American Poetry
In this course we will read and discuss the major American poets from the nineteenth century to the present day, from Walt Whitman and Emily Dickinson to Gwendolyn Brooks and John Ashbery. This is an appreciation course where everyone is welcome: our goal is to develop a basic proficiency in the language of poetic form and function, as we explore the central themes of American poetry. Each week we will read one or two poets by focusing on a few of his or her most representative poems. As we move from the American Renaissance and Romanticism to Modernism and Postmodernism, we will pay particular attention to issues of representation and form, nature and culture, American individualism and democracy. Contact Wes King for more information.