English 2208 introduces you to the literary form of poetry. We will examine the history of poetry, the structural elements of poetry, and the relationships between meaning and form: that is, what a poem says and how the poem says it. In some sense, this is really a course on how to read carefully.

As noted on our website, we are conducting our course under unusual circumstances. For one, this course will be offered completely online when I had no intention of doing so. Obviously Covid-19 changed those plans.  But, I have included a time on the course schedule (Tuesdays from 11:00 am to 12:15pm) that I will use to set up some Zoom meetings where we can meet together for 45 minutes to an hour and discuss the assignments, progress, and goals as we go. These won't be every Tuesday, but I should expect about 10 session would work. Please make your best effort to be there for these. 

Here are a few assumptions I'd like to make for our class:

• Everyone agrees that we can better understand poetry by reading and reflecting on the poems themselves, even to the point of picking apart individual lines or specific words.

• Everyone agrees to read every poem assigned as scheduled, slowly and carefully, and prior to our discussion of it.

• Everyone agrees to become quickly familiar with the basic language of poetic terms (see terms list) so that we might have a common language for our discussions.

In addition, you should know that this course does not ask you to write poetry. The purpose of English 2208 is only the discussion and analysis of poems already written.

At the completion of this course, you should be familiar with the formal aspects of poetry and apply this knowledge in analyzing poetry of different time periods. You should be able to present and demonstrate that knowledge in class discussion, exams, and expository writing.

Other goals include:

• understanding several defining characteristics of the form of poetry

• identifying and exploring various methods for analyzing and discussing poetry

• creating written analyses of a sampling of works

• expanding your understanding of literature by learning about an author's life, place, and time

• recognizing (and I hope appreciating) the depths to which we as readers may go to understand poetry

Texts:

X. J. Kennedy and Dana Gioia, An Introduction to Poetry, 13th edition

Course Ground Rules:

1. Engagement all semester is critical. If you have any questions about assignments or responsibilities, email me. Know that you have a pool of 100 points in D2L for participation. Everyone starts out with a zero balance and then adds points by doing the following: however many Zoom sessions we have, you should attend at least five. For each appearance and participation, you will earn 10 of these 100 points up to 50 points.
   
   The remainder (50 points) will be earned by offering a post in the online discussion boards that I will create all semester long (see "Communications" on our course's main page on D2L and click on "Discussions.") Each thoughtful post earns five points. Make 10 helpful comments or questions during the semester and you will earn the full 50 points possible. I will discuss this more as we begin our class work. A complete disappearance for five consecutive weeks means you fail the course.
2. Have all reading and writing assignments completed by the dates they are due.
3. Plagiarized work is unacceptable. Please understand what this means and do not attempt to pass off the work of someone else as your own. If there is any question, I will ask you to produce proof that the writing is original.
4. Expect to spend 4 to 6 hours per week of reading and writing.

Description of Class Assignments:

You will have five types of assignments this semester: reading, individual and group participation, writing, exams, and a recitation.

Reading

Reading assignments occur every week. While reading the material, feel free to mark up the books or hand-outs I might post to help you absorb what you are reading. You may find it helpful to read quickly through a piece one time and then come back and read it again, more slowly, to see how a poet develops a theme or image.

Participation

Discussing the poems amongst ourselves is a key element for extracting the most out of a course about poetry. See the description, above, about how this part of our course will be graded. (10% of your total grade: 5% for Zoom attendance and 5% for discussion group participation).

Writing

There will be two papers for this course (35% of your grade): one short in length, and one moderate in length. The short paper will be an approximately two-page paper providing an explication of a poem from anthology that you choose. At least one outside source should be consulted--I'll discuss how to document this source in class, but check the resources below for more information (10% of your grade).

The longer paper will be an analysis paper on a poet of your choice, which should be about three to four pages in length. You are to consider at least three poems by your chosen poet (including at least one from our assigned readings) and discuss these poems using some of the suggestions and guidelines offered in our anthology ("Writing About a Poem" pages 502 - 522). For this analysis, I'd like you to consult at least two external sources to supplement your discussion, thus requiring a Works Cited page (25% of your grade).

Other guidelines for your paper:

1.  In addition to including at least one poem from our assignments, you must also write about at least one poem that is not in the assigned readings.

2.  You should include a Works Cited page as you are required to include at least two secondary sources as part of your work on this poet (and more than just biographical).

3.  You should discuss more than what was discussed in our sessions. Demonstrate that you have done some independent thinking about the poet.

I am willing to discuss topic ideas with you during my office hours. You may also want to check out the information I have provided on a topic suggestions website linked in our English 2208 course page.

For your paper format, follow these guidelines:

1.  Your paper should follow normal MLA format guidelines: double-spaced, page numbers, and include a cover page (with the paper title, your name, course title, my name, and date). Use a 12-point font size and standard margins for the entire document.

2.  You must refer to specific words and lines from the poems you are discussing. You must use quotations and citations in accordance with the section, "How to Quote a Poem" (520 - 522). Other quotations should adhere to standard MLA guidelines. Be sure to tie your quotations into the body of your argument by introducing them and commenting on them afterwards.

3.  Do not plagiarize! The consequences are simply too great for intentional or unintentional plagiarism: the paper receives an "F" and cannot be rewritten. Consult my website links on our course webpage to be sure you understand the concept, or ask me if you are ever in doubt. We will use the turnitin.com website to verify borrowing.

4.  Proofread, spell check, grammar check, or have a friend proofread. An occasional error may be forgiven, but too many errors indicate sloppiness that will affect the paper grade.

Exams and Quizzes

We will have two exams that will confirm your knowledge of the terms and ideas we have discussed. (30% of your total grade: 15% for each exam).

There will be a final exam (20% of your total grade) which will cover the assigned reading as well as points from lectures and discussion. The format will be a combination of multiple choice, short answer, and short essay. You are responsible for all assigned material, whether or not we discussed it in class.

Grading Scale:

A = 90 - 100%
B = 80 - 89%
C = 70 - 79%
D = 60 - 69%
F = Below 60%

Schedule of Classes and Assignments:

The following class schedule should be considered a guideline for what we hope to cover In English 2208. Depending on the depth and length of class discussions, and the content and nature of the reading assignments, our dates may vary. Please do keep up and be aware of what we intend to cover each class period.