Syllabus
English 4446/5446 Modern Poetry, Spring 2011
Section 01 (CRN 21149/21150): TR 3:30-4:45PM, Arts & Sciences 243
Professor: Dr. Alex E. Blazer Email: alex.blazer@gcsu.edu Web: www.faculty.de.gcsu.edu/~ablazer/ Office Phone: 478.445.0964
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Office: Arts & Sciences 330 Office Hours: MW 5:00-5:30 A&S 330, T 12:30-1:45 A&S 330, R 12:30-1:30 Blackbird, by appt |
The course catalog describes our course as "A study of selected modern poetry in English."
This course's Academic Assessment page describes our topics:
- Key texts of early modernist and modernist poets, British and American;
- The principles and practice of poetry explication, in both the process and the written analysis;
- The social, political, and historical background of early modernist and modernist poetry, including the effects of both world wars and public response to innovation in the postwar poets of WWI;
- The key aesthetic, social, and political movements of the times, including imagism, vorticism, new criticism, minimalism, the lyric revival.
as well as course outcomes:
- Distinguish the aesthetic, social, and political backgrounds of poetry of this time period;
- Understand the aesthetic and philosophical reasons for innovation and experimentation in modernist poetry;
- Understand the scope of modernism in all of the arts, especially in music and painting as they reflect the experimentation and innovation of literary modernism;
- Approach any new poem with a set of critical habits that enable understanding of both content and form.
Note that this course's prerequisite is English 2110, IDST 2305, or permission of the instructor.
required (GCSU Bookstore or Amazon.com)
Ramazani, Ellmann, and O'Clair, eds., The Norton Anthology of Modern and Contemporary Poetry, Volume 1: Modern Poetry, 3rd ed.
recommended
Gibaldi, MLA Handbook, 7th ed.
required (online)
supplemental articles
Assignments and Grade Distribution
4446 Undergraduate Students
response, 5%
In the 3-4 page response paper, you will react to a poem, read the poem aloud in class, and broach questions for class discussion.
close reading, 20%
In the 4-6 page close reading paper, you will analyze and interpret a short poem.
exam, 25%
In the in class exam, you will answer two or three essay questions.
wild card, 25%
In the 6-8 page wild card paper, you will have the option to interpret the theme of a book of poetry, analyze how a contemporary poet is influenced by a modernist poet, or examine how two modernist poets respond to one another.
research paper, 25%
In the 8-10 page research paper, you will research a poem, poet, or poetic issue.
5446 Graduate Students
presentation, 10%
In the 30 minute presentation, you will choose a poet and a critical article on that poet; then you teach article and begin the class discussion of the poet.
close reading, 20%
In the 6-8 page close reading paper, you will analyze and interpret a short poem.
exam, 35%
In the 10-12 page take home exam, you answer two or three essay questions.
research paper, 35%
In the 12-15 page research paper, you will research a poem, poet, or poetic issue.
Class Preparation and Participation
I expect you to come to class having read, annotated, and reviewed the assigned reading. Moreover, you should prepare at least two comments and two questions for each reading. We're going to be working with challenging texts; therefore, we'll all benefit from sharing our ideas and questions. If I feel that you're not participating because you're not keeping up with the reading, I will give a pop quiz.
Office Hours and Email
I encourage you to stop by my office hours to discuss any aspect of the course, of literature. I'm happy to answer minor questions such as due dates over email, but I prefer face-to-face conversations for more substantive topics like papers and exams. Please use etiquette in both email and in person.
Technology
The syllabus is available at http://www.faculty.de.gcsu.edu/~ablazer/. We will be using GeorgiaVIEW and TurnItIn for assignments. It is your responsibility to learn GeorgiaView and TurnItIn. Check your university email for course-related messages. I suggest using a a free cloud computing service such as Dropbox, Live Mesh, or Mozy to save your work-in-progress. Students who text or web surf in class will be marked absent.
Attendance
There will be a one letter final grade deduction for every absence beyond three days. Therefore, missing four class periods will result in a one letter final grade deduction and missing seven classes will result in automatic failure of the course. I suggest you use your three days both cautiously and wisely; and make sure you sign the attendance sheets. Habitual tardies, consistently leaving class early, texting, and surfing the internet will be treated as absences. Excuses like work, family, and scheduled doctor's appointments will be declined. The only acceptable excuses are death in one's immediate family and one's own medical emergency. If you participate in an extracurricular activity that you anticipate will cause you to miss class, I suggest you switch sections now. You can check your attendance online by looking for your course number and the last four digits of your student identification number.
MLA Style
Formal assignments should adhere to the Modern Language Association (MLA) style. Formal papers and take-home exams require MLA style while in-class exams; discussion board responses, informal writing, and peer review may be informally formatted. One-third of a letter grade will be deducted from a formal paper or take-home exam for problems in each of the following three categories, for a possible one letter grade deduction total: 1) header, heading, and title, 2) margins, font, and line-spacing, and 3) quotation and citation format. Before you turn in a formal paper, make sure your work follows MLA style by using the checklist on the MLA style handout. I encourage students to use my MS Word template.
Late Assignments
There will be a one letter assignment grade deduction per day (not class period) for any assignment that is turned in late. I sparingly give short extensions if you request one for a valid need at least one day before the assignment is due. I will inform you via email if I cannot open an electronically submitted assignment; however, your assignment will be considered late until you submit it in a file I can open. Failing to submit an assignment that is worth 15% or more of the course grade within five days (not class periods) of its due date will result in automatic failure of the course. Failing to submit a final exam or final paper within two days of its due date will result in automatic failure of the course.
Length Requirements
A formal paper or take-home exam will be penalized one-third of a letter grade if it does not end at least halfway down on the minimum page length while implementing 12 pt Times New Roman font, double-spacing, and 1" margins. Each additional page short of the minimum requirement will result in an a one-third letter grade penalty.
Plagiarism
Do not do it. The Honor Code defines plagiarism as "presenting as one's own work the words or ideas of an author or fellow student. Students should document quotes through quotation marks and footnotes or other accepted citation methods. Ignorance of these rules concerning plagiarism is not an excuse. When in doubt, students should seek clarification from the professor who made the assignment." Section 3.01 of the Academic Affairs Handbook elaborates other examples of academic dishonesty and outlines disciplinary procedures and appeals for academic misconduct. Submitting the same paper in two different courses constitutes academic dishonesty. As plagiarism is not tolerated at GCSU, any student found guilty of willful plagiarism or dishonesty will fail the assignment and the course. Students must submit all formal papers to TurnItIn.com.
Failure of the Course
There are three ways to fail the course: 1) failing to regularly attend class, 2) plagiarizing, 3) failing an assignment that is worth 15% or more of the course grade, be it from poor quality, lateness of submission, or a combination of poor quality and lateness. By contrast, students who regularly attend class, complete their work with academic integrity, and submit assignments on time will pass the course.
Withdrawal
The last day to add a course is Friday, January 14. The last day to drop a course without fee penalty is Wednesday, January 19. The last day to withdraw from all courses without academic penalty (unless previously assigned an F by professor for absences) is Monday, March 7.
Assistance for Student Needs Related to Disability
If you have a disability as described by the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, Section 504, you may be eligible to receive accommodations to assist in programmatic and physical accessibility. Disability Services, a unit of the GCSU Office of Institutional Equity and Diversity, can assist you in formulating a reasonable accommodation plan and in providing support in developing appropriate accommodations to ensure equal access to all GCSU programs and facilities. Course requirements will not be waived, but accommodations may assist you in meeting the requirements. For documentation requirements and for additional information, we recommend that you contact Disability Services located in Maxwell Student Union at 478-445-5931 or 478-445-4233.
The Writing Center
The Writing Center is a free service available to all members of the university community. Consultants assist writers in the writing process, from conception and organization of compositions to revision to documentation of research. Located in Lanier Hall 209, the Center is open Monday through Friday. Call 445-3370 or email writingcr@gcsu.edu for more information.
Fire Drills
Fire drills will be conducted during the semester. In the event of a fire alarm signal, students will exit the building in a quick and orderly manner through the nearest hallway exit. Learn the floor plan and exits of the A & S Building. Do not use elevators. Crawl on the floor if you encounter heavy smoke. Assist disabled persons and others if possible without endangering your own life. Assemble for a head count on front lawn main campus.
This schedule is subject to change, so check back in class and online for possible revisions.
I recommend that you listen to the poets reading their work: [audio].
On days when two poets are assigned, we may not cover both equally.
No Class: Snow Day |
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Hardy, "I looked up from my writing" (Ramazani 60) |
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Definitions of Modernism (GeorgiaVIEW) Ramazani, Introduction (Ramazani xxxvii-lxii) Hardy (Ramazani 41-63) |
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Nelson, "Modern American Poetry" (GeorgiaVIEW) Hopkins (Ramazani 63-82, 873-6) |
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Yeats (Ramazani 90-143, 877-88) |
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Yeats, continued ("Sailing to Byzantium" and "Byzantium") |
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Sassoon (Ramazani 387-93) Owen (Ramazani 523-34, 928-9) |
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Eliot (Ramazani 460-94, 941-53) [audio] |
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Eliot, continued |
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Eliot, continued |
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Pound (Ramazani 345-87, 928-40) [audio] Lowell (Ramazani 198-200, 926-7) Blast (Ramazani 897-20) |
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Pound, continued ("The River Merchant's Wife" and "Lament of the Frontier Guard") |
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Williams (Ramazani 283-317, 954-9) [audio] |
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No Class: Professor at Conference |
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Williams, continued |
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H. D. (Ramazani 393-413) [audio] Moore (Ramazani 430-54, 994-9) |
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Stein (Ramazani 176-97) [audio] Cummings (Ramazani 545-56) |
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Ransom (Ramazani 455-9) Tate (Ramazani 649-54) Riding (Ramazani 665-9) |
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Frost (Ramazani 201-25, 984-5) |
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No Class: Spring Break |
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No Class: Spring Break |
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Crane (Ramazani 604-48, 968-70) |
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Crane, continued |
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Sanders, "The New Negro Renaissance" (GeorgiaVIEW) Toomer (Ramazani 556-61) Brown (Ramazani 669-83) |
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R, 4-7 |
McKay (Ramazani 498-503) Keller, "The Politics of Compromise in Claude McKay's Protest Sonnets" (GeorgiaVIEW) Cullen (Ramazani 726-31) |
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Hughes (Ramazani 684-704, 964-7) [audio] |
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Perloff, "'Barbed-Wire Entanglements': The 'New American Poetry,' 1930-1932" (GeorgiaVIEW) Zukofsky (Ramazani 732-39) [audio] |
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Oppen (Ramazani 833-40) [audio] Reznikoff (Ramazani 537-44) [audio] |
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Niedecker (Ramazani 716-25) Bunting (Ramazani 655-61) [audio] |
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Stevens (Ramazani 235-67, 971-83) [audio] |
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Stevens, "The Snow Man," "The Plain Sense of Things," from "Notes toward a Supreme Fiction" |
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