LIT-231 at Southern New Hampshire University introduces the prose and poetry of major British and American writers and naturalists since the 18th century. The catalog describes them as writers who observe nature vividly and write about humanity's relationship with the natural environment.
Because the reading list spans centuries, students have to manage very different voices: a field naturalist's journal, a Romantic poem and a modern essay can all appear in the same course. Strong work connects what the writer sees to how the writer writes.
Course at a Glance
| Item | Details |
|---|---|
| University | Southern New Hampshire University |
| Course code | LIT-231 |
| Credits | 3 |
| Level | Undergraduate |
| Prerequisite | ENG-120 or ENG-130 |
| Offering | SNHU lists the course as offered every other year |
| Typical work | Discussions and analytical essays on assigned readings (general; check your term) |
What LIT-231 Covers
| Theme | What to look for |
|---|---|
| Observation and description | How writers turn close looking at plants, animals and landscape into precise language |
| Humanity and nature | Whether nature appears as refuge, teacher, threat or something owed protection |
| Poetry and prose forms | Journals, essays and poems, and how form shapes what can be said |
| British and American traditions | Differences and links between writers on either side of the Atlantic |
| Place and history | How a writer's time and location affect what they notice and value |
Key Concepts Explained
Close Reading of Description
Nature writing is easy to read quickly and hard to analyze. Slow down on verbs, sensory detail and comparisons. Ask what the description makes you feel, and what the writer wants you to do with that feeling.
Illustration (invented sentence): "The marsh held its breath." Personification gives the landscape a mood, so the writer presents nature as watchful rather than passive. An essay could ask whether the whole passage keeps that attitude or breaks it.
The Writer's Stance
Is the writer an observer, a participant or an advocate? Stance explains choices of tone and detail, and it is a good organizing idea for comparison essays.
Reading Across Periods
Compare how attitudes to nature change across the centuries covered, but make claims only about the texts you have read. A short timeline of your assigned authors helps you keep contexts straight.
Typical Assignments and How to Approach Them
| Assignment type | What it tests | How to approach it |
|---|---|---|
| Discussion posts | Noticing and interpreting | Choose one short passage, quote it, and say what a specific detail does |
| Close-reading essay | A thesis about one text with textual evidence | Build the argument from three quoted details, then explain what they show together |
| Comparison essay | Contrasting two writers or periods | Pick one point of comparison, such as stance or imagery, and keep it consistent |
| Research or reflective piece | Linking reading to context or to your own observation | Follow the prompt exactly and use only sources your course allows |
Turning Description into Argument
Many students describe the scenery back to the reader. An argument asks what the description accomplishes. Try finishing the sentence "By describing X in this way, the writer shows that..." and build your paragraph from that answer.
When the prompt allows, you can add a wider angle on how a text pictures the relationship between people and environment, but only if your instructor's guidelines support it.
Anatomy of a Strong Paragraph
Nature writing rewards precise attention, so your paragraphs should model it. Quote a short phrase, name the technique, and explain what it makes the reader see or feel. Then connect that effect to the writer's wider view of nature.
Invented illustration: "Quoted phrase" uses a verb of motion for still water. The effect is to make the pond seem alive. This supports a claim that the writer treats the landscape as an active partner rather than scenery.
What to Compare Across Writers
A comparison needs a shared point. These are reliable ones:
| Point of comparison | Question to ask |
|---|---|
| Stance | Observer, participant or advocate? |
| Imagery | Which senses dominate, and why? |
| Form | Poem, essay or journal, and how does form shape the message? |
| Purpose | To record, to persuade or to celebrate? |
Where Students Get Stuck
- Summarizing scenery. Add the "so what": why does this image matter for the writer's message?
- Treating all authors alike. Different centuries bring different assumptions about nature; name them.
- Overgeneralising. Claims about "nature writers" must rest on the texts you have actually read.
- Weak transitions in comparisons. Organize by point of comparison, not author by author.
Study Tips for LIT-231
- Keep a reading log with one striking quotation and one question per text.
- Mark verbs and comparisons when you annotate; they carry the writer's attitude.
- Sketch a quick map of authors by period and region before writing a comparison.
- Read your draft aloud and cut any sentence that only retells the passage.
How We Help with LIT-231
Send the prompt, the passage or text, your outline and the rubric. A literature writer can prepare a model close reading, explain how to move from description to argument, or review your draft. For help with citations, see our MLA research paper help guide.
GradeEssays is independent and not affiliated with Southern New Hampshire University. Our work is a study and reference aid: use it to understand the method, then complete and submit your own work under SNHU's academic integrity policy.
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Frequently Asked Questions
SNHU describes it as the prose and poetry of major British and American writers and naturalists since the 18th century who write about humanity's relationship with the natural environment.
The catalog lists one of ENG-120 or ENG-130.
SNHU's catalog notes the course is offered every other year, so check availability when planning your schedule.
The course is a literature course. Writers observe nature closely, but assignments focus on reading and writing about texts.
Follow your instructor's directions. Literature courses commonly use MLA, but the assignment instructions decide.
Yes. We check thesis, evidence and structure and explain the changes so you can revise yourself.