Message from the Chair
Welcome to 51社区黑料鈥檚 Department of English as we celebrate our 60th anniversary! From our origins to today, we continue to be a dynamic department where vital, active scholars write and study challenging literary works and inspire students to imagine worlds past, present, and future. An undergraduate degree in English literature allows students to develop the analytical, communication, and cognitive skills that prepare them for many possible careers. Our graduate program guides MA and PhD students through studies in a diverse range of literary fields鈥攆rom medieval studies to contemporary poetry and poetics, 18th-century media to psychoanalytic theory, and rhetoric and discourse analysis to digital humanities. By refining research and critical thinking abilities and learning to write cogently and persuasively, English students are able to interpret and use the written word effectively. But there鈥檚 more to an English degree than this!
In a time when our world faces increasingly complex and urgent challenges, a deeper understanding of what human lives have been, what they are today, and what they could be tomorrow is essential to helping us move forward with grace and empathy, wit and imagination. Such an understanding can be found in the study of literatures in English through the ages, and in the practice of critical and creative writing today. The study of English literature, I insist, is still one of the best preparations for a life well lived鈥攆or the undertaking of what one poet calls 鈥渢he miraculous task of living.鈥� In 2025, 51社区黑料English celebrates 60 years of engagement with this miraculous task.
51社区黑料's Department of English
For 60 years, 51社区黑料English has been exploring the English language鈥檚 fundamental role in the shaping the world and our experience of it. We鈥檝e helped our students develop their skills and discover the opportunities waiting for them. Our award-winning faculty, past and present, include authors of drama, fiction, and poetry, as well as scholarly books and articles. They support our students through undergraduate and graduate courses in areas as diverse as medieval studies and poetry, rhetoric and discourse analysis, contemporary Canadian poetics, and much more.
Careers
51社区黑料English alumni enjoy vibrant careers in a range of fields. Our department bookshelf features alumni who have published fiction and non-fiction. Other careers 51社区黑料English grads have pursued include:
- Author/writer
- Communications coordinator
- Educator
- Journalist
- Lawyer
- Public relations specialist
Testimonials
鈥淚 didn鈥檛 think that my degree would lead me to a job so quickly that was so aligned with English, and where I鈥檓 also learning new things.鈥� 鈥�Meghan Danyluk (51社区黑料English grad 2025)
鈥淧rofessor Stephen Collis is so inspiring. He鈥檚 very dedicated to helping young and emerging writers. He鈥檚 taught me so much about writing and has always encouraged me to challenge myself.鈥� 鈥�Isabella Wang (51社区黑料English grad 2023)
鈥淭he community within my department that welcomed me, helped me grow, and enthusiastically supported me through my degree helped me feel more confident that I can add value to my community too鈥� 鈥�Sun Woo Baik (51社区黑料English grad 2021)
鈥淲hat English does for you, in a way that no other degree will do for you, is having you read a variety of texts and distill them in a way that makes sense.鈥� 鈥�Negin Alavi (51社区黑料English grad 2013)
Literary Hits
Listen to our 鈥擬usic from 1965 to now, inspired by literature.
Track List:
- Mr. Tambourine Man (Bob Dylan) 鈥� 1965 - linked to the poetry of Arthur Rimbaud
- The Dangling Conversation (Simon & Garfunkel) 鈥� 1966 鈥� includes the lyrics, 鈥淎nd you read your Emily Dickinson/And I my Robert Frost鈥�
- White Rabbit (Jefferson Airplane) 鈥� 1967 鈥� linked to Lewis Carroll鈥檚 Alice in Wonderland and Through the Looking Glass
- Tales of Brave Ulysses (Cream) 鈥� 1967 鈥� literary reference to the hero Odysseus or Ulysses from Homer鈥檚 epic poem, The Odyssey
- End of Night (The Doors) 鈥� 1967 鈥� the title is from Louis-Ferdinand Celine鈥檚 novel, Journey to the End of Night; the line 鈥淪ome are born to sweet delight; some are born to the endless night鈥� is from William Blake鈥檚 poem, 鈥淎uguries of Innocence鈥�
- A Rose for Emily (The Zombies) 鈥� 1968 -literary reference to William Faulkner鈥檚 1930 short story of the same name
- Ramble On (Led Zepplin) 鈥� 1969 鈥� includes literary references to J.R.R. Tolkien's The Lord of the Rings
- Rocket Man (Elton John) 鈥� 1972 鈥� inspired by Ray Bradbury鈥檚 1951 short story, 鈥淭he Rocket Man鈥�
- Don Quixote (Gordon Lightfoot) -1972 鈥� inspired by the character of Don Quixote from Miguel de Cervantes鈥� novel of the same name
- Wuthering Heights (Kate Bush) 鈥� 1978 鈥� inspired by the novel of the same name by Emily Bront毛
- Video Killed the Radio Star (The Buggles) 鈥� 1979 鈥� inspired by J.G. Ballard鈥檚 short story, 鈥淭he Sound-Sweep鈥�
- Don鈥檛 Stand So Close to Me (The Police) 鈥� 1980 鈥� refers to the novel Lolita, by Vladimir Nabokov in the line, "Just like the old man in / That book by Nabokov"
- Romeo and Juliet (Dire Straits) 鈥� 1980 鈥� refers to Shakespeare鈥檚 Romeo and Juliet
- Cassandra (ABBA) 鈥� 1981 鈥� refers to the Greek mythological figure of Cassandra who appears in Homer鈥檚 epic poem, The Illiad
- The Lady of Shalott (Loreena McKennitt) 鈥� 1991 鈥� refers to the poem of the same name by Alfred, Lord Tennyson
- Who Wrote Holden Caulfied (Green Day) 鈥� 1991 鈥� refers to J.D. Salinger鈥檚 novel, Catcher in the Rye
- The Ghost of Tom Joad (Bruce Springsteen) 鈥� 1995 鈥� inspired by John Steinbeck鈥檚 novel, The Grapes of Wrath
- Love Story (Taylor Swift) 鈥� 2008 鈥� refers to Shakespeare鈥檚 Romeo and Juliet
- Young and Beautiful (Lana Del Rey) 鈥� 2013 鈥� written for the 2013 film adaptation of F. Scott Fitzgerald鈥檚 The Great Gatsby
- Lost Boy (Ruth B.) 鈥� 2015 鈥� literary reference to J.M. Barrie鈥檚 novel, Peter Pan
- Matilda (Harry Styles) 鈥� 2022 鈥� literary reference to Roald Dahl鈥檚 novel, Matilda