Postmodern Experimental Poetry

Monday, May 1 In class: Discussion of electronic literature generations and access The Agrippa Files and “Agrippa” by William Gibson (1992) @HaikuD2 by John D. Burger @Pentametron by Ranjit Bhatnagar @thinkpiecebot @TacoHellMenu by Leonardo Flores Tiny Protests by Leonardo Flores Neal.fun by Neal Agarwal Assignment: Work on your Research / Creative Project, which is due… Continue reading Week 15: Poetry Today

Monday, April 17 In class: Research Paper or Creative Final Project Discussion of Conceptual Poetry The Black Book (2010) by Jean Keller Flarf poetry The OULIPO Christian Bök’s Eunoia Raymond Queneau, Cent Mille Milliards de Poèmes (video) (translation) Georges Perec, La disparition (translation) N+7 Generator Oulipo and Digital Poetry The Deletionist (2013) by Amaranth Borsuk,… Continue reading Weeks 13-14: Conceptual and Digital Poetry

Monday, April 3 In class: “Roda Lume” (1968) (including videopoem) by E. M. de Melo e Castro Young-Hae Chang Heavy Industries Introduction to bpNichol and The Complete Works by Justin Stephenson. (poem) (trailer) Assignment: Watch The Complete Works by Justin Stephenson Response: take 2 screenshots (or GIF captures) from the film and analyze what Stephenson is doing… Continue reading Weeks 11-12: Poetry as Video, Visual, Sound Art

Monday, March 20 In class: Introduction to audio recorded poetry T.S. Eliot, “The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock” (1917) Robert Frost, “Fire and Ice” (1920) Rita Dove, “Parsley” (1983) The Last Poets: “The Last Poets” (1970) (Album)(Lyrics) “Party and Bullshit” (1993) – Biggie Smalls (lyrics) “The Corner” (2005) – Common Assignment: Watch “Ursula Rucker:… Continue reading Weeks 9 & 10: Recorded and Performance Poetry

Monday, March 6 In class: “Personism: A Manifesto” by Frank O’Hara Frank O’Hara bio and poems. John Ashbery bio and poems. Assignment: Read “Language Poetry” in Princeton Encyclopedia Read Charles Bernstein’s bio and poems. Read Susan Howe’s bio and poems. Wednesday, March 8 In class: Language Poetry Charles Bernstein’s bio and poems. Susan Howe’s bio… Continue reading Week 8: New York Poets and L=A=N=G=U=A=G=E Poets

For the next two weeks: In class: Brief presentation on your assigned poet. Give us a sense of their life & poetics (approach to poetry) in 2-3 minutes. Read one of their poems and get us started thinking about the poem in terms of the poet’s life & poetics. Assignment: Read the assigned poets for… Continue reading Weeks 5 & 6: Post Confessional Poets

Monday, February 6 In class: Discuss Confessional Poetry Robert Lowell’s poems, Penn Sound Anne Sexton’s poems, YouTube Watch Anne Sexton USA Poetry documentary. Homework: Watch Sylvia Plath Documentary, or watch Sylvia (2003) movie. Read Sylvia Plath’s bio and poetry Sign up for Post Confessional Poetry presentations   Wednesday, February 8 In class: Discuss Sylvia Plath’s… Continue reading Week 4: Confessional Poetry

Monday, January 30 In class: Robert Creeley’s poetry, “I Know a Man,” “For Love“ Gary Snyder’s poetry, “Riprap,” “Endless Streams and Mountains“ Allen Ginsberg’s poetry, “A Supermarket in California“ Homework: Readings: “Howl” by Allen Ginsberg “The Cut Up Method” by William Burroughs “Cut-Up Poems from Minutes to Go” by William Burroughs Read Jack Kerouac’s bio… Continue reading Week 3: San Francisco and Beat Poets

Monday, January 23 In class “A Retrospect” and “A Few Don’ts” by Ezra Pound “Preface to Some Imagist Poets“ by Amy Lowell “Modernism” in Princeton Encyclopedia of Poetry and Poetics (see syllabus for link). “The River Merchant’s Wife: A Letter” by Ezra Pound “A Decade” by Amy Lowell “Oread” by H.D. “If I Told Him”… Continue reading Week 2: Modernism and the Black Mountain Poets