements | 1. Social Condition 2. Political Condition 3. Religious Condition 4. Economical Condition |
| Unit II: Rape of the Lock by Alexander Pope | 1. Life and Work of Alexander Pope 2. Summary 3. Critical Appreciation |
| Unit III: She Stoops to Conquer by Oliver Goldsmith | 1. Life and Work of Oliver Goldsmith 2. Summary 3. Critical Appreciation |
| Unit IV: Selected Poem of William Black | 1. The Tiger 2. The Lamb 3. The Fly |
BA English Honours Semester 4
| Core Paper VIII: British Prose 18th Century |
| Unit I: History of English Prose | 1. Significant influences 2. Movements |
| Unit II: Tom Jones by Henry Fielding | 1. Life and Work of Henry Fielding 2. Summary and Critical Appreciation |
| Unit III: The Castle of Otranto By Horace Walpole | 1. Life and Work of Horace Walpole 2. Summary and Critical Appreciation |
| Unite IV: Selected work of Swift’s (Jonathan Swift) Satires and Samuel Johnson’s Works | 1. A Modest Proposal (Essay by Swift ) 2. A Letter of Advice to a Young Poet (Essay by Swift ) 3. Lives of the Poet (Samuel Johnson) |
| Core Paper IX: British Prose 19th Century |
| Unit I: History of English Prose | Significant Influences, Movements and Works |
| Unit II: Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen | 1. Life and Work of Jane Austen 2. Pride and Prejudice Summary 3. Critical Appreciation |
| Unit III: Hard Times by Charles Dickens | 1. Life and Work of Charles Dickens 2. Summary 3. Critical Appreciation |
| Unite IV: Selected poems | 1. Preface to the Lyrica Ballads by William Wordsworth 2. Study of Poetry by Matthew Arnold |
| Core Paper X: British Poetry 19th Century |
| Unit I: History of English Poetry | British Poetry 19th Century |
| Unit II: Lines Written a Few Miles above Tintern Abbey by William Wordsworth and Kubla Khan by Samuel Taylor Coleridge | William Wordsworth 1. Life and Work 2. Summary 3. Critical Appreciation Samuel Taylor Coleridge 1. Life and Work 2. Kubla Khan Summary |
| Unit III: Selected ods | 1. Ode to the West Wind by Percy Bysshe Shelley 2. Ode to the Nightingale by John Keats |
| Unite IV: Selected poetry | 1. In Memoriam by Alfred Tennyson (Stanzas LIV (54): Oh Yet we trust, Stanza CVL(106): Ring out, Wild Bells….) 2. Dover Beach by Matthew Arnold 3. My Last Duchess by Robert Browning |
BA English Honours Semester 5
| Core Paper XI: Women’s Writing |
| Unit I: Feminism | 1. Feminists in the West 2. Feminists in India |
| Unit II: Feminism turms | 1. Types of Feminism/ Different aspects |
| Unit III: In Custody by Anita Desai | 1. Life and Work of Anita Desai 2. In Custody Notes |
| Unit IV: The Bluest Eye by Toni Morrison | 1. Life and Work of Toni Morrison 2. The Bluest Eye Notes |
| Core Paper XII: British Writing: Early 20th Century |
| Unit I: English Literature 20th century | 1. History of England 2. Significant influences and Movements 3. Important authors and their works |
| Unit II: Wild Swan at Coole W.B. Yeats The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock | 1. Wild Swan at Coole Notes 2. The Love Song Notes |
| Unit III: Candida by G.B. Shaw The Heart of the Matter by Graham Greene | 1. Candida Notes 2. The Heart of the Matter notes |
| Unit IV: Function of criticism by T. S. Eliot | 1. Life and Work of Toni Morrison 2. Summary 3. Critical Appreciation |
BA English Honours Semester 6
| Core Paper XIII: Modern European Drama |
| Unit I: Topics to be Studied in the Context of European Drama | 1. Context of Modern European Drama 2. Social changes and stage 3. Text and performance 4. Realism and experimentation 5. Tragedy and Heroism |
| Unit I: Ghosts by Henrik Ibsen | 1. Life and Work of Henrik Ibsen 2. Ghosts Notes |
| Unit III: The Good Woman of Setzuan by Bertolt Brecht | 1. Life and Work of Bertolt Brecht 2. The Good Woman of Setzuan Notes |
| Unit IV: Rhinoceros by Eugène Ionesco | 1. Eugen Ionesco: Life and Work 2. Rhinoceros Notes |
| Core Paper XIV: Postcolonial Literature |
| Unit I: Post-Colonialism Topics | 1. Postcolonial sensibility 2. Postcolonial literature in English in India 3. Postcolonial literature in English in South Africa 4. Postcolonial literature in America |
| Unit II: The White Tiger by Arvind Adiga | 1. Life and Work of Arvind Adiga 2. The White Tiger Summary 3. Critical Appreciation |
| Unit III: Things Fall Apart by Chinua Achebe | 1. Life and Work of Chinua Achebe 2. Things Fall Apart Summary 3. Things Fall Apart Critical Appreciation |
| Unit IV: Wide Sargasso Sea by John Rhys | 1. Life and Work of John Rhys 2. Wide Sargasso Sea Summary 3. Wide Sargasso Sea Critical Appreciation |
