Jacobson, Miriam
R 9:35 AM
Park Hall 0061
Sensory History and Pre-Modern Literature
Sensory History is an emergent field in which scholars study both the history of perception, history from the perspective of the senses. It covers everything from history of science and the body to historical reenactment. This course will examine how early modern English and European culture engaged the five senses (touch, sound, sight, taste, and smell), in order to understand both the history of perception (how did the senses figure in early modern culture and what role did they play in how people understood and interpreted meaning) and understanding in early modern Britain, as well as explore topics in contemporary sensory history: what did early modern London actually smell and taste like?
Writers include: Margaret Cavendish, John Donne, Hester Pulter, Ben Jonson, Shakespeare, Andrew Marvell, George Herbert
Thinkers include: Francis Bacon, Descartes, Artistotle, Montaigne
Culture includes: Renaissance travel narratives, atlases, recipe books, medical treatises, herbals (botanical books)
Material objects and practices include: embroidery, sculpture, jewelry, painting, music, writing, and printing.
We may also include a sensory reenactment exploration component to our analysis, such as transcribing, adapting and baking some very old recipes, or concocting some tinctures, inks, or perfumes based on our readings and research.
Although the course readings will focus on early modern literature (roughly 1500-1700), students are encouraged to choose a research project more aligned with their field of study, which can include all pre-Modern periods (Medieval, eighteenth-century, etc).