Description
For this essay, you must trace a tradition, style, technique, poetic school, influences, responses, refutation, or conversation that cuts across contemporary American poetry (1960-present) and write a research paper about it. This essay shouldn’t be focused on one tradition (Confessional/Post Confessional count as one, for example), but should touch on at least one other tradition, such as Performance poetry, or Digital Poetry. You could explore lines of continuity between 2-3 poets or movements, for example. You should have something to prove about your chosen topic, and your argument should incorporate research and the analysis 2-3 poems.
For those who are interested in a creative option, you can write a poem or set of short poems that engage creatively with the materiality of the medium they are created in/for– such as concrete visual or sound poetry, video poetry, digital poetry, recorded video performance, 3D printed poems, etc.– and write a short essay about the contemporary poetry traditions it is informed by.
Guidelines
The final paper should be about 2500-3000 words long in MLA format (about 10-12 pages long, typed, double-spaced, with 1” margins, and a 12-point font). You must incorporate 3-5 secondary sources (including at least 2 peer reviewed sources) in your essay. All sources must be documented in impeccable MLA format—parenthetical citation (author’s last name & page number) and a works cited page for the primary works and any research you cite.
For the creative option, in addition to submitting the works (files or links to the works) the short paper should be about 1,000 words long in MLA format (about 4 pages long, typed, double-spaced, with 1” margins, and a 12-point font). You must incorporate 2-3 secondary sources (including at least 2 peer reviewed sources) in your essay. All sources must be documented in impeccable MLA format—parenthetical citation (author’s last name & page number) and a works cited page for the primary works and any research you cite.
A 1-page proposal is due on Monday, April 24. In this proposal, identify the topic, poet, and poems you wish to write about and offer a sense of your focus.
The essay is due on Friday, May 5.
Assessment
As stated in the syllabus:
This course will practice labor-based grading (aka ungrading), which means that the focus will be detracted from grades and refocused on doing high quality work in a timely manner and receiving substantive feedback. Each assignment will have clearly stated criteria for earning a grade at the A level and I will assess that this criteria has been met, offer feedback for improvement, and a grade within that range.
The A-level criteria for this essay are the following:
- Fulfilling all the assignment parameters as described above, including meeting the deadline.
- The essay is well organized, edited, and documented.