Introduction to Poetry

L205 — Spring 2021

Instructor
Penelope Anderson
Days and Times
9:25 - 10:40a TR
Course Description

Poetry helps us make sense of the world; the world helps us make sense of poetry. This semester, we will put these abstract statements to the test, as we read a variety of poems by diverse authors from the long history of poetry. The acts of attention that poems demand – reading closely, thinking deeply, articulating clearly – teach us to understand minds and experiences other than our own. And, because poems present language in its most difficult form, learning to analyze poems will help you to read not only other literary language, like novels, but also all kinds of language in the world around you: the polemic of political argumentation, the compression of tweets, the conventions of the business world.

As a writing-intensive class as well as an introduction to poetry, this course aims to sharpen your critical reading skills through in-depth analysis of poems and to improve your writing skills so that you can articulate your interpretations clearly, grammatically, and persuasively. Consequently, this course will introduce you not only to the elements of poetry and the specialized vocabulary used to describe them but also to principles of good writing. Class requirements include mandatory attendance, active participation, and the willingness to engage actively and respectfully with course texts and with varying interpretations.

 

Interested in this course?

The full details of this course are available on the Office of the Registrar website.

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