ENGL 404/604 Advanced Poetry Workshop, 2003
Tues. 4:00-7:00
Dr. Fleda Brown
314 Memorial (831-6749; e-mail: fleda@udel.edu)
Office Hours: T 2-4, F 10-11

Texts:

Nims, John Frederick and David Mason, Western Wind. (McGraw-Hill, 4^th Edition)
Strand, Mark and Eavan Boland. The Making of a Poem (Norton, 2000)

General requirements:

1. A poem is due every week, as well as any revisions you want to turn in. You need to bring enough copies of your weekly poem for everyone, and occasionally, when you think it might be of special interest to the class, copies of your revision. Generally, your revisions will go directly to me.

2. Each week, you’ll take home copies of everyone’s work. Your job will be to write comments on the papers—the sort of help we try to provide in class. If the poem is one we’ve discussed in class that week, your comments may necessarily be brief. You will have a sheet on which you keep track of comments received.

3. Each week, you will choose one poem from the reading for that week. You will write 2 pages, double-spaced on the poem, looking at it from the point of view of a writer, not a critic. How does it work? What do you as a writer learn from studying this poem closely? Be sure to mention specifically what you’ve been reading in WW, to convince me that you’re doing the reading.

4. Sometime during the semester, you will be responsible for a ten-minute review of a poetry collection you’ve read. The poet you choose should be one whose work appears in one of the two texts for the course. Check with me about your choice. In that review, you should discuss technical as well as thematic aspects of the poetry and provide examples, perhaps a handout of key poems you wish to discuss. I will give you a written evaluation of your talk, as well as a grade.

5. A portfolio of your work (ONLY this semester’s work) is due April 8 (midterm check) and May 20 (final check). At midterm, I will write a evaluation and give you an estimate of a grade. When you turn in your final portfolio, I will write a summary evaluation. Grades on late portfolios will drop by ½ grade each day. Your portfolio will contain—

a. all poems plus all revisions of poems written during the semester.

b. a 1-2 page review of a poetry reading you attended this semester.

c. a reflection of your progress during the semester. (At midterm, this will consist of a summary of where your skills are now and where you’d like them to be by

the end of the semester.

Grades: To pass this course, you must attend one poetry reading. Otherwise, your course grade will be determined (roughly) about 70% on your portfolio, 20% on your oral presentation, and 10% on your weekly response papers and written comments on others’ work (combined).

SYLLABUS

You will always be reading in your Strand/Boland book a week ahead of the writing assignment based on that reading, so we can discuss in class before you try the form.