Reading and Writing: Poetry in Form
LIT4243.01
Course Description
Summary
Poetic form is as diverse as the poets who use them. Stretching from forms as old as the sonnet to as contemporary as the Twitter poem, poets utilize prosody to express specific concerns in shocking and beautiful ways. Every decision counts, and we will learn what those decisions are and the weight they carry for different poets. We will read extensively poems and craft essays that delineate individual decisions for form choice, historical context, and formal deviations. You will learn a new set of forms every week and be expected to write in said forms with the intention of workshopping your discoveries with your peers. Class culminates in the creation of your own form and a portfolio that consists of a poem from each of the learned forms, a nonce version of one form, and an essay explaining the relationship between them all.Prerequisites
Entry into this class is contingent upon professor's approval. Please submit a set of poems (3-5 poems) for review to phillipwilliams@bennington.edu by November 15. In the Subject line write exactly "Poetry in Form" for ease on my part. Class lists will be posted outside the Literature office on November 27.
Please contact the faculty member :