Free Online English Literature Courses

English literature was something that was only studied at high school and then for a select group of students privileged enough to attend university. Alison has opened the fascinating world of English literature to everyone. Our most popular courses are:

1. Analysis of English literature

This course gives a broad overview of mainstays of the English literature canon - all the ‘biggies’ like the plays of William Shakespeare and Arthur Miller and the poems of Samuel Taylor Coleridge. It is important to have a basic understanding of why these works are so influential.

2. Diploma is Modern Poetry Reading and Writing

How does poetry today differ from that of centuries ago? Do they have anything in common? This course explains modern British, American and Indian poetry and looks at the influence of feminist verse.

3. Poetry in the Victorian Era

This course explores some of the most famous and evocative British poets of the 1800s like Tennyson, Gerald Manley Hopkins, Matthew Arnold and Robert and Elizabeth Browning.

Is literature still relevant today? Absolutely. Good literature explores human nature, takes us on adventures and expands our imaginations. Anyone who works in any form of art, media or communication will benefit from seeing how other creators express themselves. Literature opens up the whole world without you even leaving your home.