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 Philip - notes on Zong!.pdf (these notes include Philip talking about her writing process, and a copy of the legal judgement she used as a source document)
B) Listen to "Come Out" (piece made from looping tape) Steve Reich,
C) Watch Nate Mackey reading with musicians (Mackey's writings about avant garde jazz become part of a live collaborative performance)
April 3
Group 1 performs ToS
Discuss Philip , Reich, Mackey
For April 8: Some Origin Stories about Spoken Word and Hip Hop
Read: pp 1-12 of Spoken Word packet
3 poems by Sonia Sanchez
Double Dutch to Hip Hop
George Nelson interviews founding fathers of hiphop
Sugar Hill Gang: "Rapper's Delight" listening:
Gil Scott Heron: The Revolution Will Not Be Televised
Sonia Sanchez on The Last Poets Listen: Rapper's Delight
April 8
Group 2 performs ToS
Discuss Sanchez, Gil Scott Heron, Gaunt, Nelson, Sugar Hill Gang read for April 10: finish Spoken Word packet Saul Williams (and listen
Click to view here)
Nuyorican Cafe Disclaimer
Click to view
Taylor Mali - How to Write a Political Poem
Click to view
Mélendez "Hey Yo/Yo Soy"
April 10
Group 3 performs ToS
Melanie Hill leads class: Discuss Spoken Word readings including Williams, Meléndez, Mali reading: Dub Poetry (Linton Kwesi Johnson reading and listening) * you need to click on the link and scroll to the bottom of the page for the pdf of LKJ poems
April 15
Group 5 performs ToS
Discuss Dub Poetry and Spoken Word and prep for DJ Spooky (**click here for more background)
in class: view extracts from Calypso - Trinidad, Louise Bennett (Miss Lou) - Jamaica
Read: DJ Spooky extracts from Rhythm Science
DJ Spooky at Venice Bienale 2007 (read and listen) http://www.djspooky.com/articles/venice_2007.php
Loops of Perception: Sampling, Memory and the Semantic Web: http://www.horizonzero.ca/textsite/remix.php?is=8&art=0&file=3&tlang=0
On Jean Baudrillard and the mashup: http://www.djspooky.com/articles/baudrillard_memoriam.php
April 17
Group 4 performs ToS
Special guest: DJ SPOOKY View/listen for 4/22: Philadelphia spoken word performers: Josh Bennett , Excelano Project
April 22
Group 7 performs ToS
CLASS OPEN MIKE PART 1
activity: In class performances by student spoken word poets
April 24
Group 8 & 9 perform ToS
CLASS OPEN MIKE PART 2 activity: In class performances by student spoken word poets
April 29
Quiz 4 (cumulative)
Final paper due Friday 5/2. (no .docx)