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21W.756

Writing and Reading Poems

3-0-9 units. HASS-A · Undergraduate

Examination of the formal structural and textual variety in poetry. Extensive practice in the making of poems and the analysis of both students' manuscripts and texts from 16th- through 20th-century literature. Attempts to make relevant the traditional elements of poetry and their contemporary alternatives. Weekly writing assignments, including some exercises in prosody.

Fall 2006

This course is an examination of the formal structural and textual variety in poetry. Students engage in extensive practice in the making of poems and the analysis of both students' manuscripts and 20th-century poetry. The course attempts to make relevant the traditional elements of poetry and their contemporary alternatives. There are weekly writing assignments, including some exercises in prosody.

Readings

  • Allen, Donald, ed. The New American Poetry, 1945-1960 . Berkeley, CA: University of California Press, 1999. ISBN: 9780520209534.
    Required
  • WEEK #: 3 · TOPICS: Charles Olson’s Poem · READINGS: Olson, Charles. “The Kingfishers.” In The New American Poetry, 1945-1960 .
    Reading assignment
  • WEEK #: 5 · TOPICS: Robert Creeley’s Poems · READINGS: Creeley, Robert. “The Warning,” “I know a man,” “The Kind of act of,” “The Immoral Proposition,” and “If You.” In The New American Poetry, 1945-1960 .
    Reading assignment
  • WEEK #: 7 · TOPICS: Barbara Guest’s Poems · READINGS: Guest, Barbara. “Parachutes, My Love, Could Carry Us higher,” “Sunday Evening,” “Santa Fe Trail,” and “Piazzas.” In The New American Poetry, 1945-1960 .
    Reading assignment
  • WEEK #: 9 · TOPICS: James Schuyler’s Poem and Letter · READINGS: Schuyler, James. “February” and “Dear Miss Batie.” In The New American Poetry, 1945-1960 .
    Reading assignment
  • WEEK #: 11 · TOPICS: Frank O’Hara Poems · READINGS: O’Hara, Frank. “Why I Am Not A Painter,” “The Day Lady Died,” “Poem (Krushchev is coming on the right day!),” “A Step Away from Them,” and “Personal Poem.” In The New American Poetry, 1945-1960 .
    Reading assignment
  • WEEK #: 13 · TOPICS: Philip Whalen’s Poems · READINGS: Whalen, Philip. “Sourdough Mountain Lookout,” “The Same Old Jazz,” “Forty-five Years Since the Fall of the ‘Ch’ing Dynasty’,” and “For C.” In The New American Poetry, 1945-1960 .
    Reading assignment
  • WEEK #: 15 · TOPICS: Your Own Poems · READINGS: We will read and discuss any poems you have written over the semester. If time permits we will also discuss any poems that you would like to bring in for discussion. For the latter the definition of poem is elastic and includes song or rap lyrics.
    Reading assignment
  • Allen, Donald, ed. The New American Poetry, 1945-1960 . Berkeley, CA: University of California Press, 1999. ISBN: 9780520209534.
    Listed reading

Prerequisites & course information

Prereq: None U (Spring) 3-0-9 units. HASS-A

Sources