Latin American Death Trip

Death is the subject of many of the greatest (most moving, innovative, funny, haunting, political, oneiric) Latin American poems of the 20th century, from Gorostiza's Death without End to Villaurrutia's Nostalgia for Death to Saenz' The Night . What is up with Latin Americans and death? What particularities of culture, gender, age, faith or experience might account for the visionary clarity of death as constant companion or permeable border, etc.? What makes the poems great? We shall read classic Latin American books in bilingual editions (so Spanish literacy is not a requirement, but we'll talk about translation issues). Students will be expected to participate in literary discussions, to write essays and a death poem. Enrollment limited to 20.