Instructor

Andrew Pryor

Class Type 

Workshop

Course Description

The focus of this course is an examination of the contemporary American poem. Read any randomly selected poem from literary journals published today, and you may ask: “what makes this poem a poem?” You may wonder why it doesn’t sound right (where are the rhymes?). You may wonder why it doesn’t look right (but this is just a block of text!). This quarter we will explore what makes the 21st century poem tick and in the process answer these and other questions concerning contemporary poetry. Particular emphasis will be given to the use of diction, syntax, lineation, and image. We also look at form as it pertains to the contemporary poem (blank verse, open field, and prose).

Coursework consists of writing and discussing student poems and features writing exercises designed to help you with generating ideas. A packet of poems that serve as a published model for our workshop discussions will be provided the first week of class.

Textbook

No Textbook Required