Poetry as Structure and Design

Catalog description

Following (and challenging) William Carlos Williams’s definition of a poem as “a machine made of words,” this course examines how poems are made. The course explores questions of invention and innovation in poetic form and how “form” and “content” interact in a wide range of poetry—from the earliest English ballads to contemporary work. Students write five critical essays. Prerequisites: Completion of first year writing requirements. Notes: Satisfies a HuSS elective.