Course Description and Objectives:

English 412/512 Advanced Poetry (3 UG credits, 2 GR credits)

An advanced study of poetry, including issues such as translation, evaluation of poetry, the personal nature of poetry, current critical theory and its application to poetry, and an in-depth examination of a major poet. Students will also produce a portfolio of their own poems. Prerequisite(s): ENG 310/510A or other introductory poetry class.

Prerequisite: Introduction to Poetry class such as English 310/510A.

The course design assumes that students may work independently at their own pace through the material. Each chapter of the text has Forum questions or other assignments linked to it. Some assignments have mini-lectures or recorded material attached to them; others just revolve around the text. What will the course cover? As you proceed further in the course, you will be asked to write increasingly more sophisticated criticism and poetry of your own. Online sessions will be held weekly where you may discuss the material, ask questions, or share your written work with others. These online sessions will be recorded so that students who cannot attend synchronously will still be able to pose questions, have them answered, and share with others.

Given the assumptions above, students may expect that they will be called on to read extensively, to discuss those readings in class (whether in person, via Elluminate, or in the Forums on MyHeritage), and to write regularly concerning the readings and discussions. All of these elements will be factored into the course evaluation system.

In general, the course has these objectives for students to pursue:

(1) Become further acquainted with the terminology for talking about poetry.

(2) Advance beyond the basics of writing poetry.

(3) Explore additional methods for both enjoying and analyzing poetry, including researching poetry-related topics.

(4) Improve analytic writing skills.