Top 10 English Literature Online Courses
Top 10 English literature courses online for students and book lovers. Learn through free lit course options, poetry courses, and structured literature programs worldwide.
Being a lover of Shakespeare's humor and Maya Angelou's emotive tales, I can say that exploring courses online in English literature has truly enhanced my reading interest. There is something particularly exciting about going into the deeper perspectives of how Dickens builds up his characters or how Emily Dickinson imparts so much meaning in a few lines with so much depth.
The cherry on top: flexibly exploring everything from Jane Austen one day to Virginia Woolf the next, all from the comfort of your couch! And many sites offer free Lit courses to sample before shelling out for courses that cost a dime. Whether poetry classes or an advanced degree matters not; these programs welcome any sort of book lover!
Top 10 English Literature Online Courses
Check these top 10 English literature courses available online for you along with their cost and duration :
S.no | Course Name / Program | Platform / Provider | Cost | Duration |
1 | Masterpieces of World Literature | HarvardX (Harvard University) | Free to audit; paid certificate | 4–8 weeks |
2 | Literary Theory & Contemporary Criticism | Yale Open Courses | Free | 14 weeks (semester-style) |
3 | MIT Literature Courses (Shakespeare, World Literature, Film Studies, etc.) | MIT OpenCourseWare | Free | Self-paced (semester-scale) |
4 | How to Read a Novel | University of Edinburgh (Coursera) | Free to audit; paid cert | 1–4 weeks |
5 | Exploring Poetry: Forms, Themes & Meanings | FutureLearn (various universities) | Free access; paid cert | 2–4 weeks |
6 | Modern & Contemporary American Poetry (ModPo) | University of Pennsylvania (Coursera) | Free to audit; paid cert | 10 weeks |
7 | English Literature (CLEP Preparation) | Independent via ClassCentral | Free | Self-paced |
8 | Romantic Poetry and Literature | Alison | Free (optional CPD cert) | 10–15 hours (self-paced) |
9 | Modern Literary Classics | Alison | Free (optional CPD cert) | 10–15 hours (self-paced) |
10 | Analysis of English Literature | Alison | Free (optional CPD cert) | 10–15 hours (self-paced) |
The collection of the top 10 treasures of English literature, gathered by us, may now be viewed by you. But let's really get down to business: pulling back the curtain on each of these courses and discovering the literary worlds that will be opened to you and how these skills will make you feel like a true connoisseur of the written word.
1. Harvard’s Masterpieces of World Literature on edX
Detail | Description |
What it covers | From Homer’s Odyssey to modern novels, this course travels through timeless works that shaped humanity’s imagination. It shows how literature mirrors society, politics, and culture across centuries. |
Where it’s available | HarvardX via edX |
Cost | Free lit course (audit); certificate available for a fee |
Outcome | A broad understanding of world literature, ideal for undergraduates wanting global perspective. |
USP | A guided journey into literary classics with Harvard professors — turning you from reader to critic of world texts. |
2. Yale’s Literary Theory & Contemporary Criticism Course
Detail | Description |
What it covers | A deep dive into how we read: structuralism, postmodernism, feminism, and cultural criticism. You don’t just read literature; you dissect it like a scholar. |
Where it’s available | Yale Open Courses (free recordings + readings) |
Cost | 100% free lit course |
Outcome | Ability to interpret texts using different schools of thought; prepares you for higher academic study. |
USP | A semester’s worth of Yale lectures at no cost — critical thinking sharpened through literary theory. |
3. MIT Literature Courses available on OpenCourseWare
Detail | Description |
What it covers | Wide range: Shakespeare, World Literature, Film & Media Studies, Science Fiction. Each course has full lectures, readings, and assignments. |
Where it’s available | MIT OpenCourseWare |
Cost | Free lit course (self-paced, no certificate) |
Outcome | Access to MIT-level syllabi and resources that help you approach literature with scientific rigor and creativity. |
USP | A treasure chest of English literature courses online, with the prestige of MIT — at zero cost. |
4. Coursera’s How to Read a Novel Course
Detail | Description |
What it covers | Ever wondered how novels breathe life into words? This course takes you through narrative techniques, character arcs, and reader engagement. |
Where it’s available | Coursera (University of Edinburgh) |
Cost | Free to audit; small fee for certificate |
Outcome | Practical tools for close reading and analyzing novels — from classics to contemporary fiction. |
USP | Turns everyday reading into an art, teaching you how to feel and analyze a novel at once. |
5. Exploring Poetry: Forms, Themes & Meanings course on FutureLearn
Detail | Description |
What it covers | This is among the best poetry courses online, unpacking rhythm, rhyme, and metaphor across ages — from sonnets to free verse. |
Where it’s available | FutureLearn (various universities) |
Cost | Free access; certificate upgrade for a fee |
Outcome | Deep appreciation of poetic language, with ability to write and interpret poetry critically. |
USP | A lyrical gateway into poetry courses — blending classic verse with modern voices. |
6. Modern & Contemporary American Poetry provided by University of Pennsylvania
Detail | Description |
What it covers | Known as “ModPo,” this free lit course explores Whitman, Dickinson, and experimental poets of the 20th century, including Ginsberg and Plath. |
Where it’s available | Coursera (University of Pennsylvania) |
Cost | Free to audit; certificate fee optional |
Outcome | Strong grounding in American poetry and its cultural shifts — useful for both academic and creative writers. |
USP | Legendary for its global community of poetry lovers; interactive discussions with professors. |
7. CLEP Preparation’s English Literature Program
Detail | Description |
What it covers | Focuses on preparing for CLEP exams, reviewing British & American literature, poetry, drama, and prose. |
Where it’s available | Via ClassCentral (various resources compiled) |
Cost | Free |
Outcome | Helps students earn college credit or test their proficiency in literature. |
USP | Structured self-paced prep — perfect for undergraduates wanting validation of skills without extra tuition. |
8. Alison Romantic Poetry and Literature Course
Detail | Description |
What it covers | Blake, Wordsworth, Coleridge, Shelley, Byron, and Keats — the stars of the Romantic era. The course explores how they used imagination and nature to reshape literature. |
Where it’s available | Alison |
Cost | Free; optional CPD certificate |
Outcome | Understanding the essence of Romantic poetry and its cultural significance. |
USP | A compact poetry course that immerses you in the beauty and rebellion of Romanticism. |
9. Modern Literary Classics – Alison
Detail | Description |
What it covers | Examines influential modern texts of the 20th century — novels that challenged society, politics, and art. |
Where it’s available | Alison |
Cost | Free; optional CPD certificate |
Outcome | Appreciation of modernist movements and literary experimentation. |
USP | A free lit course designed for readers curious about literature’s modern revolutions. |
10. Alison’s Analysis of Free English Literature Course
Detail | Description |
What it covers | Basics of analyzing texts: themes, symbols, genres, and literary devices. A foundation for deeper English literature courses online. |
Where it’s available | Alison |
Cost | Free; optional CPD certificate |
Outcome | Skills to critically read and interpret literature at an academic level. |
USP | A beginner-friendly course that teaches you to look beyond the story and uncover hidden meanings. |
These top 10 English literature courses online do really provide the most superb combination of convenience, depth, and affordability that every book lover could dream. Finding the right course isn't just about gaining more knowledge-it is about sinking deeper into a love of the written word while opening doors to exciting possibilities you might never have dreamed existed.