Dutchess Community College
Dr. Lucia Cherciu
E-mail: cherciu@sunydutchess.edu
Office: Hudson 408 H
Office Phone: 431-8431
ENG. 210-15: Directed Writing of Poetry
Summer 2006
Required Texts and Supplies:
Bishop, Wendy. Thirteen Ways of Looking for a Poem: A Guide to Writing Poetry.
Longman: New York, 2000.
- one pocket dictionary
- one notebook for class notes
- one folder or binder for your portfolio
- loose-leaf college-ruled paper
- two disks
Course Objectives:
- learn to appreciate and analyze poetry both in terms of ideas and technique;
- acquire a vocabulary to articulate your understanding and interpretation of poetry;
- write poems of your own and learn to revise them through a collaborative process
of peer critique;
- experiment with various poetic conventions from fixed form to free verse;
- learn how to workshop a poem in constructive and supportive ways;
- reflect on your writing and present your work in a portfolio format;
- start to explore publication venues.
REQUIREMENTS
1. The Portfolio consists of a collection of your revised writing which will be submitted
on Tuesday, June 20. No late portfolios are accepted. The portfolio should include the
following elements:
 a self-reflective cover letter of at least two pages or 600 words, where you
introduce your work and describe the process you went through in writing and
revising the included material;
 at least seven complete, revised poems: while we work on generating new
material during each class, the second part of the course will concentrate
especially on revision. At least one of the poems should be the product of a
workshop session;
 all the invention exercises.
2. The Writing Log is the place where usually writers record their ideas for new poems,
reflect on their writing process, and generate new material. Typically, I will ask you to
write new entries in class on an assigned topic or to do some focused freewriting. The
writing log will be graded according to the number of entries, depth of analysis and
insight. An entry should be at least 300 typed words. I will check the log several times
during the semester.
3. The Workshop: each writer will workshop at least one poem. During one class you
are responsible for bringing to share one poem that is in some stage of completion, with
enough copies for all the participants. Listen carefully and take notes while the other
students give you feedback.
COURSE POLICIES
Attendance and Participation: your success in this class depends on regular attendance
and active participation. Faithful attendance in class is expected by the English and
Humanities Department and by this instructor. Students with excessive absences (one
class or more) will miss so much work that they risk failing the course. Coming to class
late three times counts as one absence.
Note: All the students have the civil right to learn. Any disruptive or rude behavior, such
as speaking out of turn and interrupting the class will be documented and will affect your
participation grade.
Late Work Penalty: materials not handed in by the beginning of the class specified in
the schedule lose 20% of the grade for that project. Any exceptions from this rule should
be documented and negotiated with the professor in advance.
Plagiarism refers to presenting someone else’s ideas and words as your own, both
intentionally and accidentally. Using someone else’s poems is equally punished. You
may not submit any poems or parts of projects you have written for some other class.
Unlawful collaboration constitutes plagiarism as well. The consequences of plagiarism
range from failing the course to disciplinary probation and expulsion.
Grading: use the following table to compute your grade:
Assignment
Class Participation
Writing Log
Workshop
Portfolio
TOTAL
A
B+
BC
F
930-1,000
870-899
800-829
700-769
0 -599
Due Day
June 15
June 20
A- 900-929
B 830-869
C+ 770-799
D
600-699
Total Points
200
200
100
500
1000
Your Points