More than 150 students who wanted to find out if Keats was right that literature would "lift the thoughts and sooth the cares of humankind" learned yesterday that they will have to wait at least until next year for the answer.

An English Department staff arrived at the the second meeting of English 14, "Literature and Human Suffering" to tell students that the course will not be offered because Professor of English James Engell has back problems.

Students had flocked to the "Suffering" course last Thursday, and Engell had to move the course from the planned 40-seat classroom to Boylston Hall.

Engell, who has been bothered by chronic back problems, has a ruptured disk, which will probably require surgery or at least an extended amount of time resting in bed, section leaders for the course said. Engell could not be reached for comment.

"Disappointed is not the word," said Cathy Han '91, who said she was planning to enroll in the course. "It all looked really good--the professor, the reading list, the course itself," Han said.

Han also said she was concerned about finding another course. "I wanted to see what the English Department was like in case I wanted to concentrate in [English]," she said.

The section leaders expressed their disappointment with the cancellation, saying it was a letdown for them after all of the preparation they have done. They said they had enjoyed working with Engell on the course when it was last offered two years ago.

Regrets

"It was the most fun that I've ever had teaching here," said Greg Mertz, a graduate student in English.

Engell had planned to teach one other course and to co-teach a doctoral conference to advise graduate theses. Literature 107, "Critical and Creative Movements in Poetry" will have a reading period for the next four weeks until Engell comes back, students who attended the class said yesterday.

There will probably be two lectures a week instead of one when he returns, and the class might have to extend into reading period, the students said.

Once the lectures get started "it's going to be pretty intense," said Sean J. Bolser '89.