<p>Directed Writing: Poetry— English 119B, Spring 2017 Wednesdays, 2-4:50 pm, Room: TBD Instructor: Elizabeth Bradfield Email: [email protected] Office: Rabb 206 Office hours: Wed. 11-1, Thurs. 9 - 12, & by appointment</p><p>In this poetry workshop and experiential learning course we will develop the tools— sound, imagery, rhythm, use of the line and stanza—that help our poems become vivid in the reader. We will read widely and experiment with many different techniques and voices to hone our craft and our ability to explain why certain poems move us. We will reverse-engineer poems to understand how they create the magic that they cast upon us. </p><p>Each class will be divided into time for writing, discussion of the week’s readings, and workshopping. Our goal is to write and read and, through that, discover what fires us as writers. We will play, revise, work, read, and listen. This is primarily a workshop class— focused on helping you to expand your poetic range, refine your poems, give and receive constructive feedback, and consider your poems in relation to published writing. Our goal is to deepen your relationship to poetry in ways that will serve you for a lifetime of writing.</p><p>GOALS  You will experiment and take risks  You will invent and discover forms/styles to sing with confidence  You will critique your own work and the work of others with honesty, openness, focus, and compassion, providing constructive feedback in the workshop forum  You will contribute actively and thoughtfully in class discussions  You will gain an understanding and appreciation for different styles and subjects of poems through a wide range of readings  You will learn to “read as writers”  You will develop your ability to articulate why a poem might move you (or not)</p><p>READINGS Required Books (other handouts will be given in class): 1. Admit One, by Martha Collins, U Pittsburgh Press 2. The Common Man, by Maurice Manning, Houghton Mifflin 3. Garden Time, by WS Merwin, Copper Canyon, 978-1556594991 4. The Collected Works of Billy the Kid, by Michael Ondaatje 5. Reconnaissance, by Carl Phillips, FS&G, 978-0374536558 6. Dandarians, by Lee Ann Roripaugh, Milkweed Editions 7. The Penguin Anthology of 20th Century American Poetry, ed by Rita Dove, Penguin 8. NOTE: You will also be selecting two other volumes of poetry to read on your own and share with the class. You will make those selections with me. We will collectively pool news of our readings with each other. </p><p>Spring 2017, p. 1 of 6 Updated 11/2016 I expect each of you to own a copy of each required text. A PHYSICAL copy (digital just won’t do).</p><p>Recommended Books (good to have in your poetry library for years to come):  Addonizio, Kim. Ordinary Genius: A Guide for the Poet Within. New York: WW Norton, 2009.  Dacey, Philip and David Jauss. Strong Measures: Contemporary American Poetry in Traditional Forms. New York: Harper & Row, 1986.  Hoagland, Tony. Real Sofistikashun: Essays on Poetry and Craft. Minneapolis: Graywolf, 2006.  Pinsky, Robert. The Sounds of Poetry: A Brief Guide. New York: FS&G, 1998.  any rhyming dictionary (I’m going to assume you have a dictionary and thesaurus at your beck and call)</p><p>REQUIREMENTS All requirements below work toward fostering deep engagement with poetry: reading and responding to others’ poems; engaging with literary criticism; refining, and developing your poems.</p><p>Attendance: You must come prepared and on time for every class. You must read all assigned writing. You must turn in written assignments when due. You must bring the books we’re discussing that week to class.</p><p>This class is offered on a Credit/No Credit basis. Since we meet only once a week, attendance is crucial: more than one absence will result in a NC grade. If you must unavoidably be absent, email me in advance. </p><p>Participation: The success of this class is dependent on your participation. We will be doing most of our work in class aloud. You must participate in and contribute to all discussions and workshops. </p><p>Writing: You will turn in a new poem every week (with some exceptions) and accrue a “notebook of details.” You will turn in revisions of work. There are prose requirements, too (see below).</p><p>Reading: Expect to read the equivalent of one book of poetry per week and at least one short essay a week. You should “read as a writer”—pay close attention to what you’re reading and be alert to moments that surprise you. Use them to learn. Ask yourself How did the writer do that? We will discuss each week’s readings in class. Be prepared.</p><p>WEEKLY REQUIREMENTS (more details will be given in class)</p><p>Spring 2017, p. 2 of 6 Updated 11/2016  An original poem inspired by the writer(s) you are currently reading. This to be broadly interpreted: the reading can spark a memory, a response, an idea, an image, a way of making sentences, a sound pattern, etc. Many weeks, the assignment will be specific.  A letter to me addressing a question about prosody, process, or the like. This is an opportunity for you to think what you’re reading and the art of poetry, to develop your ability to talk about what moves you as a poet and to develop a conversation.  Entries in your anthology, in which you type out poems you discover in our readings that inspire, mystify, or otherwise capture you. Look to the introduction of Pinsky’s Singing School for more detail.  Written critiques of two of your classmates’ poems to be shared in “triads.”</p><p>OTHER REQUIREMENTS (more details will be given in class)  Attendance of and a written response to a live public poetry event—whether “slam” or formal. Hearing literature in person, in the writer’s voice, is a powerful and important part of a writing life.  A conference with me (at least once) to discuss a revision that you’ve been working on or poems-in-progress. One-on-one discussions are one of the most productive ways to further your writing, and I welcome the chance to get to know each of you (and your writerly, or other, preoccupations and inspirations) a bit better.  A video poem or memorized poem. This is a way to more deeply engage with a single poem.  A critical response & brief presentation to the books you read independently.  Deep revisions of six of the new poems you have generated.  A final self-evaluation/portfolio, which will allow you to reflect on your progress and process as a writer. </p><p>Please keep, and bring to every class, copies of everything you present or work on, as we will use them throughout the semester. Bring the books you are reading with you. </p><p>Brandeis Four-Credit Course Expectations: Success in this 4 credit hour course is based on the expectation that students will spend a minimum of 9 hours of study time per week in preparation for class (readings, papers, discussion sections, preparation for exams, etc.). </p><p>OTHER NOTES:  Please turn off mobile phones during class.  If you use a laptop, do so appropriately: to read an electronic version of a book, to take notes, etc. Not for any of the other many inappropriate uses we could name but will not.  When you’re in class, BE IN CLASS. Not on your email, not planning dinner, not in the slight pain in your right toe. Even if you are not speaking, attend.</p><p>Spring 2017, p. 3 of 6 Updated 11/2016  If you must unavoidably be absent, please email me in advance. In the event of an absence, contact a classmate to catch up on class activities and assignments.  If you have a documented disability, please let me know.</p><p>Questions? / Ideas? / Ways to Succeed!: I appreciate students who are proactive about their learning, and I highly encourage you to be in touch if you are feeling confused or as if you are falling behind—or if you just want to talk more about the poetry we’re reading and writing. I’m in my office 5 hours each week especially to see students, and I’m happy to schedule appointments at other times. For questions that can’t wait for class or office hours, I’m also happy to answer emails, and usually do so within 24 hours, particularly during the week. I’ll do my best to facilitate lively discussions, meaningful workshops, and interesting activities, and I always welcome your feedback about how the class is working for you or ideas about directions we might go.</p><p>A Note on “Questionable Content” in Creative Writing My promise is to never expose you to explicitly sexual or explicitly violent material. By that I mean material which has no value beyond its explicit content. We will, however, encounter material that is sexual in content and material that is violent in content. Such content may indeed still fit within the boundaries of literature, as may bigoted slurs and other content considered offensive. For example, both T.S. Eliot and Ezra Pound, at one point, supported Hitler’s government. This does not decrease the value of their poems as historical and artistic markers, nor does it depreciate their ability to capture the human condition in other subjects. We must reckon with the values of our predecessors. Your half of the promise is that you come into my classroom with an open heart, no matter how much the poems we are discussing might challenge you, and to make sure that writing you bring to class earns the right to push boundaries for reasons beyond mere shock value. We are not here to bolster our current values or be affirmed in our life choices. We are here to learn, which is often a terrifying and life-changing experience. If you should find a particular piece offensive, let me know. We will discuss your discomfort and possibly establish an alternative.</p><p>Spring 2017, p. 4 of 6 Updated 11/2016 Schedule: Highly subject to change! Most weeks, there will be a pdf on some aspect of prosody—some are listed here, others will be folded in as the class develops. All assignments are due at the beginning of class, printed and properly formatted.</p><p>Week Readings/Assignments (subject to change) Week 1: - Introductions and more… Jan 18 Week 2: HAVE READ Jan 25 - Garden Time, by WS Merwin - Image/description essay (pdf) Week 3: HAVE READ Feb 1 - Poem sampler on lineation (pdf) - Lineation essay (pdf) Week 4: HAVE READ Feb 8 - Reconnaissance, by Carl Phillips - Volta essay (pdf) Week 5: HAVE READ Feb 15 - Poem sampler on sound (pdf) NO CLASS Feb 22 - Syntax & Sound essays (pdf) - NOTE: Carl Phillips reads on campus Feb 16. DUE (beyond the normal weekly) - RiffPub listen. Week 6: HAVE READ Mar 1 - Poem sampler on form (pdf) - Form essay (pdf) DUE (beyond the normal weekly) - Critical response #1 (and class presentation) Week 7: HAVE READ Mar 8 - Dandarians, by Lee Ann Roripaugh - Associative poetics essay (pdf) Week 8: HAVE READ Mar 15 - Poem sampler on metaphor (pdf) - Metaphor essay (pdf) DUE (beyond the normal weekly) - Video poem/memorized poems Week 9: HAVE READ Mar 22 - The Common Man, Maurice Manning - Persona & Voice essays (pdf) DUE (beyond the normal weekly) - Email me book #2 for your final critical response Week 10: HAVE READ Mar 29 - Admit One, by Martha Collins - Political poem essay (pdf) DUE (beyond the normal weekly) - REVISIONS of 4 poems from the term</p><p>Spring 2017, p. 5 of 6 Updated 11/2016 Week 11: HAVE READ April 5 - Poem sampler on political poems (pdf) Note: NO CLASS DUE (beyond the normal weekly) April 12 or 19 - Critical response #2 due (and presentation) Week 12: HAVE READ April 26 - The Collected Works of Billy the Kid, by Michael Ondaatje DUE (beyond the normal weekly) - Deadline for having attended and written up your experience of a “live event” Week 13: DUE (beyond the normal weekly) May 3 - Final revisions/self-evaluation due </p><p>Spring 2017, p. 6 of 6 Updated 11/2016</p>