English 26

Introduction to the Study of Poetry

Description

How can we become more appreciative, alert readers of poetry, and at the same time better writers of prose? This course attends to the rich variety of poems written in English, drawing on the works of poets from William Shakespeare to Elizabeth Bishop, John Keats to Gwendolyn Brooks, Emily Dickinson to Wallace Stevens. We will read songs, sonnets, odes, villanelles, and ballads. By engaging in thorough discussions and varied writing assignments, we will explore some of the major periods, modes, and genres of English poetry, and in the process expand the possibilities of our own writing.

This will be a reading- and discussion-intensive course designed for prospective majors and transfer students looking to understand poetry and learn how to write about it critically.

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