Upper School English
In Upper School English classes, students discover their voices and learn to listen.
Literature invites them to hear new perspectives. Writing challenges engage their rhetorical and artistic skills. Discussion groups and formal presentations encourage collaboration and build confidence.
The English department sharpens each student's critical awareness. Students learn to recognize linguistic structures and possibilities, and the elements of literary genres. Analysis of textual detail enriches the rhetorical quality of thinking, writing, and speaking. Haverford's English courses expand student's literary knowledge and instill habits and skills of lifelong value.
All Haverford students are required to be enrolled in a year-long English course every year. Each level of English class is populated by students in that form only (i.e. all third formers take English I). In the spring semester of their sixth form year, students select one from an array of electives to complete their English requirement. Below you will find descriptions of the advanced (denoted by an *) and standard course offerings.
What are the Core Courses in the Upper School English program at The Haverford School?
Core Courses in the English curriculum of The Haverford School include the following:
- English I
- English II World Literature
- English III: American Literature
- English IV: The Individual and Society (Fall)
- English IV* (Fall)
Core Course Descriptions
English I
This course seeks to ground students in the essential elements of effective reading, writing, and speaking. Two major objectives are to teach students to read for meaning and to express themselves clearly and logically through the written word. Writing assignments vary from analytic and personal essays to journal entries and creative exercises. Most assignments emphasize revision and require multiple drafts. Students read and discuss works from many genres and examine how plot, character, theme, and language inform each other. William Golding’s Lord of the Flies, Lorraine Hansberry’s A Raisin in the Sun, William Shakespeare’s Macbeth, excerpts from Julie Otsuka, and short story and poetry selections enhance our students’ understanding of the power of language and the richness of human experience. English I also includes a formal study of grammar and usage. In addition to our online subscription to the grammar resource IXL and the workbook text Into Literature Grammar Practice, students continue to use Wordly Wise 3000 for vocabulary study.
English II: World Literature
This course exposes students to many genres of world literature and reinforces boys’ understanding of critical terminology. It places special emphasis on close reading and urges students to explore how figurative language, allusion, connotation, and imagery enhance meaning. Students hone these skills through reading Khaled Hosseini’s novel The Kite Runner, Athol Fugard’s play “Master Harold”… and the boys, and short stories from Gabriel García Márquez, Ha Jin, and Jhumpa Lahiri’s Interpreter of Maladies. Mohsin Hamid’s The Reluctant Fundamentalist and Chinua Achebe’s Things Fall Apart complete a selection that we hope will challenge and broaden the perspectives of our young men. Expository essays help students develop analytic and critical skills; personal narrative assignments encourage Fourth Form writers to develop their own voice or rhetorical style. Original poetry, short stories, and frequent print or digital journal entries complement more traditional writing assessments. In order to further their ability to communicate effectively and gracefully, students also continue the study of grammar and vocabulary begun in Third Form, turning their attention to usage and the mechanics of writing. In addition to our online subscription to the grammar and usage resource IXL and the workbook text Into Literature Grammar Practice, students continue to use Wordly Wise 3000 for vocabulary study.
English III: American Literature
Building upon the grammatical foundation and introduction to literary genres established in Fourth Form, this course offers a selective thematic survey of varieties of the American experience. The course includes selections of poetry, fiction, and essays from authors such as Phillis Wheatley, Frederick Douglass, Walt Whitman, Emily Dickinson, Langston Hughes, and Nella Larsen. Core texts include Tommy Orange’s There There, Zora Neale Hurston’s Their Eyes Were Watching God, F. Scott Fitzgerald’s The Great Gatsby, and August Wilson’s Fences. Our study of American literary culture serves as the basis for regularly assigned critical papers and personal narratives. Teachers assign a variety of topics, and as the year progresses, students are given greater freedom to choose their topics and their approaches. The department expects papers to be thorough, well organized, clearly worded, insightful, well documented, and substantially free of spelling, grammatical, and mechanical errors.
English IV: The Individual and Society (Fall)
The fall term is devoted to honing skills in close reading and careful writing. Students write daily reflections and commentaries, and, in frequent personal narratives and analytic essays, demonstrate their command of rhetorical devices, their emerging mastery of different writing styles, and their growing skill at editing. Resources like William Zinsser’s On Writing Well provide accessible and engaging guides for aspiring writers to refine their diction, syntax, and style. Classic and contemporary poetry, creative nonfiction essays, Eleanor Burgess’ The Niceties, Ta-Nehisi Coates’ Letter to My Son, and William Shakespeare’s Hamlet allow students to think deeply about how individuals express their relationships with surrounding social structures.
English IV* (Fall)
Prerequisite: A- average in English III, the recommendation of their English III teacher, and, after consideration of a writing sample, the consent of the department.
This seminar aims to challenge our most motivated students to become better writers and more attentive readers of literature and the world around them. Readings from a variety of genres fuel close-reading exercises and discussions of modes of realism and topics in philosophy. We also read nonfiction and personal narratives, paying careful attention to these writers’ use of language. By imitating these writers in their own personal narratives and analytic essays, students learn to write clearly and creatively, and they gain a greater appreciation for writing as a craft. In the second half of the semester, we use our improved critical reading and writing skills to dive deeply into a study of Hamlet, where students develop an awareness of scholarly criticism and learn to engage with secondary sources.
What are The Haverford School's English IV: Spring Seminars (senior year electives)
In the spring, English IV students take part in a seminar-style course modeled after college classrooms. Students take more active roles in discussions, presentations, and shared learning. This experience helps them build confidence, think critically, and communicate their ideas clearly and respectfully.
Students may share their seminar preferences, and the English Department works to place them in courses based on those interests when possible. Final seminar assignments are determined by the department and depend on staffing and class size. Recent seminar topics have included:
- The Meaning of Life
- Page and Stage
- Reading and Writing Poetry
- Syntax & Style
- The Art of the Short Story
Example English Seminar Course Descriptions
The Meaning of Life
Samuel Taylor Coleridge famously stated that poetry is “the best words in the best order,” distinguishing it from prose, which he identified as “words in their best order.” In her poem “Poetry,” Marianne Moore called it “fiddle,” as in ‘a piece of deception’ . . . but then soon admitted that within it is “a place for the genuine.” This course will embrace both of these takes on what poetry is and combine them with the idea that the acts of reading and writing poetry enable us to access things other genres can only bring us up to the edge of. We will attempt to push past the edge by exploring and experimenting with such forms as the sonnet, villanelle, ode, and free verse poem. We will study and play around with line and line breaks, sound devices, and figurative language. We will give voice to what appears on the page. And we will engage in workshopping exercises that help further our craft and build a community of people committed to giving themselves over to the mystery of it all.
Page and Stage
After close readings of contemporary and classic plays, students view video performances and attend live performances on Philadelphia stages. We then evaluate the effectiveness of the productions using the critical language of the arts journalist. Whenever possible, we discuss the creative process with writers, directors, designers, and actors.
Reading and Writing Poetry
Samuel Taylor Coleridge famously stated that poetry is “the best words in the best order,” distinguishing it from prose, which he identified as “words in their best order.” In her poem “Poetry,” Marianne Moore called it “fiddle,” as in ‘a piece of deception’ . . . but then soon admitted that within it is “a place for the genuine.” This course will embrace both of these takes on what poetry is and combine them with the idea that the acts of reading and writing poetry enable us to access things other genres can only bring us up to the edge of. We will attempt to push past the edge by exploring and experimenting with such forms as the sonnet, villanelle, ode, and free verse poem. We will study and play around with line and line breaks, sound devices, and figurative language. We will give voice to what appears on the page. And we will engage in workshopping exercises that help further our craft and build a community of people committed to giving themselves over to the mystery of it all.
Syntax & Style
Syntax and Style for the Serious Writer is designed for those students who are interested in going deeper into English grammar and mechanics than they have ever gone before. It is for those who secretly delight in the prospect of breaking out a ruler and–in their neatest possible printing or handwriting–diagramming some sentences. It is for those who inexplicably find comfort, if not pleasure, in considering whether the em dashes in the preceding sentence are the right choice or if commas would be more effective. It is for those who are fascinated by how sentences function and want to gain a deeper understanding of how sentence structure and style are related. In this course, we will be using material from such texts as Rex Barks, Elements of Style, Says Who?, Warriner’s High School Handbook, and Biting the Wax Tadpole, to name a few. We will be reading, writing, discussing, and collectively geeking out, in a safe space, about syntactic minutia, all with the aim of equipping you with knowledge and skills that will enable you to write stronger, more elegant sentences.
The Art of the Short Story
Students immerse themselves in a variety of short stories, concentrating on what makes the short fiction genre special. They also craft original pieces of fiction and discuss them in the workshop format. From work by Alice Walker and Truman Capote, to Vladimir Nabokov and Jamel Brinkley, we read a broad selection of fiction offering a range of narrative voices, including contemporary stories.
What distinguishes the English program at The Haverford School?
The Haverford School's Upper School English program has established a strong record of recognition in creative writing, literary publishing, and student journalism. Through nationally recognized publications and award-winning student work, Haverford students consistently demonstrate excellence in writing, editing, reporting, and visual storytelling.
Scholastic Art & Writing Awards
Students have earned significant recognition in the nation's longest-running and most prestigious program honoring creative teens. Most recently, Haverford students received:
- 6 Regional Gold Keys
- 9 Silver Keys
- 16 Honorable Mentions
These awards recognize exceptional achievement in creative writing and visual arts, with Gold Key winners advancing to national adjudication.
Columbia Scholastic Press Association (CSPA)
Haverford's student publications continue to rank among the nation's best.
The Index (student newspaper)
- 2020 Gold Medal
- 2019 Silver Medal
- 2018 Silver Medal
- 2013 Gold Medal
Pegasus (student literary magazine)
- 2021 Gold Crown Award
- 2017, 2016, 2015 Gold Medals
- 2018, 2014, 2013 Silver Medals
The CSPA's Crown Awards and Medal Critiques are among the highest honors in scholastic journalism and literary publishing, recognizing excellence in writing, editing, design, photography, and overall publication quality.
Pennsylvania Scholastic Press Association (PSPA)
The Index also earned statewide recognition with a:
Gold Rating (2018)
PSPA honors student publications that demonstrate excellence in journalism, editorial leadership, and publication design across Pennsylvania.
Pennsylvania Press Club High School Journalism Contest
Haverford student journalists have been recognized across multiple reporting and writing categories, earning:
- 6 First Place awards
- 3 Second Place awards
- 6 Third Place awards
- 3 Honorable Mentions
These honors reflect outstanding achievement in news reporting, feature writing, opinion writing, photography, and other areas of scholastic journalism.
The Haverford School's English program provides students with meaningful opportunities to publish, compete, and earn recognition at the regional, state, and national levels. Through award-winning creative writing, nationally recognized literary and journalism publications, and consistent success in prestigious competitions, Haverford students develop the communication, critical thinking, and storytelling skills that prepare them for success in college and beyond.
Beyond the classroom, students engage with accomplished writers and thinkers through
What are the outcomes of the English program at The Haverford School?
The skills students develop in Haverford's English program extend far beyond the classroom. Through close reading, analytical and creative writing, discussion, and public speaking, students learn to communicate clearly, think critically, and engage thoughtfully with different perspectives. These abilities prepare graduates for success in college, professional careers, and leadership roles across a wide range of fields.
Haverford alumni frequently point to their English classes as formative experiences that strengthened their writing, deepened their intellectual curiosity, and helped them become more confident communicators. Whether pursuing careers in the arts, media, science, medicine, business, or public service, graduates continue to draw on the skills they developed through Haverford's English curriculum.
What are people saying about the English program at The Haverford School?
Haverford School alumni in all fields often recognize the formative education they received at the School. They express gratitude for the School's English department for teaching them to read, write, and most importantly, think. Read some testimonials below:
Haverford really taught me how to write. I think the one critical skill that I gained from Haverford is the ability to write and communicate clearly to disparate audiences.
Bill Kay '84, filmmaker and media executive
My experience in [My Haverford English teacher's] class during Fifth Form was transformational because I ended up pursuing an English degree in college. He taught us how to read different texts, books, and poetry. I found it captivating and wanted to learn more.
Cory Siegfried '08, University of Virginia English graduate
The amount of writing I did at Haverford in both the sciences and humanities—analyzing text, being thoughtful in citing the work, building an argument coherently—prepared me to produce a strong scientific paper.
Christopher Magnani '11, researcher and medical professional
Who teaches English at The Haverford School?
The English department faculty at The Haverford School includes teachers with advanced degrees in their field, published writing, and internationally-recognized teaching. Our faculty regularly attend and present at conferences advancing boys' school education, such as those offered by the International Boys' Schools Coalition (IBSC).
Where do I go to learn more about the English department at The Haverford School?
To learn more about the English department at The Haverford School, read the English department's philosophy here.
To learn more about The Haverford School, reach out to our admissions team at admissions@haverford.org or submit an inquiry form to begin the admissions process.
To explore other aspects of our curriculum, browse our offerings here.