The course is divided in two parts: the first part briefly introduces students to the elements of poetry, while the second is a survey of English poetry from the early modern period (16th century) to the late 20th century, stressing the evolution of literary conventions, as well as connecting the representative poems chosen for study to specific cultural and sociopolitical events. We will study shifts in poetic form and how forms like the epic, ode, elegy, lyric, and sonnet are reinvented over the course of the centuries. Key themes include nature, love, death, sex, war, and revolution as they map onto particular historical and political moments.
Semester:
Fall
Offered:
2017