Reading & Writing Poetry (206-0-21)

Instructors

Charif Shanahan

Meeting Info

University Hall 018 English: Mon, Wed 3:30PM - 4:50PM

Overview of class

This foundational course in reading and writing poetry serves as a valuable opening course for writers in all genres. When we write poetry, we come into a new relationship with ourselves and the world. Ordinary details and half-hidden memories become sites of meaning and metaphor in the space of a poem. In this course, you will write and revise at least four of your own poems under the direction of your instructor and in workshops with your peers. You will also read and study contemporary and historical poems by a vibrant and diverse group of poets. This process of close reading will widen your range as a writer, offer you a foundational understanding of the poetic tradition in English, introduce you to poetic techniques, and invite you to enjoy the musicality and insights of literature. Through tailored readings and assignments, we will study a poem's pacing, sentence structure, line-breaks, and use of image and figurative language, paying close attention to poetry's musicality and rhythm. You will finish this course with a better comprehension of poetry, an introduction to your peer writers, and a final portfolio of your revised poems.

Class Attributes

Attendance at 1st class mandatory
No Seniors

Enrollment Requirements

Enrollment Requirements: Pre-registration is reserved for English and Creative Writing Students except Seniors until the end of preregistration, after which registration will be open to all students the meet the prerequisites.