ENG 639 - 011: POETRY SEMINAR & WORKSHOP - 20119 - [updated 04/24/2007]
Spring 2007 | Registration Dates: Nov 06, 2006 to Jan 30, 2007
3.000 Credits
Tues. 6:00 pm - 9:00 pmRoss Hall 2260 Jan 16, 2007 - May 11, 2007
Jeffrey Ethan Lee, Ph.D., M.F.A.
Office: Ross 1170A
Hrs: TR 10:30-11:30 a.m., 1:30—2:00 p.m. & 5:00-6:00 p.m.,
and T 9:00-9:30 p.m.
MWF by arrangement.
Phone: (970) 351-1476 / e-mail: jeffrey.lee@unco.edu
website: www.unco.edu/poetry/jeffrey.lee
Other hours in class:
ENG 340 ADVANCED CREATIVE WRITING: POETRY, TR 2:00 p.m.-3:15 p.m. Candelaria 0065
MIND 288: 011 CONTEMPORARY ARTS CONNECTIONS, TR 3:30 pm - 4:45 pm McKee 0223
Outline of course content | course requirements | required texts |advisories | schedule of assignments | skip to present
Intro to the course:
This is a course with two possible tracks. You can think of this course as primarily a creative writing workshop with a postmodern poetry survey. While a workshop alone is more than enough to create a valuable course, one great reason to do a literary survey at the same time is that reading contemporary poetry almost always enables writers to get much farther into the art than if they are not reading widely. The amount of reading may be similar to what you would do in a poetry survey; however, the amount of critical and analytical writing in response to these readings will be less arduous, and it should be much more fun.
You can also think of this course as primarily a postmodern poetry survey where you learn about literature in the most tangible way, i.e. by making some of your own. It has been said (and often demonstrated) that the best way to learn about an art is to do it yourself. Even if you never have any desire to write a poem again after this course, you may think of this as a kind of a “lab” class where you get to try out things you have only studied before. There is no better way to appreciate what poetic devices, techniques and style mean.
Catalogue Course description:
A colloquium for poets on contemporary poetry/poetics with regular opportunities to write original work.
Course objectives:
(1) To read representative figures in contemporary poetry and poetics and to understand some facets of postmodern writing.
(2) To explore contemporary competing aesthetics, such as the New York School, the confessional school, various feminist revisionists, the language school, various ethnopoetic schools, the Naropa school, Spoken Word, music and performance-based schools etc.
(3) To focus on defining your own distinctive style as a poet
in relation to contemporary poets or schools of poetry/poetics.
(4) To explore experimental and traditional forms.
(5) To apply the skills of literary criticism to the more immediate reading experiences of contemporaries, including workshop peers and your own work. That is, you argue the relative merits of various poets/poetics, and you may better understand the function of literary criticism because you put it into practice on works that have personal meaning to you.
(6) To prepare manuscripts for submission to contemporary publications.
(7) To support or create a community of writers.
Participation in the Poetry Workshop includes:
* Presenting drafts of new work (1-2 pages maximum per submission to the workshop).
* Responding constructively in writing to your peers every week before their
work is discussed (this is written participation).
* Revising your work throughout the term (for the final portfolio).
* Coming to a one-on-one conference on either the readings or your own writings.
Participation in the Contemporary Poetry Seminar includes:
* Discussion of contemporary poetry readings, audio, and audio-visual presentations.
The oral report and a short research paper include:
* Some independent research into a poem, a poet, or a school of poetics that
has particular significance for your own writing.
* You share your findings with the class (oral report) and turn this into a
short paper.
(1) final portfolio of poems (10-15 pp. single- or double-spaced). The best work written during the term, most of which must have gone through the workshop process. Most of it should be revised and ready to submit to a publisher.
20%, 30% or 40% of final grade [This part of your grade and (2.b.) must add up to 60% of your final grade.]
(2. a) an oral report in which students teach a part of the class and argue for the value of a particular poet/poetics that the student finds especially inspiring or relevant to her/his own work.
10% of final grade
(2. b) a short research paper, which evolves out of the oral report, on a contemporary poet or school of poetry/poetics. Ideally, students demonstrate their appreciation of the craft, techniques and devices of the poetry. Further, students show how and why the poetics of a precursor are particularly meaningful for her/his own evolution as a writer. (7-10 pages with at least five works cited, including web-based resources, and other media).
20%, 30% or 40%
of final grade [This part of your grade and (1) must add up to 60% of your
final grade.]
(3. a) written and oral participation in the poetry workshop
20% of final grade
(3. b) participation in the contemporary poetry seminar
10% of final grade
Method of Evaluation: Letter grade.
Final Exams:
(Optional) Writings under time-pressure situations frequently are surprisingly
inspired; therefore, in lieu of a “final exam” I offer writing
exercises like those that poets and writers frequently voluntarily use
at writing retreats
etc. This is recommended but not required.
Required Texts:
Ferlinghetti, Lawrence. A Coney Island of the Mind.
Ashbery, John. Self-Portrait in a Convex Mirror.
Hilberry, Jane. Body Painting.
Strand, Mark. Selected Poems.
Alexander, Meena. Raw Silk.
Lawler, Patrick. Feeding the Fear of the Earth.
Contemporary American Poetry, eds. Gwynn & Lindner [ISBN 0-321-18282-0]
Many Mountains Moving Vol VII No. 1 [ISBN 1-886976-19-1]
The Academy of American Poets website with online poem texts, audio files, interviews, bibliographies, and related links at www.poets.org.
Other recommended poets distributed on handouts and
available through web-based sources:
Ai, Frank
Bidart, Marcus
Cafagna, Jim
Carroll, Marilyn
Chin, Mary
Crow, Rita
Dove, Carolyn
Forche, Michael
Harper, Ted
Hughes, Etheridge
Knight, Li-Young
Lee, Marilyn
Nelson, Urayoan
Noel, Frank
O’Hara, Bob
Perelman, Sylvia
Plath, Paisley
Rekdahl, Adrienne Rich, Anne
Sexton, Gary
Snyder, Cathy
Song....
Disability Statement:
Students who believe that they may need accommodations in this class are encouraged
to contact the Disability Access Center (970) 351-2289 as soon as possible to
ensure that accommodations are implemented in a timely fashion.
Plagiarism Statement:
If you ever knowingly use someone else’s writing and try to pass it off
as your own, you may be guilty of plagiarism, which may warrant an automatic
F. Plagiarism does not include acknowledged collaborations or other approved
learning situations. (For more information, see “GENERAL UNIVERSITY INFORMATION
AND POLICIES,”
“Student Rights and Responsibilities,” at http://www.unco.edu/dos/handbook/stuhndbk.htm
* Please note that this syllabus may change. some assignments may be added and
others removed.
[Please note that this syllabus may change. Assignments may be added or removed. There may also be extra credit opportunities that are not listed below.]
Weeks 1-2: Jan 16, 23
Read Ferlinghetti A Coney Island of the Mind in entirety & Ginsberg in Contemporary American Poetry for Jan 23.
AT LEAST 3 DAYS BEFORE JAN 23, Group 1: Distribute poems via e-mail or to grad student mailboxes of the class.
Grp 1: Jen Boland, Erika Hildner, Andrea May, Ryan Meeker, Amy Otis, Gary Villeneuve, Jess Walter, Justin Couch, & Ruth Zachary
Grp 2: Michael Brudzinski, Tiffanie Buss, Eric Karch, Stephanie Nettles, Gayle Randall, Cody Shaffer, Christy Shannon, Julie Snoeck & Kyle Whitecotton.
On Jan 23, Group 2: distribute poems on paper to class. Bring questions to discuss the readings! Remember that participation is important in this class!
Everyone, on Jan 23, respond in writing to the drafts from Group 1 and make a copy for me of your marginalia. Peer responses are due every class unless otherwise noted.
Short responses to Ferlinghetti (300-500 words to any one or two poems from the readings; do a close reading relating themes and poetic techniques, style, innovations.... TRY TO FOCUS ON WHAT YOU UNDERSTAND AND APPRECIATE THE BEST!) due the 30th!
Weeks 3-4: Jan 30, Feb 6 *** Supplemental reading that will help you write about the Beats.
For Jan 30, read Ashbery Self-Portrait in a Convex Mirror in entirety & Ashbery in Contemporary American Poetry. Bring questions to discuss the readings!
On Jan 30, Group 1: distribute poems on paper to class. Peer responses are due every class unless otherwise noted.
Extra readings to help with Ashbery-- link here & see your Contemporary American Poetry anthology on Ashbery, & New York School.
Also, if you go to this page, http://www.poets.org/viewmedia.php/prmMID/15460
you can read and hear the audio of Ashbery reading “My Philosophy of Life,” one of his most accessible poems.
Also, here is an essay on Ashbery and an interview:
http://www.english.uiuc.edu/maps/poets/a_f/ashbery/general.htm
On Feb 6, Group 2: distribute poems on paper to class. Peer responses are due every class unless otherwise noted.
Please read Hilberry before Tuesday so that we have time to talk about her work before she visits on the 13th.
Weeks 5-6: Feb 13, 20 | NEW student responses to the literature
Jane Hilberry, Colorado Book Award winner, visits our class at 6 p.m. and gives a reading open to the public at 7 p.m. Spruce A.
Also on Feb 13, Group 1: distribute poems on paper to class.
Also, short responses to Ashbery (300-500 words to any one or two poems from the readings; do a close reading relating themes and poetic techniques, style, innovations....)
Related readings for Hilberry (optional with EC log) Roethke, Olds, Kunitz.
If you are interested in doing an extra response log for Extra Credit, you can visit the above links to read a little of the poetry by some of the poetic influences upon Hilberry and try to identify some of the ways in which that influence is evident. You would need to cite passages to explain what you have found. If you want to explore further readings, you can easily find far more poetry online using Google etc.
On Feb 20, Group 2: distribute poems on paper to class.
Short responses to Hilberry (300-500 words to any one or two poems from the readings; do a close reading relating themes and poetic techniques, style, innovations....)
Oral reports sign up for dates.
Oral reports may begin the following week.
Weeks 7-8: Feb 27, Mar 6 (Writers Conference week E.C. events optional)
Oral reports continue through the end of the term....BIO link |Extra resources for Alexander |
For Feb 27, read Alexander's Raw Silk in entirety. Group 1: distribute poems on paper to class.
Early meeting time (recommended, not required) 5:30 Workshop continues.
Attend reading at 7:30 p.m. in the Panorama Room.
Mar 6, finish Alexander. Group 2: distribute poems on paper to class.
Short responses to Alexander (300-500 words to any one or two poems from the readings; do a close reading relating themes and poetic techniques, style, innovations....)
Weeks 9-10: Mar 13, 27
For Mar 13, read Strand Selected Poems in entirety. Group 1: distribute poems on paper to class.
Strand at the Academy of American Poets
This following link (also available through the page above) http://poempresent.uchicago.edu/archive.htm opens a page of videos by many great poets. Scroll to the bottom and there is a reading and a lecture by Strand. The Strand Reading video features, after a long introduction by a professor, Strand reading (through a head cold): “Keeping Things Whole,” “The Coming of Light,” “Elegy for my Father,” “Man and Camel,”“ Orpheus Alone” & many more!
If you want an Extra Credit assignment, view the Strand Reading video and write about what the recital by the poet adds to the meaning of the work.
See also: Strand critic Berger | Audio of Strand reading "Man and Camel" (search for this title as a podcast)
Here also is a link to the Oblique Strategies for Creativity from Brian Eno, thanks to Justin Couch!
For Mar 27, Group 2: distribute poems on paper to class. Discuss Strand.
Short responses to Strand (300-500 words to any one or two poems from the readings; do a close reading relating themes and poetic techniques, style, innovations....)
Weeks 11-12: Apr 3, 10
For Apr 3, read Lawler's Feeding the Fear of the Earth in entirety and Lawler's poems in MMM Vol. VII. Group 1: distribute poems on paper to class.
Extra Credit Events regarding visiting poet Eric Nelson, 04/05/2007, 2 p.m. in Candelaria 0065 or 7:30 p.m.
Extra Credit Questions: by noon, April 4th, write a good question for Patrick Lawler to answer, and if he answers it, you get extra points. (Don't ask something that you can find out for yourself with a little research!)
Optional EC response to Lawler on three poems on a theme that they have in common, e.g. the environment, torture, the father figures etc.
For Apr. 10, MMM 35-57, 60-90. Group 2: distribute poems on paper to class.
Patrick Lawler's Q & A on the MMM site
For Apr 17, Many Mountains Moving Vol VII, pages 92-101, 130-147, 152-159, 164-176, 223-237, 247-267.
Poetry class portfolio poems due. This means you bring 16 copies of your favorite poem by yourself, and then I will assemble all of these and return them to the class as a memento of the work that the class did this term, and all of you can keep it.
Group 1: distribute poems on paper to class for a last time.
4 Oral presentations....
Weeks 14: Apr 24 (Tim Hernandez reading at 7 p.m. not possible, according to your votes.)
For Apr 24, Group 2: distribute poems on paper to class for a last time.
Short responses due (300-500 words to any one or two poems from the readings; do a close reading relating themes and poetic techniques, style, innovations....)
Suggested topics for the written responses: Compare 2 of the poets' responses to various other artworks in Winograd (262), Van Noord (248-50), Richey, (214-16), Pursley (209), Moolten (169-170) etc.
Compare 2 of the poets' responses to the themes of loss, alienation, elation, the sublime, or any identity-related theme. Whatever themes you decide to focus upon, use quotations to support your ideas!
4 Oral presentations....
Weeks 15: May 1
Discuss favorite poems from MMM Vol VII.
Last chance to read in class; 4 Oral presentations..... Poetry portfolios due.
FINALS WEEK:
May 8: 7 p.m. -- 9:30 p.m.
Last chance for any remaining oral presentations.... Optional final exam.