Theory of Lyric Poetry

Through readings of recent critical discussions of the lyric genre, we will explore general methodological problems of literary theory. Discussions include: the role of form, structure and tropes in analyzing poetry; problems of subjectivity and voice; the relation between poetry and history; the function of reading: and the problematic "objectivity" of criticism. Readings from Hölderlin, Shelley, Baudelaire, Yeats, Jakobson, Benveniste, Riffaterre, Jauss, Johnson, De Man.