WELCOME TO POETRY AND POETICS!
Over the 14 weeks of the semester we will use a variety of critical approaches and reading and writing techniques to explore the many facets of poetry across its diverse history. We will address questions of form, language, and genre, alongside the important cultural and historical contexts within which poetry is read, and we will also begin to ask questions about the general principles of poetry (poetics). We will chart the development of various poetic forms and genres from their beginnings to their first manifestations in English. We will also look at the influences of earlier traditions (both British- and World-) on poetic innovation and formal and generic development. By the end of this course, you will have developed a variety of different ways of approaching the poem as a literary critic.
You will also have the opportunity to write some poems of your own if you wish to, and to develop your own poetic practice through engagement with that of other poets.
In this course you will build on skills learnt in ELIT 139 (‘Appreciation of Literature’), ELIT 143 (‘Literature in its Contexts’), and ELIT 164 (‘Concepts in Literary Studies’), developing your understanding of poetry in English by looking at a range of verse from across a long historical period. You will also develop the research and writing skills you began to cultivate in ELIT 152 (‘Research and Writing Techniques’). Completing this course will stand you in excellent stead for future studies of poetry in this department and beyond.
On this website you will find various resources to help you with your studies:
More pages will be added to the website throughout the semester. Keep checking back!