Poetry: Genre and Practice

How does our lived experience translate into poetry? And how does poetry crystallize or transform experience through language and form? These and many other questions are explored in this module as we read as well as write poetry; for the writing of poetry is dependent not only your experience but also your abilities as a reader and interpreter of poems. We will look at the base structures of poetry – from the line-ending to more complex forms like sonnets and sestinas; and you will be encouraged to seek out new reading as a result of seminar discussion. Finally, you are expected to keep a journal of your poems and thoughts throughout the course, the contents of which will be used to create the reflective essay for your portfolio.