ENGL 054 Spring 2014 Canvas Syllabus
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English 54.401: SOUNDING POETRY TR 10:30-12, Music Bldg 101, Spring 2014 Tsitsi Jaji FBH 218 and Bob Perelman, FBH 317 Office Hrs: (TJ) R 12:30-2:30 and by appt; (BP) TR 12-1:30, and by appt [email protected]; [email protected] Rationale: The course will be quite hybrid. We will consider poetry in two ways: 1) as text (in the conventional manner of English courses); and 2) as sound (words set to music, or, as in the case of the blues or of oral poetry, existing only when heard). The textual component will itself be hybrid, as we will start with Homer and the transition from oral poetry to written, then move to African epic, before considering a cluster of works from the 20th-century: the blues, the Harlem Renaissance, and modernism and contemporary experiments. We will read poems closely, attending to form and historical context; and we will also listen to them closely. There will be various exercises and activities designed to allow an entry into oral processes of listening and composition. The schedule of readings listed below is provisional: it allows for the possibility of an expanded oral component – generated by the class – in the latter part of the semester. Many of the activities in the first part of the semester are described briefly here. More details will be provided in class, and student suggestions are welcome. Requirements and grading: Participation in class discussion and activities; two papers (each approximately 6 pp); journal responses; listening exercises, and occasional quizzes. Journal entries are due by noon the day before the next class. Grades will be calculated according the following: Papers (50%); Class participation including in-class performances (25%), Quizzes, including a final quiz (25%). Since the oral component is not a usual part of English classes, we want to allay anxieties about how it will factor into your grade. We are aiming for grading to be normative with respect to other English classes: your papers and mastery of the texts will be evaluated in the usual manner. The oral component – memory exercises; performances of oral poems; and other possibilities generated by the class -- will be evaluated by the seriousness of your effort, not by how good your memory or your vocal delivery is. Schedule of Readings: The following itinerary will be subject to modification, depending what turns out to be most useful for the class. We have scripted various proposed class activities through Feb 6; such activities will be an important component throughout the term, but as the term progresses, we expect the specifics of these activities to be generated by the class. Required texts: (both are available at Penn Book Center) 1. Harryette Mullen, Recyclopedia. 2. Jerome Rothenberg, editor, Technicians of the Sacred, 2nd edition. ** All other readings will be on the class Canvas site. Jan 16 Introduction, text vs. song Langston Hughes, “The Weary Blues [followed by Hughes/Feather performance] William Wordsworth, "Solitary Reaper." Ella Fitzgerald, “In a Mellow Tone” activity: telephone; 'what she sings' read: Ong 1, 2, 3; Iliad Book 1. (memorize assigned 5 lines) (start at 4.47) 01 Weary Blues.mp3 Hughes, The Weary Blues.pdf Wordsworth - The Solitary Reaper.doc Ong, Orality and Literacy 1.pdf Ong, Orality and Literacy 2.pdf Ong, Orality and Literacy 3.pdf Iliad - Book One.pdf Jan 21 Show bardic clips; discuss Ong, Iliad; activity: recite memorized lines (groups of 6) read: Plato “Ion”; Havelock 1-5 Havelock 1, 2.pdf Havelock 3-5.pdf Plato. Ion.pdf Jan 23 Discuss Havelock, Plato and cultural encyclopedias A helpful Greek timeline A guide to the Havelock Discussion Iliad arguments.doc An intro to African Epics find & upload: clips of living bardic traditions read: Hale et al Introduction to Oral Epic in Africa, Eric Charry; The Epic of Son-Jara (Mande), The Epic of Lat Dior (Wolof) Hale et al Introduction to Oral Epic in Africa.pdf Charry - Mande Music.pdf 2 selections from Oral Epic in Africa (Hale:Wilson:Belcher) from Mande and Wolof.pdf Guide to discussion of African epics Jan 28 Group 1 performs: MICHAEL D., VICTORIA, PETER, KRISTIN, WES Discuss Hale, Charry, Wolof and Mande epics activity: find and upload bardic clips read for 1/30: Southern African Praise Poetry (Shona and Zulu) Shona Praise Poetry Background.pdf Shona Praise Poetry - Tembo poems.pdf Kgositsile.pdf - Poet Laureate of South Africa A guide to the Praise Poetry discussion optional: "Sexuality and Socialization in Shona Praise Poetry" (by Herbert Chimhundu) "Clashes of Interest: Gender, Status and Power in Zulu Praise Poetry" by Liz Gunner * sign in with Penn key Jan 30 Group 2: LAURA, ISAAC, JUAN, RACHEL D., SHAKEIL Discuss Southern African Praise Poems activity: Exchange information with your partner. Write, and prepare a performance of your praise poem, memorials or elegies for your partner or someone close to your partner. read for 2/4: American Praise Poems on the page modernist 'praise poems' Williams - Sandburg - O'Hara(1).pdf O'Hara reading: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YDLwivcpFe8 Williams: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DLJobqm2Qqo Feb 4 QUIZ 1 Discuss American Praise Poems 1st group performs praise poems (15) Music for modern praise songs (links listed) Feb 6 continue discussion of Modern Praise Poetry from Tuesday (Baraka, Mackey, Mullen) continue praise poem performances (30) Discuss live performance versus recorded. Baraka - Praise poems from Moment's Notice.pdf Rare Birds: http://www.eyeneer.com/video/jazz/john-coltrane/impressions-0 In The Tradition: (from Arthur Blythe's album of the same name - "Naima") http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BbtxSvLe9vI Mackey poems (Every Eye Ain't Shut; Moment's Notice).pdf Olivier Messiaen: Oiseaux Exotiques http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ht5qqE_e1UE On Birdsong in Messiaen's music: http://www.oliviermessiaen.org/birdsongs.html Mullen - Fancy Cortex.pdf Jayne Cortez: Find Your Own Voice http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-moyZ7Rld2w How Long has Trane Been Gone http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ftrVsO4dP5o read for 2/11: Longfellow (Hiawatha & Evangeline), Pound (Canto 1*), suggested: begin the Wasteland A few basic facts of meter.doc Longfellow, Hiawatha & Evangeline excerpts.pdf Pound - Cantos 1 and 2.pdf Odyssey -- Book 11 excerpt.pdf Pound - Seafarer.pdf Pound - Terrell's notes to Cantos 1-2.pdf Feb 11 Meter as sign of learnedness/freshness Hiawatha, Evangeline, Canto 1, Dakota http://www.yhchang.com/DAKOTA.html read for 2/13: T. S. Eliot, Waste Land.pdf Feb 13 snow day Feb 18 Discuss The Waste Land read for 2/20: Eliot, Tradition and the Individual Talent.pdf Eliot - Sweeney Agonistes.pdf Eliot - War-paint and feathers.pdf DuPlessis - Hoo, Hoo, Hoo.pdf Under the Bamboo Tree (musical score) and recording: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lSFIVNlVoAE Feb 20 Continue discussion of The Waste Land and Eliot read for 2/25 Poems by Paul Dunbar - and "Error! Hyperlink reference not valid. Claude McKay - Constab Ballads.pdf listen: * songs using Dunbar's poems as lyrics: A Corn Song Click to view (Samuel Coleridge-Taylor); Life Click to view , Sunset Click to view , Spring Song Click to view (Zenobia Powell Perry) [video of Darryl Taylor performing Perry:] http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YiIQS07lZvc&feature=youtu.be ***warning, some of the visuals on this musical selection are disturbing Little Brown Baby optional: (if you read music, take a look at musical scores for A Corn Song , (by Samuel Coleridge-Taylor); Life, Sunset, Spring Song (by Zenobia Powell Perry) Feb 25 Discuss Dunbar, McKay, Du Plessis (resource for use in class: Song (titled An African Love Song), A Prayer, A Starry Night, Over the Hills, How Shall I Woo Thee ) read: Transcribed Lyrics of Ma Rainey from Blues Women and Black Feminism by Angela Davis Reread Hughes, The Weary Blues.pdf Feb 27 Quiz 2 listening: Blues: Selections from American Song Online March 4 Discuss Ma Rainey's lyrics and The Weary Blues read: Amiri Baraka (LeRoi Jones) - Blues People.pdf activity: transcription exercise Ellison's 1964 review of Baraka's Blues People (1963 ) from Living with Music: Ralph Ellison's Jazz Writings (ed. Robert O'Meally. New York: Modern Library, 2001) March 6 first paper due Discuss Blues, James Cotton (listening in class) in class: Blues activities reading: (over Spring Break) read: Hughes - Ask Your Mama.pdf and start Recyclopedia (Harryette Mullen) listen: Langston Hughes reading opening Click to view Ron McCurdy - Cultural Exchange Click to view Wendell Logan - Cultural Exchange Click to view * If you would like to hear more of this recording e mail Tsitsi The Roots, Jessye Norman and Laura Karpman SPRING BREAK March 18 Discuss Hughes, Ask Your Mama Mullen - Muse and Drudge excerpts.pdf March 20 Discuss Harryette Mullen - Recyclopedia Mullen - interview.pdf Mullen - Tree Tall Woman.doc March 25 Continue discussion of Mullen Mullen - Hogue interview excerpt.doc read Preface; Origins [pp 20-31], Visions and Spells [70-73]; Events [118-23]; Africa [159-60]; Americas [243]; Asia [303-4, 312-13]; Europe [345; 372-3] and corresponding notes at back of book March 27 Technicians of the Sacred Read/Listen: *Sound experiments 1: Listen to Christian Bök (Eunoia Chapter E) Read: (text of Eunoia), 2. Listen to "Black But Beautiful" by Tracie Morris, 3. Spend at least 20 minutes navigating through the website by Thylias Moss April 1 Quiz 3 Rothenberg Technicians excerpt.pdf Discuss Bök, Morris, Moss For April 3 Read/Listen:*Sound experiments: A) Watch M. NourbeSe Philip reading from Zong!, Read text for selected Zong! poems , and