TEXT: Modern Poems: A Norton Introduction. Available in Campus Bookstore.
OFFICE HOURS: My office is McIver 124, phone 334-5650. My email address is g_mcdona@uncg.edu. I will keep regular office hours from 11-12 and from 2-3 on Tuesdays and Thursdays. I am also happy to see you by appointment.
STUDENT LEARNING GOALS:
? Identify and understand elements of poetry.
? Apply techniques of literary analysis to texts.
? Use literary study to develop skills in careful reading and clear writing.
? Recognize major English and American poets and schools from the period 1900-1960.
? Demonstrate understanding of the diverse social and historical contexts in
which modern Anglo-American poems have been written and interpreted.
COURSE REQUIREMENTS:
? Prepare for each class. To be adequately prepared, always read all the poems
in the text by the author we will be studying on a given day, unless I notify
you otherwise. Though poems, as a genre, are often brief, the amount of time
you devote to reading them should not be. Do not make the mistake of depending
upon in-class reading of the poem to suffice as preparation.
? Participate in discussion. I expect and value regular attendance and participation,
promptness of arrival, and engaged listening. This expectation will be reflected
in final grades. I reserve the right to drop a student from class if he or
she is frequently absent without a valid reason.
? Complete writing assignments on time. This is a writing intensive course
and we write as a way of learning about the poems we read. Frequent short writing
assignments and two longer assignments, including a revision, will be required.
My policy is to mark a paper down 1/3 grade when it is late, more when it is
outrageously late. See me in advance if you have a serious problem meeting
a deadline.
? Adhere to the Honor Code. Violations of the Honor Code are not tolerated.
If you do not understand what plagiarism is, read about it today in your Student
Handbook. Consult me if you have a question about documentation of sources.
Use web resources with special care, taking note of their origins and upkeep.
I will treat any form of cheating seriously, at minimum assigning a grade of “F” for
the work in question and reserving the right to refer the case to the Honor
Board for disciplinary action.
BASIS FOR GRADES: Total for writing assignments 40%
Total for examinations 40%
Total for other factors (attendance, participation,
daily work 20%
COURSE CALENDAR
Aug. 16 Introduction to the course
PRACTICE IN READING POETRY
18 Poems assigned daily
23 Poems assigned daily
25 Poems assigned daily
PRECURSORS: OPEN AND CLOSED FORM
Sept. 1 Whitman
6 Dickinson
8 Yeats
13 Yeats
FORMS OF THE MODERN
15 Pound
20 Eliot, The Waste Land
22 Eliot
27 Frost
29 Frost
Oct. 4 Williams
6 Midterm examination
11 Fall break
13 Williams
18 Stevens First formal essay due.
Oct. 20 Stevens
25 Moore
27 Moore and Bishop
Nov. 1 Cullen
3 No class: instructor at conference
8 Hughes
10 Auden
15 Auden
17 Lowell
22 Larkin Second formal essay due.
24 Thanksgiving
29 Plath and Rich
Dec. 1 Final class review; Revision of second essay due.
FINAL EXAMINATION: December 8, 8 a.m.