ENGL 101: Introduction to Poetry

De-crypting Poetry; or, the Revivification of an Unread Art Form

Section S Tu/Th 2:00-3:15 EB 69 Fall 2010
Instructor: Claire Barber
E-mail: cbarber3@illinois.edu
Office: 248 English Building (2nd floor)
Office Telephone: 244-5350
Mailbox: #104 (2nd floor, Eng Bldg)
Office Hours: Tu 3:30-4:30 and by appointment
Course Texts:

Required: Meyer, Michael, ed. Poetry: An Introduction. 6th ed. New York: Bedford/St.
Martins, 2010. ISBN: 0312539193.
Required: Nabokov, Vladimir. Pale Fire. New York: Vintage International, 1989. ISBN:
0679723420.
Recommended: Murfin, Ross C., ed. The Bedford Glossary of Critical and Literary Terms. 3rd
ed. New York: Bedford/St. Martins, 2009. ISBN: 0312461887.

Course Description:
Poetry is boring [frightening, difficult,
<insert other disparaging adjective>].
I wont read it.

Analysis: ORIGIN late 16th cent.: via medieval Latin

from Greek analusis, from analuein unloose, from anaup + luein loosen.

The sentiments expressed above are common. A poem, like any other text, can be all of these things,
but students in this course will learn strategies to break its code by focusing on the analysis, or the
unloosening, of language. As such, this course will address basic poetic devices (such as symbol,
alliteration, and metonymy) and poetic forms (such as the elegy, ballad, and sonnet), while placing
great emphasis on the specific linguistic choices made by each poet. We will also unloosen questions
like, What characteristics define a poem? and Is poetry an outdated literary form? This course is
not designed for English majors but aims to provide students with the analytical tools used by students
of literature and to teach them how to apply these tools to their chosen fields of study. The syllabus
includes texts from a range of literary periods and movements, and readings will vary from poems to
NPR podcasts to a postmodern novel, with the ultimate goal of helping students gain an understanding
of the ways in which we read and write about poetry. Students must complete three reading responses,
one longer essay, a midterm exam, and a final exam.
Classroom Etiquette
Students will be expected to respect both their teacher and their peers to foster a positive classroom
environment. Disruptive behavior (i.e., interruption, overt rudeness, etc.) will not be tolerated and will
negatively affect your participation grade. Language or actions that show disrespect for the gender,
race, religion, ethnicity, sexuality, ability, beliefs, or ideas of any member of this class are
unacceptable. Please remember that each of your peers has a unique perspective to contribute, and
(s)he should be given the opportunity to do so. Any student texting in class will be asked to leave.

Barber
Assignments

All written assignments should be typed, double-spaced, and in 12-point Times New Roman with 1inch margins and a header in the upper left hand corner of the first page. Additionally, all assignments
must use MLA citation style (see the Purdue Online Writing Lab if you have questions). Please follow
this format; it facilitates both my grading and comment-making process, and you will lose points for
not formatting your document correctly. Example papers can be found throughout your Poetry
anthology.
Grading
Your final grade will be calculated according to the following categorical breakdown:
Participation
Reading Responses (3 x 10%)
Midterm Exam
Final Paper
Final Exam

20%
30%
15%
15%
20%

University Grading Scale:

A
A-

4.0
3.67

B+
B
B-

3.33
3.0
2.67

C+
C
C-

2.33
2.0
1.67

D+
D
D-

1.33
1.0
.67

F
0

Participation
I consider daily participation as important as the tests you will take and the writing you will produce
over the course of the semester. Good participators ask intelligent questions, listen to and elaborate on
their peers comments, and speak up but dont dominate the class. Good participators dont wait for a
brilliant or complete idea in order to speak; instead they share reactions, questions that are genuinely
puzzling, and emerging ideas. Your participation grade will be based on your physical (and mental)
presence in class, verbal contributions, group work, general preparedness (having read the assigned
materials), submission of ungraded materials, and punctuality. Tardiness and sleeping in class will also
negatively affect your grade.
I will grade participation according to the following scale:
A= Daily, thoughtful participation in class discussion.
B= Frequent to occasional participation in class discussion.
C= Infrequent to rare participation, some attendance problems.
D= Participation only when called on, attendance problems.
F= Refusal to participate even when called on, sleeping in class, consistent lack of preparation
for class, severe attendance problems.

Barber

Please refer to this scale throughout the semester to gauge your own participation grade. I do not
calculate grades until after the final exam.
Moodle
All course documents will be available on Moodle. Any student not logged onto Moodle by the end
of the first week of class will lose participation points. For any class period in which the readings
were on Moodle, students need to either bring a laptop or hard copy of the document.
Response Papers
You will be required to complete three response papers over the course of the semester. These papers
(2-3 pp.) will focus on a single poem and must be turned in before the end of the class period in which
we discuss this poem. The purpose of these responses will be to help you prepare questions or
comments for discussion that day, in addition to improving your writing skills, so turning in these
responses after we have already discussed a poem will not meet this goal. You may choose the poems
to which you will respond according to your own schedule, and you will be responsible for keeping
track of the number of responses that you still need to turn in to me. I will hand out additional
guidelines during the second week of class.
Attendance
You will decide whether or not to attend this course consistently; I will not badger people about
coming to class. However, this course will be discussion-based, so if you are absent, you cannot
contribute to the classroom conversation and will not receive credit for that day. You have four
absences to use as you wish, and I do not differentiate between excused and unexcused absences.
After you have exceeded that number, your final grade will drop by one letter per additional
absence. I will give three extra credit points to anyone with perfect attendance for the semester,
which can often raise your final grade by 1/3 of a letter.
If you have an extenuating circumstance that will cause you to miss more than four class periods,
please contact me immediately; I reserve the right to amend this policy for such situations. You will be
responsible for making up any work, whether it was due during your absence or in the next class
period. Please contact your absence partner, not me, to see what you missed.
Absence Partner:
Name: ______________________________Email: _________________________
Late Work
I accept late work only if the student has requested an extension prior to the assignments due date.
You will receive a zero for any assignment turned in late without prior extension approval. Extensions
will only be given under extenuating circumstances to students who have established integrity and
credibility by attending and participating in class and by completing prior assignments on schedule.
You will not receive credit for late ungraded work (i.e., in-class assignments or Moodle posts).

Barber

If you find yourself dealing with a particularly difficult situation (i.e. extreme sickness, a death in your
family, etc), you may consider contacting the Emergency Dean (333-0050) or McKinley Health Center
(333-2701). You are welcome to come discuss any situation with me prior to taking these steps.
Rewrites
If one of your written assignments presents issues that would make it difficult for me to grade it, I may
offer you the chance to rewrite. If I offer a rewrite, the alternative would typically be a grade of F
because key elements of the assignment have, in effect, not been completed. The final grade for that
paper will be lowered one letter grade to reflect the problem with the original assignment. If you
receive a graded paper and feel a rewrite should have been offeredi.e., if you receive a B- or
loweryou should set up an appointment with me and write a one-page explanation of why you
believe a rewrite should have been offered. If I agree with your argument, I will offer you the
opportunity to rewrite. You cannot rewrite a paper that was not turned in by the original due date.
Plagiarism/Academic Integrity
Plagiarism, defined in UIUCs Code of Policies and Regulations Appling to All Students as
representing the words or ideas of another as ones own in any academic endeavor, is a serious
offense in any academic setting. We will discuss proper use of sources this semester, and I expect that
you will employ the strategies we discuss. If I find evidence that you have deliberately committed any
form of plagiarism, such as obtaining a paper from an online paper mill or fraternity file, having
someone else write a paper for you, or paraphrasing or copying from an outside source without
acknowledging the source, I will penalize you according to University policy, which usually means a
failing grade for either the assignment or the class.
See the UIUC Student Code, Part 4 for the full plagiarism policy:
http://www.library.illinois.edu/learn/research/academicintegrity.html.
I take this policy extremely seriously, as does this university. If you have questions or concerns
regarding source use at any point in the semester, do not hesitate to come discuss them with me. I am
happy to give you all help necessary to ensure plagiarism does not occur.
Disability Accommodations
The University will make every practical effort to ensure that no person is denied educational access
because of a disability. Any student who has a disability and can benefit from any adjustments to the
classroom should speak with me. If you havent already, you should also contact the Division of
Disability Resources and Educational Services (333-1970) for assistance with accommodations.
Office Hours
I will hold office hours once a week; however, I am willing to make accommodations for any student
at a mutually convenient time outside of those hours. Additionally, you are welcome to contact me via
e-mail at any point with questions, comments, or concerns.

Barber
Writing Resources

For additional help with your assignments, the Writers Workshop (located in room 251 of the
Undergraduate Library) provides one-on-one writing tutoring by graduate and undergraduate students.
I strongly recommend that you take advantage of this free service to supplement the assistance I can
provide you during my office hours. To make an appointment, please call the Workshop at 333-8796.
**The policies outlined in this syllabus, as well as the following course schedule, are subject to
change. You will be given written notice of any changes in advance.
Course Schedule
P = Poetry, An Introduction

Week 1

Course Introduction;
What Makes Something Line, Stanza,
a Poem, and Is Poetry Clich,
Sentimentality
Tu, Aug. 24 Still Important?

Week 2

Daily Theme

Key Terms

What is "Close
Reading,"
Th, Aug. 26 and How Do I Do It?

Genre,
Free verse,
Blank verse,
Couplet

Tu, Aug. 31 Words, Words, Words

Diction, Syntax,
Etymology,
Denotation,
Connotation,
Ambiguity,
Dialect, Tone

Th, Sept. 2

The Importance of
Sound

Week 3

Tu, Sept. 7

The Importance of
Sound, Pt. 2

Alliteration,
Assonance,
Ballad,
Consonance,
Prosody
Rhyme
(End, Eye,
Feminine,
Masculine,
Internal, Slant)

Text(s) to Be Read for This Class

"Poems?" (Moodle);
Bruce Wexler, Poetry Is Dead
(Moodle)
NPR Interview with Edward Hirsch
(Moodle)
P (19-30);
"Poetic Forms" (242-244);
Billy Collins, "Introduction to Poetry"
(40);
"A Sample Close Reading" (60-66);
"Suggestions for Approaching Poetry"
(38-39);
"Formalist Strategies" (666-668)
P (67-72);
Paul Laurence Dunbar, "To a
Captious Critic" (78);
Barbara Hamby, "Ode to American
English" (85-86);
Robert Burns, "A Red, Red Rose"
(619)
P (186-192);
Gerard Manley Hopkins, "God's
Grandeur" (199-200);
Lewis Carroll, "Jabberwocky" (202203);
Helen Chasin, "The Word Plum"
(212);
Christian Bok, "Vowels" (56-7)
P (194-199);
A. E. Housman, "To an Athlete Dying
Young" (631-632);
W. B. Yeats, "The Second Coming"
(655)

Barber

Week 4

How to Turn a Close

Reading into a Paper;
or, Writing Arguments
Th, Sept. 9 about Poetry

Rhythm,
Scansion,
Meter,
Stress,
Caesura,
Tu, Sept. 14 Scan-What?
Enjambment

A Button Is Not
Always What It
Th, Sept. 16 Appears To Be

Symbol
(Conventional,
Literary)

Thinking Beyond
Tu, Sept. 21 the Text

Allusion,
Allegory,
Irony,
Satire

Th, Sept. 23 Figures of Speech

Metaphor,
Metonymy,
Synecdoche,
Simile

Week 6

Personification,
Apostophe,
Hyperbole,
Tu, Sept. 28 Figures of Speech, Pt. 2 Paradox

Th, Sept. 30 It Looks Like

Week 7

Tu, Oct. 5

Week 5

Midterm Exam

Image,
Imagism

P (58-66, 684-718)
Clip from Renaissance Man
(Moodle);
P (217-225);
Rita Dove, "Fox Trot Fridays" (228);
Ben Jonson, "Still to Be Neat" (230231)
P (157-159);
Walt Whitman, "From Song of
Myself" (182-183);
"Robert Hass: On Whitman's 'Song of
Myself'" (Moodle);
Carl Sandburg, "Buttons" (170)
P (160-167);
John Keats, "Ode on a Grecian Urn"
(94);
Wallace Stevens, "Anecdote of the
Jar" (171);
W. B. Yeats, "Crazy Jane Talks with
the Bishop" (657-658)
P (133-140);
John R. Searle, "Figuring Out
Metaphors" (155-156);
William Carlos Williams, "To Waken
an Old Lady" (146);
William Wordsworth, "London,
1802" (149);
Elaine Magarrell, "The Joy of
Cooking" (154)
P (140-143);
Sylvia Plath, "Mirror" (148);
Carl Sandburg, "Chicago" (233-234);
Gary Snyder, "How Poetry Comes to
Me" (143)
P (106-107);
Amy Lowell, "The Pond" (115);
H. D. "Heat" (115-116);
Walt Whitman, "Cavalry Crossing a
Ford" (109);
Wilfred Owen, "Dulce et Decorum
Est" (121)

Barber

Th, Oct. 7

Everyday Poetry

Week 8

Tu, Oct. 12 Everyday Poetry?

Poetry We Wish Wasn't

Th, Oct. 14 Everyday
Elegy

Week 9

Tu, Oct. 19 Interpreting a Poem

Open form

Biographical and
Historicist Approaches
Th, Oct. 21 to Interpretation

Deconstructionist and
Reader-Response
Approaches to
Week 10 Tu, Oct. 26 Interpretation

Haiku

Sonnet

P (260-261);
Ezra Pound, "In a Station of the
Metro" (130);
"Haiku Takes to Twitter" (Moodle);
Writing Exercise
P (245-249);
Edna St. Vincent Millay, "I will put
Chaos into fourteen lines" (249);
Claude McKay, "America" (Moodle);
Dylan Thomas, "Lie Still, Sleep
Becalmed" (Moodle)
P (261);
Brendan Calvin, "An Evel Knievel
Elegy" (263-264);
W. H. Auden, "Two Songs for Hedli
Anderson" (Moodle)
P (272);
William Carlos Williams, "The Great
Figure" (Moodle);
Williams, "The Red Wheelbarrow"
(281);
Charles Demuth, "The Figure Five in
Gold" (Moodle);
MAPS, "On 'The Great Figure'"
(Moodle)
P (668-670, 672-676);
Robert Frost, "Mending Wall" (370371);
W. H. Auden, "September 1, 1939"
(Moodle);
Rosie Schaap, "In Search of the
Auden Martini" (Moodle)
P (680-683);
Robert Pinsky, "Ode to Meaning"
(Moodle);
Langston Hughes, "I look at the
world" (Moodle);
Review "Mending Wall"

Extended Reading: T. S.
Th, Oct. 28 Eliot's Love Song

"T. S. Eliot's 'The Love Song of J.

Alfred Prufrock'" (491-498);
Roz Chast, "The Love Song of J.
Alfred Crew" (11)

Extended Reading: T. S.
Eliot's Love Song

"Perspectives on T. S. Eliot" (498509)

Week 11 Tu, Nov. 2

Barber

Who Is Allowed to
Write Poetry?

Pale Fire

Th, Nov. 11 Pale Fire

Week 13 Tu, Nov. 16 Pale Fire

Th, Nov. 4

Week 12 Tu, Nov. 9

Th, Nov. 18 Pale Fire

Phillis Wheatley, "On Being Brought

from Africa to America" (555557);
Henry Louis Gates, Jr,. "Phillis
Wheatley on Trial" (Moodle);
"'Operation Homecoming': The
Writings of War" (Moodle)
Foreword,
Canto 1 (33-38),
Commentary (73-147)
Canto 2 (39-51),
Commentary (148-222)
Canto 3 (52-63),
Commentary 222-262
Canto 4 (64-69),
Commentary (263-301),
Index (305-315)

Week 14 Thanksgiving VacationNo Class

Is Finnegans Wake
Week 15 Tu, Nov. 30 Poetry?

Th, Dec. 2

Is PostSecret Poetry?;
ICES Course
Evaluations

Final
Exam

M, Dec.13

1:304:30 PM, Room TBA

1-Page Excerpt (Moodle);

"Finding Music in Finnegans Wake"
(Moodle)
Look at PostSecret;
"Bless Me, Blog, For I've Sinned"
(Moodle);
"More 'PostSecrets' Revealed, in
Book Form" (NPR);
Final Paper Due