Jonathan R. Grandine '68, former assistant professor of English Literature, died yesterday after a long illness. He was 33 years old.

Grandine won the LeBaron Russell Briggs prize for his undergraduate thesis on William Wordsworth, which was later published, and became a History and Literature tutor while working on his doctoral dissertation on John Milton.

He became an assistant professor in the English Department, developing a course on "Epic Poetry from the Renaissance to the Romantics," and teaching other courses.

David D. Perkins '51, chairman of the English Department and Grandine 's undergraduate thesis adviser, said yesterday Grandine brought "force and presence" to his popular lectures.

"He prepared his courses very carefully, knew the material thoroughly, and taught literature as a reflection of life relevant to every person's experience," he said.

Paul K. Rowe '76, for whom Grandine was thesis adviser, said yesterday that in spite of an initially reserved mien, Grandine conveyed more enthusiasm for his subject than most professors at Harvard.

"His talent was not to identify himself with the persona of the poet or the author, but to stand at sort of an ironic distance," Rowe said.

Grandine had planned to attend law school in 1978, but decided to stay at the College when he found out he had cancer.