Weeks 9 & 10: Recorded and Performance Poetry

Amanda Gorman and Shane Koyczan

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

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Week 8: New York Poets and L=A=N=G=U=A=G=E Poets

Left to Right: Frank O'Hara, John Ashbery, Charles Bernstein, Susan Howe.

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

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Week 7: Black Arts Movement

Left to right: Amiri Baraka, Nikki Giovanni, Ishmael Reed, Gwendolyn Brooks

We want a black poem. And a Black World. Let the world be a Black Poem And Let All Black People Speak This Poem Silently or LOUD “Black Art” by Amiri Baraka Monday, February 27 In class: Introduction to the Black Arts Movement Amiri Baraka (Poets.org) (Penn Sound) “An Agony. As Now“ “Dope” (YouTube) Nikki… Continue reading Week 7: Black Arts Movement

Weeks 5 & 6: Post Confessional Poets

Adrienne Rich, Dylan Thomas, Agha Shahid Ali, Ai, Joy Harjo, Gary Soto, Li Young Lee, Sharon Olds

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

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Week 4: Confessional Poetry

Robert Lowell, Anne Sexton, Sylvia Plath

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

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Week 3: San Francisco and Beat Poets

Gary Snyder, Allen Ginsberg, and Robert Creeley photographed at the Berkeley Poetry Conference, held from July 12 through 24, 1965. (Leni Sinclair/Getty Images)

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

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Week 2: Modernism and the Black Mountain Poets

Ezra Pound, Langston Hughes, T.S. Eliot, William Carlos Williams, and Gertrude Stein

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

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Week 1: Previously, on American Poetry

Edgar Allan Poe, Walt Whitman, and Emily Dickinson

Wednesday, January 18 In class: Introductions: Name (pronouns, if you like) Concentration Favorite poets Do you write poetry? Syllabus discussion and negotiation Lecture: Previously, on American Poetry Assignment: Order your textbooks! In Princeton Encyclopedia of Poetry and Poetics, read entries on Romanticism and Modernism Read “A Retrospect” and “A Few Don’ts” by Ezra Pound Read… Continue reading Week 1: Previously, on American Poetry

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Spring 2023 Course Promo

This course offers an exploration of experimental traditions in poetry in the past 60 years and the myriad ways in which poets have challenged the literary establishment. We will study poets who challenge Modernism, recenter identity, represent new voices, decolonize poetry from its Anglo-European traditions, invent new poetic forms, transform poetry into visual and musical… Continue reading Spring 2023 Course Promo

Week 15: Digital Poetry

Jason Edward Lewis, "No Choice About the Terminology"

Tuesday, April 27 PoEMM cycle by Jason Edward Lewis and Bruno Nadeau (2015) Hotel in Limbo (2010) Thoughts Go by David Knoebel (2001) Cruising by Megan Sapnar and Ingrid Ankerson (2001) NeoNio by Jim Andrews (2001, 2021) Agrippa by William Gibson (1992)