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Eng 162, Spring 2012

Milton

In this course we will consider a range of Milton’s works, including Paradise Lost and Paradise Regained. Just for fun, we will also be looking at excerpts from two popular series of books that were profoundly influenced by Milton: The Chronicles of Narnia by C. S. Lewis (who was in fact a Milton scholar at Oxford) and His Dark Materials, especially The Golden Compass, by Phillip Pullman. (Incidentally, “His Dark Materials” is a quote from Paradise Lost.)

“Please rate the overall quality of the instructor’s teaching”

Average rating: 4.7 of 5 (♣♣♣♣♣ Excellent; ♣♣♣♣ Very Good; ♣♣♣ Good; ♣♣ Fair; ♣ Poor)

♣♣♣♣♣ Great course! Very engaging and interactive. The worksheets went great with lecture, which both taught complex elements in Paradise Lost.

♣♣♣♣♣ Prof. Hiltner is extremely dedicated to his teaching and has a remarkable grasp of the subject matter. He seemed genuinely concerned with each student’s progress in the course and with the material.

♣♣♣♣♣ The material was presented in an engaging fashion by explaining the life and history of Milton and the contradicting interpretation of characters like Satan. The discussions entertained the most.

♣♣♣♣♣ Enjoyable class with insightful lectures.

♣♣♣♣♣ I enjoyed having group discussions because I had the chance to participate, but without having to do so in front of the entire class. I did not actively participate in class discussions, but Professor Hiltner was able to see that I did answer questions during group sessions. I wish the professor would have lectured slightly more instead of allowing students to share their opinions/interests that absorbed valuable time. I think that if they want to engage in a deeper discussion that they should take advantage of office hours. Also, it would have been very helpful if we had been given stages for the paper to motivate me to better prepare for it.

♣♣♣♣♣ I absolutely loved this course. The professor’s lectures were informative and easy to understand. Hiltner made the course interesting and fun. The handouts and group work provided extensive opportunities for discussion and development of the text. I look forward to taking another Hiltner course.

♣♣♣♣♣ Professor Hiltner is clearly an expert in this subject. Moreover, his passion for Milton shines through in lecture and even in our small group discussions. For me, that is the most meaningful quality any professor can possess. Additionally, he shows commitment to connecting with students through office appointments planned for the start of the quarter, just to chat and get to know each other. The only thing that gave me pause was that he can be too supportive at times, in that he won’t tell a student when they are arguing something clearly untrue based on the textual evidence. This creates confusion.

♣♣♣♣♣ I did not like the group work, but loved the lecture. Very thorough teacher. Very knowledgeable. Too much of a percentage on “participation”.

♣♣♣♣♣ Great class. Like the fact that Prof. Hiltner meets with every student. No better way to read Milton. 10/10, would take again!

♣♣♣♣♣ This class was really interesting and fun. Ken obviously loves teaching and was very interested in getting to know each of us and helping us succeed.

♣♣♣♣♣ Great professor—incredibly knowledgeable of source material, encourages original thought and discussion, goes out of his way to help students and be available for them. Loved this class!

♣♣♣♣♣ Really great course to take if you want an in-depth, fun and interesting take on Milton and Paradise Lost. I’ve already taken a class with Hiltner and hope to take one more before I graduate. He is an enthusiastic professor who takes the time to get to know and be available for his students. I enjoyed everything I got out of this class!

♣♣♣♣♣ The structure of the class was great, allowing for a lot of discussion. Ken allowed all ideas to be expressed, was great at initiating discussion, and made himself highly available both in his office and through email. Great course, great professor.

♣♣♣♣ As the class went on, I enjoyed it more, and I enjoyed the freedom to do a creative project. However, I felt that lecture was sometimes a waste of time when the conversation was monopolized by 3 students—especially when discussing Christianity as a religion rather than the text at hand. I will say, though, that the few times conversing with Professor Hiltner in our group was extremely helpful and enjoyable and I’d like to take another class with him!

♣♣♣♣ It was a very interesting class, but the professor did not do justice to the material. I have read the main book, Paradise Lost, previously, and believe Christianity for Milton was a huge part in writing it and the meaning of the world. The professor disagrees with this aspect because it seems he doesn’t believe in “The Christian Myth”.

♣♣♣♣ Overall very interesting class with intriguing subject matter. Paradise Lost is a great Epic Poem.

♣♣♣ Very smart and kind; open to student interpretations of the text. Willingness to listen and take into account our ideas.

♣♣♣ I enjoyed coming to class. It was always interesting and well organized.

♣♣♣ I would’ve liked to have known what the instructor thinks about the arguments made about Paradise Lost. He does provide many points of view, but I would’ve liked to hear which ones he agreed or disagreed with.