Upcoming week

11/30: group three workshops
12/2: group four workshops
make an appointment to meet with me by 12/8. At this meeting you should bring a collection of your poems and the poems you pick for your final project.
12/7: poetry of John Ashbery, Charles Bernstein "Semblance" (anthology)
12/9: poems by Lyn Hejinian, Bruce Andrews, Bernadette Mayer + essays: "The Obfuscated Poem" (Mayer), "Poetry as Explanation" (Andrews) - all in anthology
12/14: workshops - portfolio discussion
12/16: last day - final project due

for 11/23

New poem: write a poem inspired by the characteristic style of poetry translated into English.

Reading / response: Wallace Stevens + essay on "Sunday Morning," both on blackboard. Print them out for class, please. Be ready to talk about the language, use of sentences, tone, philosophical content - in class. I will call on the following people to discuss the following poems:

Amanda / Natalie / Daisy - "Sunday Morning"
Patrick / Antonia / Suzy - "13 Ways of Looking at a Blackbird"
Noah / Caleb / Jeannelle - "The Snow Man"
Renee / Daniel: "Anecdote of a Jar"

Assignments 11/16-11/18

For 11/16: group 2 + Suzy. Everyone: bring a revised poem - don't exchange it, just hand it in.
For 11/18: Helen Vendler wrote "all poetry is translation." Consider the Celan-Rilke-Prevert poems on blackboard, a handful of poems in both languages, print them out and annotate them, writing your thoughts and questions on every line. No need to hand this in; it is for in-class use.

for 11/09-11/11

for 11/09: reading: all the readings are posted on Blackboard. Read and bring to class - the article about Louis Zukofsky; and the Objectivist poems by Rakosi, Niedecker, Oppen, Bunting. In your response summarize the objectivist style: how are its goals similar to other styles we've looked at? Be ready to talk about at least three poems in class; you should be able to assess how objectivism affects the experience and meaning of the poem.

for 11/09: poem: for Monday write and exchange a poem in a formal meter, either a "strong stress" system or iambic (not merely counting syllables).

for 11/11: Group One

Two texts on rhythm in poetry

I have posted these on blackboard - resources: a chart I made describing the various poetic rhythms and an article on the sonnet.