The Music of What Happens
|
Instructor |
Dr. Joel Peckham—Ph.D. in
English with a Dissertation on American Literature from The |
Office Location
|
Baxter Hall, English Dept. Office |
Office Hours
|
Tuesday 9:40-10:05 and by appt. |
|
KUA Phone Number |
(603) 469-3050 |
Email Address
|
joel_peckham@yahoo.com |
Homepage
|
http://www.joelpeckham.com |
Course Description: This course is designed
to introduce students to the reading, analysis and writing of Contemporary
American Poetry
Student Learning Objectives:
.
Writing Objectives: So that students will understand how to read a
poem to understand what it means, students will be required to write a critical
analysis paper on one of the poems assigned by the professor. So that
students will learn read a poem to understand how it means and thereby learn
from it as writers, they will be required to purchase and review at least one
book of poetry from a list provided by the professor, read that book and review
it. This review will count as the mid-term examination for the
course. Students will also be required to write, revise, and assemble
their poetry into chapbook form (at least 10 poems collected in a pamphlet
designed by the student and distributed to all class-members), and perform some
of those poems in a reading to be held at the end of the
trimester.
Course Materials:
One
Composition Notebook to be used as a reading and writing journal
The
following Web-Sites For
Individual
Poems:
The Internet Poetry Archive (http://www.ibiblio.org/ipa),
The
Poets On the Line (http://www.echonyc.com/~poets),
The Cortland Review (http://www.cortlandreview.com).
The
Following Articles on the
“Life Studies:
American Poetry from T. S. Eliot to Allen Ginsberg” http://www.poets.org/exh/Exhibit.cfm?prmID=1,
“A Field Guide to the Poetics of the '90s” http://home.earthlink.net/~arthur505/cult1096.html,
“Additional Step-by-Step Method of Thoroughly Explicating a Poem” http://www2.sjsu.edu/faculty/patten/vendler.html,
“
The
Following Articles on the Writing of Poetry:
“Advice I Wish I’d Been Told”
http://wwwstage.valpo.edu/english/vpr/mcdonaldessay.html,
“Checklist on the Craft of Poetry” http://www.colby.edu/cw/syllabi/279iii.shtml,
“Making the Stone
Stony: Poetic Texture” http://www.ripon.edu/faculty/grahamd/grahammakestone.html,
"What the River Says": Notes on Poetic Closure
http://www.ripon.edu/faculty/grahamd/whatriversaysClosure.html,
The Following Article on the Performance of Poetry:
“How to Read a Poem out Loud” http://www.loc.gov/poetry/180/p180-howtoread.html
Methodologies of
Instruction and Learning/Assessment:
1) Mission
Once upon a long time ago
William Worsdworth argued
that poetry was a moment recollected in tranquility. And we have been
paying for the fallout ever since. Like every poetic axiom (like “no
ideas but in things” or “make it new”) the statement was misunderstood and
misappropriated by followers and worshippers. By necessity a poem is most
often written at a remove from the event that inspires it, and often in a tranquil
setting (though this certainly wasn’t true for Wilfred Owen writing from the
foxhole or I imagine for Walt Whitman who never was tranquil a day in his
existence). That does not mean, however, that a poem need be at all
tranquil. In fact a poem is about as tranquil as a jailbreak. It is
the act of a desperate man or woman who has tried every other means possible of
communicating or expressing an idea or emotion and no other form has proven
sufficient. A poem is not a riddle, though it may be difficult to
understand due to its density. A poem is not a bunch jagged lines written
on a page. A poem is not some divinely inspired message from God. A
poem is the best possible way of saying something, human being to human being,
and occasionally, human being to God. It is communication by any means
necessary.
To that end a poet takes on
any and all writing techniques forms and approaches. First and foremost,
then a good poem must follow all the rules of good writing that any high-school
student learns in his composition class. The diction must be careful and
exact. The sentences must be interesting and effective. If the poem
is an argument, the poet must support his or her position; if it is a story,
there must be believable characters and evocative settings; if the poem is
essayistic it ought to leap from association to association, fully exploring a
theme or idea until it exhausts itself. If a poem is a letter it must be
supremely aware of the addressee and search for every opportunity to manipulate
its intended audience. Most importantly a poem should have a least one
purpose or point that is readily available to an intelligent reader. I
could go on, but let’s leave it at this: if one were to remove the line-breaks
of a poem it should AT LEAST function as good prose. If it couldn’t pass
a freshman composition assignment it shouldn’t try to pass itself off as good
poetry. Clever rhymes do not make for a good poem. Genuine feeling and
sincerity does not make for a good poem. Clever line-breaks do not make
for a good poem. Obscurity for the sake of obscurity’s sake NEVER makes
for a good poem. In the end only good writing can make for a good poem.
So why write poetry at
all? Because the form offers us opportunities for linguistic play and
associative freedom that other forms lack. Because poetry allows us to expand and explore the sound and sense
of language. Because
the forms of poetry, especially the line-break and the stanza—allow us extra
opportunities to make meaning. And because in its rhythm and music a poem speaks to the body and
soul at its most primitive and atavistic state. A poem is
the essence of ritual and prayer and by necessity,
the form simply raises the stakes on the subject matter.
In this class we will read,
study, and write poetry. In so doing we will take risks with the language
and with our selves. We will find the root of the scream that is the
source of all great art and we will shape it and order it and make it beautiful
and new. We will be healers, and shamans, and musicians of total emersion
and commitment. But first we will be writers. We will learn and
respect our craft as writers. That is where we must begin.
2)
What you will be asked to do
Purpose: To
familiarize ourselves with the conventions of contemporary poetry, and to
practice the skill of reading not only to understand, but to write—to read
poetry as a means of learning how to write poetry.
Application and Assessment: There will be surprise quizzes, but for the most
part, this portion of your grade will be assessed through your participation in
class and your keeping of a
daily journal. The journal should be a record of your learning process;
it should contain responses to classroom discussion, poems and articles.
And it should contain first written attempts of the poems you are working on
for this class.
Writing: Essay (100pts), Review (100 pts), Poems
(500pts)-- (700 pts total)
Purpose: To familiarize ourselves with the conventions of
contemporary poetry through both analyzing and evaluating it, and to practice
the skill of writing poetry through the creation of our own poetry and through
revising that poetry based on workshops
Application and Assessment: Students will write an essay, a book review,
and 10-15 original poems. A breakdown of the grading criteria for each
writing assignment will be given to the students in advance of the assignment
deadline. One note on the assessment
of poems. No—the assessment of poetry is NOT any more
subjective than the assessment of any other form of writing. The same
basic principles apply. Poems need to devoid of clichés; they should
contain startling imagery, have a
keen sense of the music of the language, etc. etc. All of these
attributes are certainly capable of being assessed by a qualified reader.
And that reader will be me.
Chapbook and Reading (200 points)
Purpose: To introduce students to the practice of
publishing and distributing their work to the public.
Application and Assessment: A breakdown of the grading criteria for these
assignments will be provided well before the assignment is due. In
general terms, the chapbook will be graded on the ability of the student to
present their work in an attractive format that accurately represents the
poems. Sample chapbooks will be given to students in advance. The
reading will be graded on a student’s ability to clearly articulate his or her
poem in front of an audience. It need not necessarily be dramatic.
But again the performance of the poem should present the poem in a way that
makes it as accessible as possible to the audience at hand.
3)
Grade Breakdown Summary:
Writing Assignments: 700 pts
Chapbook and
TOTAL:
1000pts
A: 90-100 B: 80-89
C: 70-79 D: 65-69
F: 64 and below
(900-1000) (800-899)
(700-799) (650-699) (649 and
below)
Administrative
Procedures:
A. Plagiarism and Cheating: If you plagiarize or cheat, you will fail the
assignment in question with a score of “0” and you will be reported to
appropriate KUA authorities. I have a no-tolerance policy towards the
theft of the ideas or work of others.
B. Absence Policy: Maximum number of absences allowed before withdrawal
for non-attendance: 8.
C. Tardiness. If you are late at all, you are counted tardy. Three tardies equal an absence. I
expect all members of the class to be on time with their books, pens, and
notepaper on their desks at the exact beginning of class.
D. Policy for make-up work. Students are responsible to complete any work they
miss during an absence. Missed work can only be made up if the student
has a legitimate excuse for missing the class and provides supporting
documentation. Legitimate excuses include illness, serious family
obligations, and sanctioned college activities for which absence is
required.
E. Harassment Policy: I see sexual and racial harassment as a direct attack
not only on the victim, but on the entire community. Harassment is any
behavior that would either threaten a reasonable person or inhibit that
person’s ability to learn or work by creating an uncomfortable environment.
Don’t say or do anything to a fellow student that you wouldn’t say or do to
your own mother, father, sister, or brother. Sexual or racial
comments made in the classroom, even if not directed at anyone in particular
and even if made in jest, will be considered harassment. The
presence of materials that demean others –inappropriate or offensive t-shirts or magazines for
example—will also be considered harassment. Such behavior will directly
affect the offending student’s grade for class.
F. Dress Code: All hats must be removed before entering the classroom. I would also expect students to dress as
professionally as possible. How you dress not only gives signals to your
classmates and to your professor, it affects your self-image. If you take
yourself seriously, other people will as well.
G. Late Assignments: I do not accept late assignments. Assignments
should be ready for submission at the beginning of class on the day that they
are due.
Week Four, beginning April 17
Note: By this time, students should have purchased
a book of contemporary poetry approved by the professor for the review due on
week 5 Students
who do not come to class with this book in hand by the end of this week will
lose 10 pts off of their overall grade (out of 1000) and another 20 pts for
every day subsequent to that.
Reading Assignments
“Advice I Wish I’d Been
Told” http://wwwstage.valpo.edu/english/vpr/mcdonaldessay.html,
“Checklist on the Craft
of Poetry” http://www.colby.edu/cw/syllabi/279iii.shtml,
Selected
Poems from The Academy of American Poets Website http://www.poets.org
Journal Assignments #7-9:
All journals for this week will be composed in class and will be made up
of the three in-class writings that we have done this week.
Writing Assignment #2: Write two poems based on the writing prompts
that we have done in class this week.
Week Five,
beginning April 24
Reading Assignments
Author
Focus, The Poems of Yusef Komunyakaa
at the Internet Poetry Archive: http://www.ibiblio.org/ipa
Handouts: Sample Reviews of Books of Poetry
Journal Assignments #10-13:
All journals for this week will be composed in class and will be made up
of the three in-class writings that we have done this week
Writing Assignment #3: Write two poems based on the writing prompts
that we have done in class this week.
Week Six, beginning May 1
Reading Assignments
Author
Focus, The Poems of Margarette Walker at the Internet
Poetry Archive: http://www.ibiblio.org/ipa
Journal Assignments #14 Of the three poets we have read,
who is has the best technique? What is your criteria for judging?
Writing Assignment #5: Revisions of Poems One through Four and Book
Review.
Week Seven, beginning May
8
Reading Assignments
Author
Focus, The Poems of Robert Pinsky at the Internet
Poetry Archive: http://www.ibiblio.org/ipa
Journal Assignments #14-16
Journal assignments for this week will be based on the three in-class
writing prompts that we have worked on to this point.
Writing Assignment #6: Turn in Two new poems based on the writing
prompts that we have done in class this week.
Week Eight, beginning May
15
Reading Assignments
Author
Focus, The Poems of James Dickey--Handout
Journal Assignment#17: Write a writing prompt for yourself that you
think could lead to a good poem.
No writing assignments this week. Full class workshop of
student poems each day.
Week Nine, beginning May 22
Student Work Handouts / Chapbook Preparation.
Calendar
of Major Assignments By Week
General Notes--Because this class is discussion based
(and that may necessitate changes in the daily schedule) reading and writing
assignments will be given here by week. Students will need to check the
white board on a daily basis to know what reading assignments are due for a
particular day. All major writing assignments will be due on
Fridays. Workshops for poems handed in on Fridays will be held on the
next class after the deadline. Journals will be checked on Saturday
classes.
Week One, beginning March 28
Note:
Class will not be held on Thursday or Friday of this Week
Reading
“Everything You Always
Wanted to Know About Poetry” http://www.onlinepoetryclassroom.org/poems/Prose.cfm?prmID=2219
“Death to the Death of
Poetry” http://www.onlinepoetryclassroom.org/poems/Prose.cfm?prmID=2582
“Metaphor” http://www.onlinepoetryclassroom.org/poems/Prose.cfm?prmID=2233
Selected Poems from The Academy of American Poets
Website http://www.poets.org
Journal Assignments #1-3: Come up with a definition
of poetry; Come up with a definition of a “Good Poem” citing examples from the selected readings
; Tell me which of the assigned poems was your favorite this week.
Why?
Week Two, beginning April 4
Reading Assignments
“Additional Step-by-Step
Method of Thoroughly Explicating a Poem” http://www2.sjsu.edu/faculty/patten/vendler.html,
“
Selected Poems from The Academy of American Poets
Website http://www.poets.org
Journal Assignments #4-6: Which of the Three ways of Reading a Poem Fits
Your Own Reading Style Best? Why?;
What is the best poem we have read thus far? Why? Compose a poem modeled
on this poem—you must imitate both its style.
Writing Assignment #1: Write a
Critical Analysis of one of the poems we have read thus far. Some
possible topics will be made available to students.
Week Three, beginning April 11
Note:
By this time, students should have purchased a book of contemporary poetry
approved by the professor for the review due on week 5 Students who do not come to class with this
book in hand by the end of this week will lose 10 pts off of their overall
grade (out of 1000) and another 20 pts for every day subsequent to that.
Reading Assignments
“Advice I Wish I’d Been Told” http://wwwstage.valpo.edu/english/vpr/mcdonaldessay.html,
“An Immodest Proposal” http://www.onlinepoetryclassroom.org/poems/Prose.cfm?prmID=1788
“Checklist on the Craft of
Poetry” http://www.colby.edu/cw/syllabi/279iii.shtml,
Selected Poems from The Academy of American Poets Website
http://www.poets.org
Journal Assignments #7-9: All journals for this week
will be composed in class and will be made up of the three in-class writings that we have done this week.
Writing Assignment #2: Write two poems
based on the writing prompts that we have done in class this week.
Week Four, beginning April 18
Reading Assignments
Author Focus, The Poems
of Yusef Komunyakaa at the Internet Poetry
Archive: http://www.ibiblio.org/ipa
“Making the Stone Stony:
Poetic Texture” http://www.ripon.edu/faculty/grahamd/grahammakestone.html,
Handouts: Sample
Reviews of Books of Poetry
Journal Assignments #10-13: All journals for this week
will be composed in class and will be made up of the three in-class writings that we have done this week
Writing Assignment #3: Write two poems
based on the writing prompts that we have done in class this week.
Week Five, beginning April 25
Reading Assignments
Author Focus, The Poems
of Philip Levine at the Internet Poetry Archive: http://www.ibiblio.org/ipa
"What the River Says": Notes on Poetic Closure
http://www.ripon.edu/faculty/grahamd/whatriversaysClosure.html,
Journal Assignment #14
Rough
Draft of Book Review
Writing Assignment #4: Book Review
Week Six, beginning May 2
Reading Assignments
Author Focus, The Poems
of Margarette Walker at the
Internet Poetry Archive: http://www.ibiblio.org/ipa
Flying the Flag of
Revision http://www.onlinepoetryclassroom.org/poems/prose.cfm?prmID=2583
Journal Assignments #14
Of the
three poets we have read, who is has the best technique? What is your criteria for judging?
Writing
Assignment #5: Revisions of Poems One through Four and Revision of Book
Review.
Week Seven, beginning May 9
Reading Assignments
Author Focus, The Poems
of Robert Pinsky at the
Internet Poetry Archive: http://www.ibiblio.org/ipa
Journal Assignments #14-16
Journal assignments for this week will be based on the three in-class writing
prompts that we have worked on to this point.
Writing Assignment #6: Turn in Two new
poems based on the writing prompts that we have done in class this week.
Week Eight, beginning May 16
Reading Assignments
Author Focus, The Poems of James Dickey—Handout
“How to Read a Poem out Loud” http://www.loc.gov/poetry/180/p180-howtoread.html
Journal Assignment#17: Write a writing
prompt for yourself that you think could lead to a good poem.
No writing assignments this week. Full class workshop of student poems each day.
Week Nine, beginning May 23
Student Work Handouts / Chapbook Preparation.
