The poetry
section of this course will emphasize the "how to" (production)
of poetry. The course is open to those both familiar and unfamiliar
with contemporary poetry. We will try out writing in a range of forms
but the focus will be on improvisational and experimental methods for
generating new writing. The class is designed to be useful to both those
who write poetry all the time and to those who have yet to write a poem.
The only requirement is to be willing to explore new possibilities for
writing.
potential
syllabus:
August
26
introduction
August
31, September 2, 7 and 9
section on "performance poem" in Teachers and Writers Handbook
of Poetic Forms
Gerard Manley Hopkins, "That Nature is a Heraclitean Fire and of
the Comfort of the Resurrection"
"The Thirteenth Horse Song of Frank Mitchell"
Christian Bök, http://www.ubu.com/feature/sound/feature_bok.html
Chinua Achebe, "Ünö Önwü Okigbo" http://www.conjunctions.com/audio/achebe2s.ram
Tracie Morris, "Project Princess"
http://www.worldofpoetry.org/usop/land4.htm and "Chain Gang"
http://www.peoplespoetry.org/clips/pg_morris.html
September
14, 17, and 21
section on "list poem" in Teachers and Writers Handbook of
Poetic Forms
Maria Sabina, from The Midnight Velada
Lisa Jarnot, Sea Lyrics
September
23, 28, and 30
section on "sonnet" in Teachers and Writers Handbook of Poetic
Forms
William Shakespeare, sonnet 18
Lorenzo Thomas, "MMDCCX111 1/2"
Bernadette Mayer, selections from Sonnets
Theresa Hak Kyung Cha, "From A Far"
if you get interested, also check out the Paul Fussell article on reserve
but it isn't required
October
5, 7, and 12
section on "found poem" in Teachers and Writers Handbook of
Poetic Forms
Charles Reznikoff, from Testimony
Yolanda Wisher, from "Spotlight"
Norbese Philip, "Discourse on the Logic of Language"
October
14, 19, and 21
Jackson MacLow, "Make Your Own System"
Bernstein http://epc.buffalo.edu/authors/bernstein/experiments.html
and Mayer http://www.poetryproject.com/mayer.html
experiment lists
October 26 and 28
guest
November 2 and 4
guest
November
9 and 11
guest
November 16 and 18
guest
November 25
no class, Thanksgiving holiday
November 30 and December 2
final projects due
Bring in copies of a chapbook of your poems for the entire class (due
November 30).