Obtaining a Literature Certificate

I am always looking for ways to expand and enhance my knowledge of literature. I look for these opportunities because I love to read and write. It brings me a lot of joy to attend a panel at a conference,  listen to a series of Great Courses lectures or participate in a writing workshop. I keep an Excel spreadsheet of everything that I do, but I typically do not have anything to show afterwards. 

So I am thrilled to announce that I have obtained a certificate in American Renaissance Literature.  I had primarily been on Coursera for more professional certificates and thought it would be fun to take a course taught by Dartmouth professors on Nathaniel Hawthorn before my trip to Salem. I loved the opportunity to really dig into his life and work in depth. It gave me a deeper appreciation for when I visited the Hawthorn house.

 To understand classic literature it really helps to dive into the history and ideas that  authors write from. This concentration gave me the opportunity to study and do in depth reading of historic American writers that are revered:  Ralph Emerson, Walt Whitman, Frederick Douglas, Harriet Beecher Stowe and Mark Twain.

The historical context of  American exceptionalism was emphasized in all of the courses. This is the belief that the United States is exemplary compared to other nations. Alexis Tocqueville founded this concept. Grappling with this in all of the literature gave me an understanding on how America came to be through a human lens. Literature has the capability to provide a more relatable and intimate perspective on history. Unfortunately a lot of the implications of it are very relevant to our current American political climate. These are the stories of our nation's history, shining light on what got us to this point in time.

My experience with Coursera was that literature was a lot more fun with these courses than the professional development I originally signed up for. Being the type of learner who enjoys going into depth, I appreciated tackling each author individually. The lectures were taught by fascinating, knowledgeable people with PhDs in literature. There were quizzes along the way to test my mastery of the concepts presented.

I did not study literature beyond the required course during my undergraduate years. My bachelor's degree is in Sociology. Afterwards I went on to get a Masters of Divinity. With my academic background, I am fully aware that there would be more intensity to a bachelor's or masters degree in literature than getting a certificate through Coursera. But I dont want to discount the work and time im complete this program. With the goal of having the coursework aid in a deeper understanding of the literature, it aided my purpose.

Having this kind of program on Coursera was extremely accessible and affordable to achieve something I've always wanted to do.I've always had an itching to study literature more seriously, however the cost benefit analysis of obtaining this particular type of degree was never in my favor. There aren't many jobs that require a mastery of literature and the ones that are there don't pay very well. Don't get me wrong, if I ever landed an opportunity that excited me I would grab it. However my eyes are wide open that I would likely need another source of income.

This leads to the objection that I heard from people I love dearly is that this certificate will not help my resume. Unfortunately I did agree with them but I was more excited about my literature concentration than the ones that did pad my resume. But then I think that some people have jobs that they are passionate about and other people have jobs to help pay for their passions. Hardly anyone can afford to have writing as their primary source of income. Anyone who says otherwise is coming from a place of naivety or are relying on stories with a survivors bias. 

However as a writer, I found examining the storytelling and rhetoric extremely valuable. Reading carefully is the only way for a writer to fine tune their craft. And afterall, reading and writing are the bread and butter of my soul.

Note:  This is a review of a service I purchased.The links are for reference purposes only, I am not an affiliate nor do I receive any compensation for any purchases made through the links.