Literature and Poetry examines the pivotal shift in literature from the collective to the individual, marking the transition from the Renaissance to the Enlightenment. Centered around Cervantes' "Don Quixote,"the course explores the novel's groundbreaking narrative that blurs reality and imagination, reflecting on the individual's perception of the world. Milton's "Paradise Lost" complements this with its epic portrayal of the Fall of Man, delving into themes of free will, morality, and the human condition. Finally in the metaphysical poetry of John Donne and Andrew Marvell, explores the depths of love, mortality, and spirituality with intellectual and emotional intensity. Students will complete this course well-positioned to understand the conceptual framework underlying arguments about the centrality of the individual at the heart of the enlightenment project.