Proposed Graduate Course
Twentieth Century American Poetry
rationale
The course seeks to chart the trajectory of twentieth-century American poetry from modernism of the 1920s-40s, through contemporary poetry of the 1950s-70s, and into Language poetry of the 1970s-90s. Students will not only learn the poet's and poetics' relationship to the period, but how the spirit of the age changes from the beginning to the end of the century. The poetic debates of the century will be continued in class discussion, and students will be introduced to other scholars' perspectives through presentations of critical overviews. Students will write short papers on a particular poet and her relationship to a particular movement within the period, as well as a research paper that allows them to rigorously question how a Language poet reacts to prior poets and periods.
required texts
Nelson, ed., Anthology of Modern American Poetry
modern (20s-40s) Eliot Hughes Pound Stein Stevens Williams Zukofsky |
contemporary (50s-70s) Ashbery Bishop Baraka Ginsberg Lowell Plath Rich |
Language (70s-90s) Andrews Bernstein Dahlen Hejinian Howe, Susan Silliman Watten |
recommended texts (on library reserve)
modern (20s-40s) Bradbury and McFarlane, eds. Brooker, ed. Hoffman and Murphy, eds. Miller |
contemporary (50s-70s) Altieri Gardner Kalstone McDowell, ed. Perloff Vendler, ed. |
Language (70s-90s) Andrews and Bernstein, eds. Bernstein Perelman Perloff Quartermain Silliman Simpson |
assignments
- presentation: Students will sign up for a 15-20 minute presentation which gives a critical overview of a particular poet, provides a working bibliography of primary and secondary sources, and broaches issues for class discussion.
- short paper, poet (5-6 pages): Students will analyze a modern or contemporary poet.
- short paper, poet and movement (7-8 pages): Students will analyze a modern or contemporary poet (of a different movement than the other short paper) in relation to her poetic movement and time period.
- research paper (15-18 pages): Students will either 1) analyze a Language poet or 2) compare and contrast one Language poet with one poet from earlier in the century. Poets may be outside of the course reading list, but subject to conference with the instructor.
- abstract (250 words): On the final day of class, students will share their research papers with the class via abstracts.