Poetry was the first form of literary expression and is the most enduring. This course will explore the power of poetic expression through such topics as poetry and song, love and nature as poetic themes, theories of poetry, women poets from Sappho to Plath, poetry and graphic art, and political poetry.
Fall 2012: Crewe & Zeiger (2A)
Poetry and Poetic Theory (Identical to English 63.1)
In addition to reading poetry, we will examine theories of poetry, relying mainly on The Norton Anthology of Criticism and Theory and Poetry in Theory, 1900-2000 (Blackwell). These volumes provide a rich, comprehensive overview of poetic theory from Greek antiquity to the present, covering Anglo-American, Continental, and other theorists. We will consider the "philosophy" of poetic composition in different historical periods and contexts, and will examine the continuing interplay between poetic theory and practice. We will study attitudes toward poetry and the sometimes antagonistic interplay between theorizing about poetry and writing it. (LIT)
