English 143B

Other Readings and Media

Jahan Ramazani, ed.: The Norton Anthology of Modern & Contemporary Poetry, 2 vols.; Course reader

Description

In this course you will conduct a progressive series of experiments in which you will explore the fundamental options for writing poetry today?aperture, partition, closure; rhythmic sound patterning; sentence & line; stanza; short & long-lined poems; image & figure; graphics & textual space; cultural translation; poetic forms (haibun, villanelle, sestina, pantoum, ghazal, etc.); the first, second, third, and no person (persona, address, drama, narrative, description); prose poetry. Our emphasis will be placed on recent possibilities, but with an eye & ear always to renovating traditions. I have no ?house style? and only one precept: you can do anything, if you can do it. You will write a poem a week, and we?ll discuss six or so in rotation (I?ll respond to every poem you write). On alternate days, we?ll discuss pre-modern and modern exemplary poems drawn from the Norton Anthology and from our course reader. It will be delightful.