LIT 361 The Art of Poetry

Students will study the major forms of poetry through the works of selected poets. They will examine various poetic techniques and devices as well as various poetic symbols. Students will also explore the characteristics of various poetic schools such as Symbolism, Modernism, Imagism, Confessional Poetry, Beat Poetry, African American Poetry, Women’s/Feminist Poetry, Native American Poetry, Nature Poetry, and Deep Image Poetry. Students will learn how literary devices are used to create meaning for readers: meter, rhythm, rhyme, and figurative language such as simile, metaphor, imagery, metonymy, personification, and allusion. Students will engage in close reading: they will be asked to analyze literature inductively, using clues from the surface level of literature (literary devices) to create larger truths they see in the literature. Student analysis of literature will be expressed through essays, presentations, and other activities.