Peer-learning Project Annotating Literature

This is us: Marina Kirillova and Ilea Rahn

Welcome to our peer-learning project Annotating Literature! The project was initiated by Prof. Dr. Matthias Bauer and Prof. Dr. Angelika Zirker in 2011 with the aim to write annotations, i.e. explanations and interpretations like the ones you can find in scholarly editions (such as the Shakespeare Arden Edition or Oxford World Classics). In our groups, you will learn how to tackle difficult or puzzling passages from literary texts of all genres and from all periods. As we all work on the texts together in our all-student, pressure-free workgroups, there will be plenty of opportunities to ask questions and get to know the text you are annotating really well! The Annotating Literature Project therefore is the perfect opportunity to practice your academic writing skills as well as your English in general. As a bonus, the annotations are published under your name on our website as soon as they are finished and reviewed! Apart from all these great benefits you can even be awarded for your scholarly fun.

You can gain ECTS for your BA or MA:

BA students have to write 6 annotations in order to get 4 ECTS or 10+ annotations in order to get 6 ECTS (e.g. for their Schlüsselqualifikationen).
MA students have to write 6 annotations in order to gain 3 ECTS for their work groups (in the focus module).

The Groups

Annotating Poetry

Are you struggling with this tricky and enigmatic poem which you just cannot wrap your head around? Or are you simply a lover of poetry?

Then the Annotating Poetry group is the perfect spot for you. Together with other students and Ilea Rahn as your mentor, you can make sense of unknown words, challenging lines, and seemingly riddled stanzas, and write explanatory annotations so that everyone can enjoy poetry to its fullest. In this group you can bring whatever poem you think requires annotation or find one in the infinite number of poetry collections that we own. Another option is to flip through the poems that have already been started in our Dropbox. You are welcome to bring your friends and annotate in pairs or small groups or team up with another member of your group.

This group is mentored by Ilea Rahn.

In-person meetings take place:

Block Sessions:
Saturday May 10^th, 2025
Saturday May 24^th, 2025
10 a.m. - 4 p.m.
Room 306 (Brechtbau)

Weekly Meetings:
Wednesdays, 4 - 6 p.m.
Starting May 7^th, 2025
Room 251 (Brechtbau)

If you cannot make it to one of the blocksessions, please contact us so that we can find an alternative together. To receive more information on our meeting, just send an email to annotating-literaturespam prevention@es.uni-tuebingen.de.

The group is looking forward to meeting you!

Annotating "The Chimes"

The Chimes is a Christmas novella by Charles Dickens that has always stood in the shadow of Dickens’s popular A Christmas Carol. However, Dickens himself liked The Chimes even better than his famous Christmas Carol – and we can definitely see why: The Chimes is the wonderful story of the poor ticket-porter Toby “Trotty” Veck, who is led to believe that he does not have the right to exist because his poverty inevitably makes him a sinner. Only his unconditional love for his daughter Meg and the journey he makes under the guidance of his beloved Chimes can convince him that love and solidarity are much more important than wealth. The story is even more intriguing when being read closely, which is exactly what we do when we annotate.

This group is mentored by Marina Kirillova.

In-person meetings take place:

Block Sessions:
Saturday May 10^th, 2025
Saturday May 24^th, 2025
10 a.m. - 4 p.m.
Room 306 (Brechtbau)

Weekly meetings:
Thursdays, 10 a.m. - 12 p.m.
Starting May 8^th, 2025
Room 465 (Brechtbau)

The group is looking forward to meeting you!

Annotating "The Knight of the Burning Pestle"

If you like books that make you laugh out loud, you should definitely try The Knight of the Burning Pestle. This is a hilarious play written by Francis Beaumont and probably John Fletcher – this possible double-authorship is already an intriguing point to start with. But there is more to it: You may have watched the last season of Game of Thrones and, much like us, you may not have been overly happy with the ending. There would have been so many and great alternatives, and this is what the characters in The Knight of the Burning Pestle experience, too. The only difference being that they, as the audience of a play, hop on stage and demand to change the plot. Not only is this incredibly funny, it is also a fascinating play to annotate.

Unfortunately, this group cannot take place this semester. You may consider joining one of the other groups instead. In any case, feel free to drop us an email to annotating-literaturespam prevention@es.uni-tuebingen.de if you are interested in joining.

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