LIT 205-01: Introduction to Poetry
Summer II, 2003
Tue. & Thu. 8:00-11:30, Acad 108
Brian T. Murphy
Parker 319-V, Ext. 7318
bmurphy@bcc.edu
http://staff.bcc.edu/bmurphy
DESCRIPTION:
This course will be divided into four parts: What poetry is and how it differs from other literary forms; how it evolved (the
tradition of poetry); what special skills are needed to understand it; and what purpose it serves in a utilitarian culture.
Students in this course will read, analyze and discuss poems.
This is an introductory course in poetry and poetic expressions; however, it is assumed that students have successfully
completed the prerequisites for this course, English 101 and English 102, or their equivalent. Therefore, students are
expected to have the necessary background and experience in analyzing, discussing, and responding to literature, as well
as the ability to conduct independent research and to write correctly documented research essays using MLA format.
OBJECTIVES:
At the conclusion of this course, students will be able to:
1. Demonstrate the ability to read with understanding and perception while specifically demonstrating the skills
necessary to analyze works of poetry for thematic content;
2. Recognize the relationship between the genre of poetry and the interpreted messages;
3. Write critical explications of literary works;
4. Communicate literary analyses with clarity and effectiveness.
TEXTS:
Required: Hunter, J. Paul. and Alison Booth, eds. The Norton Introduction to Poetry, Eighth Edition. New York: W. W.
Norton, 2002.* (Students may instead utilize The Norton Introduction to Literature, 8 ed. Eds. Jerome Beaty and J. Paul
Hunter. New York: W. W. Norton, 2002.)
Recommended: Hult, Christine A. and Thomas N. Huckin. The New Century Handbook, 2 ed. Boston: Allyn and Bacon,
2002; The New Century Handbook, Brief Edition. Boston: Allyn and Bacon, 2001; or any college-level English handbook
covering grammar, research writing, and documentation using MLA format.
Supplemental readings and materials may be assigned at the instructor’s discretion.
*Note that all poems for the semester are available online, as indicated by links. However, students must have a copy of
the appropriate text(s) with them for each class session, whether they have purchased the textbook or printed out
hardcopy from the Internet; no excuses about computer or printer problems will be accepted. In addition, a large number
of recommended readings are available in the textbook, but not readily available online.
CLASS POLICIES:
Attendance:
Students must not only attend every class, but also be on time, be prepared, and take an active part in class (see
Participation, below). According to the College Catalog, "Students are expected to attend all class, clinical, laboratory,
and studio sessions for the full duration of each instructional session." Moreover, once you get to class you are expected to
stay in the classroom until the class is over. Leaving class early or getting up in the middle of class is considered
disruptive behavior and should happen only in extreme emergencies. Students will be required to sign in each class
session, to verify their attendance. Students who end the semester with Perfect Attendance (never absent, never late) will
receive an additional 5 points (Extra Credit!!!) on their final grades.
Students unable to attend class should contact the instructor regarding missed work as soon as they return to school.
Excessive absences or repeated tardiness will result in a lowered grade and may result in failure of the course at the
instructor's discretion.
Plagiarism and Cheating:
Plagiarism includes copying or paraphrasing another's words, ideas, or facts without crediting the source; submitting a
paper written by someone else, either in whole or in part, as one's own work; or submitting work previously submitted for
another course or instructor. Plagiarism or cheating on any assignment will result in failure for that assignment and may
result in further disciplinary action, including but not limited to failure for the course and expulsion from the College.
Please refer to the Student Handbook for additional information regarding plagiarism and College regulations.
Homework/Essay Submission:
All writing assignments must be submitted on or before the due date; late work will not be accepted except under
extraordinary circumstances; work submitted after deadlines will receive a grade reduction of 10% for each day it is late.
ASSIGNMENTS:
Attendance and Participation (10%):
As this class will combine both lecture and discussion, students are expected to take an active part in class—joining in
discussions and raising questions. Discussion is one of the best ways to clarify your understandings and to test your
conclusions. Stanley Fish maintains that a text's meaning is determined by consensus among a community of readers;
therefore, it is imperative that all students participate regularly in order that we may together discover what each selection
"means". Open discussion always involves personal exposure, and thus the taking of risks: your ideas may not be the same
as your fellow students’ or even the instructor’s. Yet as long as your points are honest and supportable, they need to be
respected by all of us in the classroom. Questions, discussion, disagreement, and laughter are all encouraged in this class.
(However, ridicule or scoffing is never tolerated.)
Quizzes (10%):
With the exception of the first day, class may begin with a short (5- to 10-minute) quiz or writing assignment on the
readings for the day, at the instructor's discretion. Quizzes or response papers missed due to tardiness may not be made up.
Presentations (20%):
At the beginning of the semester, all students will select at least one of the works from the list provided to present to the
class; each presentation must be ten to fifteen minutes long, and demonstrate familiarity with the selection, its context, and
its significance. Ideally, presentations will also be open-ended, leading into class discussions with questions, major
themes, or topics for further thought.
Essays (2 @ 15%):
Students will complete at least two essays during the semester, on assigned topics. Essays must be at least 5 pages long
(1250-1500 words), typed, double-spaced, grammatically correct, and submitted on or before the due date. In addition,
essays must include a cover page and Works Cited page (at least three sources), and use MLA format for documentation.
Essays will be evaluated according to the Rubric for Essay Grading Standards (attached).
Exams (2 @ 15%):
Students will complete two ninety-minute exams: an in-class midterm during the first half of the sixth class, and a final
during the second half of the last class. These exams will each evaluate students' recognition and comprehension of
material studied during the previous weeks, covering specific texts, literary themes, and cultural and historical
backgrounds. The exams will combine objective questions and short essay answers. Students may be entitled to use notes
or textbooks for the essay portion of the exams only.
GRADING:
Final grades will be determined as follows:
Final Average will determine the grade received:
Attendance/Class Participation
10%
Final Percentage
Quizzes/Response Papers
10%
90-100
A
Presentation
20%
85-89
B+
Essays (2 @ 15%)
30%
80-84
B
Midterm Exam
15%
75-79
C+
Final Exam
15%
70-74
C
60-69
D
0-59
F
Extra Credit (if any) will be added to the final total.
Final Grade
SCHEDULE:
Projected Schedule of Readings and Assignments (This schedule is subject to revision)
Note: All readings below are required, and must be completed by the day indicated; the only exceptions are those
indicated with an asterisk (*), which are recommended additional readings.
Tuesday, July 8: Introduction
What is Poetry? Introduction to Poetic Analysis; Selections for Class Presentations
Introductory Poems: William Shakespeare, "[Shall I Compare Thee to a Summer's Day?]" (22); anonymous,
"[There was a young lady of Riga]" (198); Hashin, "[No sky and no earth]" (350); William Carlos Williams,
“The Red Wheelbarrow” (135); e.e. cummings, “[l(a]” (271); Lewis Carroll, "Jabberwocky" and "Humpty
Dumpty Explicates 'Jabberwocky'" (handout); *Carol Lin, "Language and Structure in Sharon Olds's 'The
Victims'" (247-249); *"Writing about Poetry" (A1-A46)
Thursday, July 10: Poems About Art and Poetry
John Keats, "On the Sonnet" (256); John Keats, "Ode on a Grecian Urn" (303); Archibald Macleish, "Ars
Poetica" (270); Marianne Moore, ""Poetry”" (266-7) [* see also 1925 & 1967 versions (451-2)]; Ishmael
Reed, "beware: do not read this poem" (268-269); Adrienne Rich, "Diving Into The Wreck" (184-186);
Wallace Stevens, “Anecdote Of The Jar” (464-465); *Christine Woodside, "Metrical Variation and Meaning in
'To the Memory of Mr. Oldham'" (220-222)
Tuesday, July 15: Love Poetry
Thomas Wyatt, "They Flee from Me" (77); Christopher Marlowe, "The Passionate Shepherd to his Love"
(345-346); Sir Walter Ralegh, "The Nymph's Reply to the Shepherd" (354); William Shakespeare, “[Let me
not to the marriage of true minds]” (17); John Donne, "The Sun Rising" (481-482); John Donne, "A
Valediction: Forbidding Mourning" (482); Robert Herrick, "Delight in Disorder" (143); Margaret
Cavendish, Duchess of Newcastle, “Of the Theme of Love” (136); *Meaghan E. Parker, "Tragedy in Five
Stanzas: 'Woodchucks'" (290-294)
Thursday, July 17: Love Poetry continued; Essay 1 Due
John Donne, "The Flea" (89-90); Andrew Marvell, "To His Coy Mistress" (100-101); Elizabeth Barrett Browning,
"How Do I Love Thee?" (2); Denise Levertov, "Wedding-Ring" (7); Sharon Olds, "Sex Without Love" (133); Linda
Pastan, "love poem" (4-5); Adrienne Rich, “[My mouth hovers across your breasts]” (323)
Tuesday, July 22: Poems of Age, Death, and Mourning
William Shakespeare, "[That Time of Year thou mayst in me Behold]" (159); Edna St. Vincent Millay, "[What lips my
lips have kissed] (Sonnet XIX)" (18); Roger McCough, “Here I Am” (509); Ben Jonson, "On My First Son" (9); John
Donne, “Death, be not proud” (481); Henry King, "Sic Vita" (170); Emily Dickinson, "[Because I could not stop for
Death, ]" (477)
Thursday, July 24: Poems of Age, Death, and Mourning continued; Midterm Exam
Gerard Manley Hopkins, “Spring and Fall” (205-206); Dylan Thomas, "Do Not Go Gentle Into That Good Night"
(266); Walt Whitman, "When Lilacs Last in the Dooryard Bloom'd" (540-547); W. H. Auden, "In Memory of W. B.
Yeats" (244-245); W. H. Auden, "Funeral Blues [Stop all the clocks, cut off the telephone]" (16); Seamus Heaney,
"Mid-Term Break" (11); Margaret Atwood, "Death of a Young Son by Drowning" (65)
Tuesday, July 29: Religious Poetry
John Donne, "Batter my heart, three-person'd God" (167-168); George Herbert, "The Collar" (285); George Herbert,
"Easter Wings" (274); William Cowper, “Light Shining out of Darkness” (476-477); Matthew Arnold, "Dover Beach"
(96-97); Gerard Manley Hopkins, "The Windhover" (500); Gerard Manley Hopkins, "God's Grandeur" (500);
Wallace Stevens, "Sunday Morning" (527-530); Howard Nemerov, “Boom!” (340-342)
Thursday, July 31: Poems About Identity
Alfred, Lord Tennyson, "Ulysses" (534-535); Walt Whitman, “[I celebrate myself, and sing myself]” (83); Walt
Whitman, "I Hear America Singing" (540); Walt Whitman, "A Noiseless Patient Spider" (546); Robert Frost, "The
Road Not Taken" (489); Langston Hughes, "Theme For English B" (502-503); Audre Lorde, "Hanging Fire" (76)
Tuesday, August 5: War Poetry
Richard Lovelace, “Song: To Lucasta, Going to the Wars” (392); Thomas Hardy, "Channel Firing" (375-376); Wilfred
Owen, "Dulce et Decorum Est" (386); Wilfred Owen, "Disabled " (392-3); Randall Jarrell, "The Death Of The Ball
Turret Gunner" (169); Richard Eberhart, "The Fury of Aerial Bombardment" (387); Seamus Heaney, "Punishment"
(388-389); Sharon Olds, “Leningrad Cemetery, Winter of 1941” (174-5); Mary Jo Salter, "Welcome to Hiroshima"
(381-2)
Thursday, August 7: Selected Modern and Contemporary Poems; Essay 2 Due
T. S. Eliot, "The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock" (485-489); W. B. Yeats, "The Second Coming" (556); W. B. Yeats,
"Leda And The Swan " (557); e. e. cummings, “[in Just-]” (138-139); William Carlos Williams, "This Is Just To Say"
(135); Robert Frost, "Design" (286); Margaret Atwood, "Siren Song" (99-100); Billy Collins, “Taking Off Emily
Dickinson’s Clothes” (475-476)
Tuesday, August 12: Race and Gender
Paul Laurence Dunbar, “Sympathy” (483); Claude McKay, “America” (382); Countee Cullen, “Yet Do I Marvel”
(263); Langston Hughes, "I, Too, Sing America" (502); Claude McKay, “The White House” (382); Langston Hughes,
"Harlem (A Dream Deferred)" (383); James Emanuel, “Emmett Till” (374); Dudley Randall, “Ballad of Birmingham”
(387-388); Gwendolyn Brooks, “To the Diaspora” (472-473); Pat Mora, “La Migra” (80-81)
Thursday, August 14: Race and Gender continued; Final Exam
Mary, Lady Chudleigh, “To the Ladies” (21); Edna St. Vincent Millay, "[I, being born a woman...]" (403); Dorothy
Livesay, “Other” (171-2); Sylvia Plath, "Lady Lazarus" (519-521); Paulette Jiles, “Paper Matches” (400); Marge
Piercy, “Barbie Doll” (26); *"Critical Contexts: A Poetry Casebook" (411-442)
PRESENTATION TOPICS:
Select one of the work(s) or topic(s) from the sign-up sheet to present to the class; you must be present on the day of your
assigned reading and present the material thoroughly and coherently, demonstrating familiarity with the selection, its
context, and its significance. Each presentation must be ten to fifteen minutes long, and, ideally, presentations will also be
open-ended, leading into class discussions with questions, major themes, or topics for further thought. The following
points may be covered, but do not feel constrained by these suggestions; be creative and have fun.



The Author...
o Major achievements and publications in literature
o Consistent themes or topics
o Sources of inspiration
o Philosophy of art, life, literature
o Autobiographical elements of the poem
The Text...
o Structure (including meter and rhyme scheme, or the lack of them) and form
o Tone
o Speaker or narrative voice and its impact on the work
o Language (including figurative language or imagery, diction, and allusions)
o Plot (if any), its actions and occurrences
o Key characters or actors, conflicts, crises and resolutions
o Setting and its significance to the plot and theme
o Interpretation of key lines or passages
o Contextual and historical usage of words or phrases
o Analytical statement of Theme or message
Connections...
o Images, motifs, or themes reflected in other works
o Impact on literature or influence on other authors
o Possible thematic comparisons for use during critical literary analysis
o Topics for further class discussion and in-class examinations
ESSAY TOPICS:
For each of the assigned essays, a list of topic choices is provided. Your essay must be on one of the assigned topics for
that assignment, or it will receive a zero (0).
Essays must be typed, double-spaced, and grammatically correct; essays will be evaluated according to the rubric for
Essay Grading Standards. In addition, essays must use a minimum of three authoritative sources (primary and/or
secondary), properly documented (utilizing MLA-Style Citations for documentation), with a cover page and Works Cited
page (cover page and Works Cited do not count toward the five-page requirement).
Your essay should not be limited to repetition of class discussion, but should include independent research (both primary
and secondary sources) and analysis and demonstrate careful thought. Your essay should explore the work's (or works')
tone, speaker, language (including figurative language or imagery, diction, and allusions) and structure (including meter
and rhyme scheme, or the lack of them), and explain how these are interrelated and how they shape or influence meaning.
Please read the Appendix to your textbook, "Writing about Poetry" (A1-A46) or "Writing about Literature", before
beginning your essays, and also read the sample student essays: Christine Woodside, "Metrical Variation and Meaning in
'To the Memory of Mr. Oldham'" (220-222), Carol Lin, "Language and Structure in Sharon Olds's 'The Victims'" (247249), and Meaghan E. Parker, "Tragedy in Five Stanzas: 'Woodchucks'" (290-294). "Critical Contexts: A Poetry
Casebook" (411-442) also provides useful examples of literary criticism to utilize as models.
Remember that these are formal essays: in your analyses, do not attempt to address all aspects of the poem, but carefully
focus your topic; avoid merely paraphrasing the poem or covering each of the elements of the poem in the order presented
by the assignment, below; formulate a clear, explicit, assertive (persuasive), objectively-worded thesis statement; and
avoid use of "I" or "you" throughout.
All essays must be submitted on or before the due date, by the beginning of the class period. Late work will not be
accepted.
Essay 1: Due Thursday, 17 July
Answer one of the following questions in a well-developed, coherent, and thoughtful essay of at least 5 pages (1250-1500
words). Support your answers with specific references to the work(s).
1.
Select two of the poems from the syllabus about Love, Age, Death, or Mourning, written or published at least fifty
years apart, and compare and contrast the way the two treat the same theme. Your analysis should establish a clear
connection between the two poems, beyond merely "They both discuss love" or "both refer to death"; rather, the
connection should be based on similarities in situation, structure, language, imagery, et cetera.
2.
Select one of the poems from the syllabus about Love, or about Age, Death, and Mourning, and a set of lyrics from a
song (ca. 1960-2000) on the same theme, and compare and contrast the way the two treat the same theme. Your
analysis should establish a clear connection between the poem and the song you choose, beyond merely "They both
discuss love" or "both refer to death"; rather, the connection should be based on similarities in situation, structure,
language, imagery, et cetera.
3.
Select one of the poems from the syllabus and analyze how it challenges or calls into question our culture's beliefs or
myths about "Art" or poetry, love, marriage or relationships between men and women, or death. If the poem you
select had already been discussed in class, be sure to present original analysis and ideas, supported by your research,
rather than merely paraphrasing class discussions.
Essay 2: Due Thursday, 7 August
Answer one of the following questions in a well-developed, coherent, and thoughtful essay of at least 5 pages (1250-1500
words). Support your answers with specific references to the work(s).
1.
Select two of the poems from the syllabus about about War, Race, or Gender, written or published at least fifty years
apart, and compare and contrast the way the two treat the same theme. Your analysis should establish a clear
connection between the two poems, beyond merely "They both discuss love" or "both refer to death"; rather, the
connection should be based on similarities in situation, structure, language, imagery, et cetera.
2.
Select one of the poems from the syllabus about War, Race, or Gender, and a set of lyrics from a song (ca. 19602000) on the same theme, and compare and contrast the two. Your analysis should establish a clear connection
between the poem and the song you choose, beyond merely "They both discuss war" of "both refer to gender"; rather,
the connection should be based on similarities in situation, structure, language, imagery, et cetera.
3.
Select one of the poems from the syllabus and analyze how it challenges or calls into question our culture's beliefs or
myths about the nature of religious experience, the nature and causes of war, race and culture, or gender roles. If the
poem you select had already been discussed in class, be sure to present original analysis and ideas, supported by your
research, rather than merely paraphrasing class discussions.
ESSAY GRADING STANDARDS
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CONTENT
ORGANIZATION
SENTENCE
CONSTRUCTION &
STYLE
It has a significant thesis, It is planned logically and The sentences are skillfully
clearly defined and
progresses in clearly
constructed, effective, and
supported with substantial ordered and necessary
varied. Words used are
and relevant information. steps. It is developed with vivid, accurate, and
The essay includes a
originality and attention to original. The writing is
wealth of details,
proportion and emphasis. without serious flaws in
examples, or imagery.
The paragraphs are
grammar or mechanics. A
logically and effectively
personal style is evident.
developed. The transitions
between paragraphs are
effecti
Thesis is apparent but
perhaps too general or
commonplace. It is
supported with some
proof, but it may be
sketchy or occasionally
irrelevant. The content
may be thin, although
some generalizations may
be supported with
examples.
The plan of development
is apparent but not
consistently followed. The
writing lacks clarity or is
repetitious. The
paragraphs are generally
effective, but transitions
may be weak or
mechanical.
The sentences are
correctly constructed but
lack distinction, creativity,
or style. Words are
generally used correctly,
and the vocabulary is
adequate. There may be
some lapses in usage,
grammar, punctuation, or
spelling.
The thesis is lacking or is
only implied, confused, or
not supported with
appropriate detail. The
writing is thin, with few
concrete examples or
illustrations to support the
generalizations.
The plan and purpose of
the essay are not apparent.
It is not developed or is
developed with some
irrelevancy or redundancy.
The paragraphs are
incoherent or
undeveloped. Transitions
are weak or lacking.
Often, sentences are not
grammatically correct. The
vocabulary is elementary,
not college level. Words
are used incorrectly. There
are persistent usage,
spelling, or punctuation
problems.