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Reading, Writing, & Research

Introduction to Poetry

Introduction to Shakespeare

Poetry Writing

Fundamentals of Writing
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English 41 - Poetry Writing

Texts
  • The Mind’s Eye: A Guide to Writing Poetry by Kevin Clark (Pearson Longman, 2008).
  • Good Poems edited by Garrison Keillor (Penguin, 2002).
Course Description
This course introduces students to the craft of writing poetry.  We will study the elements and conventions of the craft and apply them to our own work; we will read published examples of contemporary poems that exemplify the current state of the art form; and we will cultivate the habit of writing, revising, and performing our own work. Much time and attention will be given to composition methods, technique, and style.

Assignments
All reading and writing assignments are listed with due dates in the Study Schedule.  All assignments will be posted on this web site.

  • Weekly Poems—The most important thing we do in this class is write original poetry.  All of our lessons are designed to inspire and support you in that effort.  Every Monday you will bring a copy of your new poem for each member of the class.  You will read the poem aloud for us and listen while we comment, taking notes for possible revisions.
  • Workshop Participation—You will provide your classmates with both written and oral criticism of their poems—constructive feedback that identifies strengths and weaknesses in their writing, with suggestions for improvement.  Much of what you will learn in this class will come from your careful consideration of your classmates’ writing.
  • Revision Paper—During week six of the course you will turn in a revision of one of your poems based on class criticism, along with the original draft and a one-page explanation (approx. 250 words) of why you made the changes and improvements that you did and why the poem is better in its revised form.
  • Analysis Paper—You will write a 3–4 page essay (approx. 750 words) about your favorite poem from the Garrison Keillor anthology, Good Poems.  In it you will analyze what you have learned about writing poetry from reading this poem.  What elements and/or conventions of poetry does the poet use to great effect?  How does the poem’s technique effectively convey its theme?  Due week eight of our course.
  • Oral Presentation—During weeks nine and ten of our course, you will read aloud your Analysis Paper to the class, sharing in seminar-style what you have learned about writing poems from this particular poem.
  • Portfolio & Reading—At our final exam session, you will perform a reading of your selected poems and submit to your professor a portfolio of eight finished poems, four of which you will submit to a literary magazine for publication.
Grades
This course is offered on a Pass/No Pass basis only.  No letter grades are given.  Instead, as I keep track of your work on my roll sheet, I will mark excellent work, work that in a graded class I would normally give an ‘A,’ with a plus.  If your work strikes me as good, say in the ‘B’ range, I will mark it with a checkmark.  If the work is only fair, showing less skill or effort or both than a check, I’ll mark it with a minus, basically a polite ‘C’, which is still in this rubric considered satisfactory.  If you don’t turn something in at all or just dash off any old garbage, I’ll indicate that on my roll sheet with a zero.  In order to Pass, you must complete all work listed under “Assignments” at a satisfactory level (‘C’ or better).  In other words, if, at the end of the quarter, you have any zeros next to your name, you will receive a No Pass.

Policies

Please set your cell phones on “silent” while you are in this class.  For obvious educational reasons (not to mention common courtesy) you may not play games, listen to music, or text message during our class session.  If you receive an emergency call during class, please walk outside to take the call.

You must have regular internet access (including a working email account) to be successful in this class.  You will need to visit this web site several times this quarter.  It’s here that I’ll post instructions and assignments.

It goes without saying (though, believe it or not, I have to say it anyway) that all of your work for this class should be your own.  If it isn’t, shame and blame will surely come your way.
 Updated Monday, September 19, 2011 at 5:47:43 PM by Dave Denny - dennydave@fhda.edu
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