Introduction to Poetry: ENG 106
Term: Fall 2013
Instructor: F. Barrionuevo
Section 01: MWF, 8:00-8:50am
Section 02: MWF, 9:00-9:50am
Classroom: Bryn 204
Office: Curry 102
Mailbox: 3317
Office Hours:
MW: 1:00pm to 2:30pm
& by appointment
Email: f_barrio@uncg.edu
COURSE DESCRIPTION
The American poet Robert Frost once stated that poetry occurs “when an emotion has found its
thought and the thought has found words.” In this course, we’ll take an in-depth look at how poets are
able to capture emotion. We’ll study verse forms as they were first invented and practiced centuries ago,
and then we’ll also see how traditional forms have evolved with contemporary interpretations. In addition,
we’ll explore the tools poets use to create formal and free verse. While developing our core skills, we will
learn how to analyze a poem by asking questions. How does form impact meaning? What is the difference
between speaker and persona? Do free verse poems indicate “anything goes”; if not what does that tell us
of the conventions of poetry? What is a poem? Throughout the course, we’ll be open to a variety of
subject matter as we study poems that operate in narrative, dramatic, and/or lyric modes. And while
building a foundation as a class, understanding poetic terms and structure of poems whether it be free
verse or form, we’ll learn that the meaning of poetry is not to elude us but to enlighten. The goal is that by
the end of the semester, we’ll be more equipped to enjoy, understand, and analyze poems as we encounter
them in higher-level courses or through our own reading.
Introduction to Poetry (3:3) GE Core: GLT / Critical reading and analysis of British and American lyric,
dramatic, and narrative poetry. Attention to historical, cultural, and literary backgrounds as appropriate.
Student Learning Goals (SLOs)
At the completion of this course, students will be able to:
1. Demonstrate the reading skill required for the student of literary texts.
2. Identify and/or describe some of the varied characteristics of literary texts.
3. Demonstrate orally, in writing, or by some other means, a fundamental ability to use some of the
techniques and/or methods of literary analysis.
4. Identify and/or describe some of the various social, historical, cultural, and/or theoretical contexts in
which literary texts have been written and interpreted.
Required Texts




A Book of Luminous Things: An International Anthology of Poetry, by Czeslaw Milosz;
Harcourt; ISBN: 978-0-15-600574-6
The Making of a Poem: A Norton Anthology of Poetic Forms, by Mark Strand & Eavan Boland;
W.W. Norton; ISBN-13: 978-0-393-32178-4
Lenses: Perspectives on Literature, by Scott Thomas Gibson, Tammy Lancaster, and Summer C.
Sparks; Hayden-McNeil; ISBN 978-0-7380-5105-5
Readings on Blackboard, as assigned.
1
Other Requirements





Access to Blackboard, UNCG email, word-processing software, and a printer.
Access to an electronic device (computer, CD player, etc.) with audio capabilities.
A folder to keep handouts, assignments, and readings.
Notebook paper and writing utensil for notes, quizzes, and in-class assignments.
Bluebooks for both exams. (Two total.)
Blackboard

You are required to print Blackboard readings and bring them to class. We cannot have
useful discussions of texts without the texts in front of us. I will not have extra copies of readings
assigned on Blackboard.

You are required to check Blackboard before every class. Any updates to the syllabus or
homework assignments will be posted to Blackboard. If you are absent, it is your responsibility to
check Blackboard and keep up with readings and class discussions. Bring ALL daily readings
(books & Blackboard print-outs) to class.
GRADING
Evaluation:
Participation & Discussion Questions
Mid-term exam
Final exam
Five page Paper
20%
25%
25%
30%
Grading Scale:
A = 93-100
A - = 90-92
B+ = 87-89
C = 73-76
C- = 70-72
D+ = 67-69
B = 83-86
B- = 80-82
C+ = 77-79
D = 63-66
D- = 60-62
F = <59
1. Participation & Discussion Questions (20%):
Much of the learning in this class is discussion-oriented, a result of student interaction in classroom
conversations and in-class writing participation. To ensure you receive credit, you need to participate
regularly in all discussions and course activities. Participation in class provides the opportunity to explore
and expand upon analytical, evidence-building, and argument-building techniques. Other components of
class participation include group work, in class writing, discussion question development, homework,
discussion based on homework, and other assignments. Included in your participation grade, I reserve
the right to quiz you, to better access your understanding of the text.
Active participation also includes bringing all assigned materials to class, whether appropriate books or
printouts of readings of essays. Your final grade will reflect any inappropriate behavior in class,
including, but not limited to, tardiness, unpreparedness, and disrespect.
Discussion Questions: Students must sign up for a poem on the first day of class and be prepared on
that day to bring in a discussion question that will be used to get conversation moving in the
classroom. For the first few classes, I will model these for you, so you understand what I am looking
for. After that, you will bring your question to class and ask it at the beginning of the discussion as
to foster a good discussion.
2
2. Five-Page Paper (30%):
I will be assigning a 5-6 page paper that will ask you to perform a close reading of a single poem. I will
select a list of 8-10 poems from A Book of Luminous Things that you can choose from in order to write
your close reading. The purpose of this paper will be to both apply the terms and poetic techniques that
we have talked about in class and to construct an argument about the text’s theme, persona, voice ,etc..
This paper must adhere to the Academic Integrity Policy and to the Submission Guidelines listed below:
Submissions Guidelines for Written Work
These apply to any written assignments.
 Must be typed in 12-point Times New Roman or Cambria font.
 Formatted for 8 ½” x 11” paper with one-inch margins.
 All papers should be double-spaced.
 Include your name, ENG 106, Section number, and date in your paper’s heading.
 All work must follow MLA style guidelines. (see MLA STYLE).
 No late work is accepted.
Plagiarism & Academic Integrity
“Academic integrity is founded upon and encompasses the following five values: honesty, trust, fairness,
respect, and responsibility. Violations include, for example, cheating, plagiarism, misuse of academic
resources, falsification, and facilitating academic dishonesty. If knowledge is to be gained and properly
evaluated, it must be pursued under conditions free from dishonesty. Deceit and misrepresentations are
incompatible with the fundamental activity of this academic institution and shall not be tolerated” (from
UNCG’s Academic Integrity Policy).
To ensure that you understand the university’s policy on academic integrity, review the guidelines and list
of violations at http://academicintegrity.uncg.edu. I expect you to abide by the Academic Integrity Policy
on all course assignments and tests.
Sanctions for Violating the Academic Integrity Policy: Any instance of plagiarism will result in failure
of the assignment and may result in failure of the course. A second offense of any kind will result in
failure of the course. Plagiarism cases will be reported to University administration and will be
thoroughly investigated, resulting in any (or all) of the following: 1) failure of the assignment, 2) failure
of the course, 3) suspension/expulsion from the University, upon recommendation from administration. In
my experience, most students who violate the Academic Integrity Policy do it because they’re stressed
and very busy, and see this as an “easy out” to being overworked. It’s not worth ending your college
career over, so please don’t try it.
3. Mid-term Exam (25 %) and Final Exam (25%)
Both the Midterm and Final will consist of passages that you must identify and be able to perform a
detailed 1 to 2 paragraph close reading of, using the terms we have discussed in class. The Midterm will
include excerpts from passages we have read from the beginning of class until the midterm, while the
final will consist solely of readings from the midterm until the final.
3
CLASSROOM POLICIES
Attendance
Daily attendance is a requirement for this course. Students are allowed a maximum of four absences
without a grade penalty. For every absence beyond those allowed, students will be penalized one-half
letter grade. Students who have eight absences will fail the course.
Excused absences will be considered only with proper documentation (i.e., doctor’s note, police report,
etc.) If you plan to miss class because of a conflict that cannot be rearranged (i.e. sports event, jury duty,
etc.), you must notify me 48 hours in advance of your absence via email: f_barrio@uncg.edu
Be on time to class. Your participation grade will suffer if you are perpetually late. Three late arrivals
(defined as coming in after attendance has been taken) will count as an absence toward your total. It is
your responsibility to come prepared to the class that follows your absence.
Religious Holidays: You are, by state law, allowed two excused absences due to religious holidays, which
do not count toward your total. If you plan to miss class because of religious holidays, you must notify me
48 hours in advance of your absence via email: f_barrio@uncg.edu
Technology
Turn your phones OFF during class. Even phones on vibrate are disruptive. Your participation grade will
suffer if you are receiving calls, texting, charging, or using your phone’s browser during class. If, on any
given day, you need access to your phone for an emergency, you must approach me about it prior to the
beginning of class. If problems persist after initial warnings, your final grade will be affected.
Laptops may be used only by students with a special need for purposes of note-taking or other classroom
activities. Students with such a need should make specific arrangements with me prior to the second week
of class. No student may use a laptop in class without a prior arrangement with the instructor. See
SPECIAL ACCOMODATIONS.
Respect
Mutual respect is required for this class and for all related interactions with the instructor and other
students. This includes but is not limited to: texting (see CELL PHONES policy), sleeping, speaking
while the instructor or another student is talking, and/or using language that is sexist, racist, or
homophobic. If I deem any student disrespectful in my class, I reserve the right to ask you to leave the
classroom, in which case you will receive an absence.
Email Response Policy
I will make every effort to respond to your email message within 48 hours. If I have not replied to your
message after 48 hours, please re-send the message. Please also mention your course section in your
email, preferably in the subject line. Secondly, I will not argue a grade with you over email. If you want
to argue for a higher/lower grade, you must come to office hours with the rubric and an argument as to
why I should alter your grade.
4
LEARNING SUPPORT
Office of Accessibility Resources & Services
Students with documentation of special needs should arrange to see me about accommodations as soon as
possible. If you believe you could benefit from such accommodations, you must first register with the
Office of Accessibility Resources and Services on campus before such accommodations before such
accommodations can be made. The office is located on the second floor of the Elliot University Center
(EUC) in Suite 215, and the office is open 8 am to 5 pm, Monday-Friday. Telephone: 334-5440; e-mail:
oars@uncg.edu
Writing Center
The purpose of the Writing Center is to enhance the confidence and competence of student writers by
providing free, individual assistance at any stage of any writing project. Staff consultants are experienced
writers and alert readers, prepared to offer feedback and suggestions on drafts of papers, help students
find answers to their questions about writing, and provide one-on-one instruction as needed. Located in
the Moore Humanities and Research Building, room 3211. The Writing Center also conducts walk-ins,
scheduled appointments, and online consultations as well.
Speaking Center
The University Speaking Center provides consultation support and instructional workshop services
designed to help speakers further develop their own oral communication confidence and competence. The
staff provides peer-to-peer feedback, guidance, and other support in the areas of public speaking
preparation and delivery, interpersonal communication, and group or team communication. Located along
with the Writing Center in 3211 MHRA. Those seeking to utilize our consultation services need to
arrange for their appointment to take place not closer than two days before their final presentation.
Instructor
I am available to meet with you during my regularly scheduled office hours to discuss your papers,
grades, and/or concerns about the class. If your schedule is not conducive with my office hours, I am also
available by appointment. Please email me at f_barrio@uncg.edu to request a meeting. Include possible
meeting times as well as what you would like to discuss.
5
CLASS SCHEDULE
*Subject to change at the instructor’s discretion. Changes will be announced in class and on Blackboard. Weekly
quizzes not listed; they will be announced in class and on Blackboard.
COURSE READINGS KEY:
Bb = See Blackboard under Course Documents
MoP = The Making of a Poem Anthology
BolT = A Book of Luminous Things
Lenses = Lenses: Perspectives on Literature
Section I: The Basics & Form
Week 1: The Basics
8.19 Mon.
Readings:
In Class:
Course introduction & review of syllabus.
Sign-up sheet for Discussion Questions.
8.21 Wed.
Readings:
Bolt: Introduction by Czeslaw Milosz; Mayes, “The Discovery
of Poetry” Sources and Approaches
Narrative and Dramatic
Write a 2-3 paragraph history of your comfort level with reading
poetry. Feel free to discuss any poems or poets that have stood out
to you prior to joining this class, and/or your reasons for taking this
course.
Terms:
Assignment:
MoP: The Villanelle (3-8); Bishop, “One Art” (11-12); “CloseUp of a Villanelle” (19-20); Thomas, “Do not Go Gentle Into
That Good Night” (12)
Terms:
MoP: Villanelle, Stanza
*Add/Drop Ends
8.23 Fri.
Readings:
8.26 Mon.
Readings:
Week 2: The Stanza
Discussion:
Lenses: Chapter 1: To Read is to Write; Bb: Unpacking a
Poem; Printed Sample Analysis
How to Write about Literature?
8.28 Wed.
Readings:
MoP: The Sestina (21-24); Pound, “Sestina: Altaforte” (34-35);
Close-Up of a Sestina” (41-42) Bb: Handout on more
contemporary forms of the Sestina
8.30 Fri.
Readings:
MoP: The Stanza (136-140); Dickinson, “I died for Beauty---but
was scarce”; Close-Up on The Stanza (154-155); Hayden,
“Those Winter Sundays”; Blake, “The Tyger”; Lenses; Chapter 3:
Reading through Genre (Pg. 25); Poetry (Pg.26)
MoP: Enjambment, Caesura, Stanza, Heterometric Stanza,
Isometric Stanza)
Terms:
6
Week 3: The Turn
9.2 Mon.
No Class
9.4 Wed.
*(cont’d) Reviewing Key Elements
Readings:
Lenses: Chapter 6 The Sounds and Structures of Poetry –
Form and Structure (Pg. 74); Bb: Handout on poetry’s different
forms and structures
In Class:
Recognizing key elements
9.6 Fri.
Readings:
Terms:
MoP: The Sonnet (55-57); Keats, “Bright Star” (62); Millay,
“What lips my lips have kissed, and where, and why”(64);
Shakespeare, “Shall I compare thee to a summer’s day”(59); Bb:
Claude McKay, “America”; Bb: Structural Principles: The
Example of the Sonnet
MoP: Petrarchan Sonnet, Shakespearean Sonnet, Octave,
Sestet
Week 4: Meter
9.9 Mon.
*(cont’d) Class on Sonnets
Readings:
Bb: Handout on the various forms of sonnets; MoP: Heaney, “The
Haw Lantern” (68); Johnson, “Heat” (68-69)
Terms:
MoP: Petrarchan Sonnet, Shakespearean Sonnet, Octave,
Sestet
In Class:
(Group Work) Students will have to identify elements of a
Sonnet.
9.11 Wed.
Readings:
Terms:
In Class:
9.13 Fri.
Readings:
Terms:
Bb: Fussel “The Nature of Meter”; Handout on “The Examples
of Meter”; MoP: Meter at a Glance (159-160);
(Terms in above, i.e. iamb, foot, tetrameter, pentameter, etc.)
Metrical exercises in class.
MoP: Blank Verse (101-105); Milton, excerpt from Paradise
Lost (107- 108); Frost, “Directive” (113-114); Bb: Handout
On Meter
MoP: Blank Verse, Iambic Pentameter
Epic, Dramatic, &Lyric
Week 5: Rhyme
9.16 Mon.
Readings:
Terms:
9.18 Wed.
MoP: The Ballad (73-78); Merwin, “Ballad of John Cable and
Three Gentlemen” (95-98); Wilde, from “The Balllad of Reading
Goal” (86-87); Bb: Handout of examples of each type of
Rhyme
Internal Rhyme, Rhyme Scheme, Perfect & Imperfect
Rhyme
*The Ballad (cont’d)
Readings:
Lenses: Chapter 2: Writing About Literature. Bb: Printed
Sample Analyses
7
Discussion:
In Class:
How to Write about Literature?
A close reading with the entire class on a shared text.
9.20 Fri.
*How to Write about Literature (cont’d)
Readings:
BolT: People Among People (175 – 179); Whitman, From
“The Sleepers” (202); Olds “I Go Back to May 1937” (207 -206);
that belong to the people
9.23 Mon.
Readings:
Week 6: Sound
Terms:
9.25 Wed.
Readings:
Terms:
MoP: The Pantoum (43-45); Justice, “Pantoum of the Great
Depression” (47-48); Close-Up of a Pantoum (53-54); Bb: "She
Put on Her Lipstick in the Dark" (Dischell)
MoP: Pantoum, Quatrain
Lenses: Chapter 6: Repeating Sounds (81,73); BolT:
Andrade, “In the Middle of the Road” (8); Bb: Armitage “You’re
Beautiful”
Repetition, Order of Details, and Listing
9.27 Fri.
Readings:
BolT: Woman’s Skin – Love Poetry (211 – 212); Chen, “
Morning” (216); Kowit, “Cosmetics Do No Good” (217);
Levertov, “A Woman Meets An Old Lover” (228); Anna Swir’s
poems (233-235)
9.30 Mon.
Readings:
Lenses: Chapter 4 “Symbolic Relationships and
Figurative language” (39-41); BolT: Wagoner, “The Author…”
and “Loons Mating”, Oliver, “The Kingfisher”,
Imagery and Symbolism
Week 7: Symbols
Terms:
10.2 Wed.
Readings:
Terms:
MoP: The Heroic Couplet (121-122); Robert Browning’s
“My Last Duchess” (130-132); Close-Up on the Heroic Couplets
(135); Gunn, “The J Car” (133-134);
MoP: Heroic Couplet, Dramatic Monologue
10.4 Fri.
Review for Mid-Term in class.
10.7 Mon.
Mid-Term Exam
10.9 Wed.
Transition into free verse and thematic poetry
Readings:
Bb: Review Terms; What is an Argument in Poetry?;
Sample Analysis
In Class:
Students will discuss in groups a poems intention.
Week 8: Theme
8
10.11 Fri.
BolT: The Moment (137 – 138); Carver, “The Window” (159);
Gregg, “A Dark Thing Inside the Day” (163); Raab, “Sudden
Appearance of a Monster at a Window” (254); Lenses: Chapter 4
“Symbolic Relationships and Figurative language” – Metaphorical
Language
Terms:
Simile & Metaphor
*LAST DAY TO DROP COURSE WITHOUT ACADEMIC PENALTY
Readings:
Section II: Free Verse & Shaping Forms
Week 9: Free Verse
10.14 Mon.
Fall Break. No Class!
10.16 Wed.
Readings:
Terms:
10.18 Fri.
Readings:
Terms:
Bb: Mayes, “Words: Texture and Sound” (25-44); Bb: Rich,
“Diving into the Wreck”
Free Verse, Alliteration, Consonance, Assonance & Onomatopoeia
MoP: Open Forms (259- 260); Plath, “Daddy” (321);
Hughes, “I,Too” (309)
(cont’d) Free Verse, Alliteration, Consonance, Assonance &
Onomatopoeia
Week 10: Free Verse (cont’d)
10.21 Mon.
*Continue Discussion*
Readings:
BolT: Nonattachment (261 -262) Merwin, “For the
Anniversary of My Death”; Bb: Mayes, “Free verse”; Armitage
“The Shout”; Handout on Walt Whitman and his poetry.
Discussion:
What does free verse poems indicate and what does that
tell us of the conventions of poetry?
10.23 Wed.
Readings:
10.25 Fri.
Readings:
Bb: Mayes, Chapter 9 - Subject and Style (363 – 404); BolT:
Simic, “Empire of Dreams”; Bb: Simic “Ghost StoriesWritten”
Overview:
Section 2 of Syllabus and Upcoming weeks
*Assignment Sheet (Five-page paper)*
Discussion:
Bolt: Travel (73-74); Field, “A Journey” (98-99); Ginsberg “A
Strange New Cottage in Berkeley” (118); Bb: Historical
Movements in poetry.
Brief overview of different movements in Poetry
Week 11: Setting / Context
10.28 Mon.
Discussion:
In Class:
Building Context & Framing an Analysis
Bb: Examples: The differences between Close Readings
and Research Analysis (Textual and Contextual).
10.30 Wed.
Library Orientation
9
11.1 Fri.
Readings:
Terms:
Lenses: Chapter 8- Time, Setting, and Place: The
Locations of Literature; Bb: Robert Frost, “Birches”
Context, Setting, and Time
Week 12: Narrative
11.4 Mon.
Readings:
Discussion:
11.6 Wed.
Readings:
Terms:
In Class:
11.8 Fri.
Readings:
Discussion:
Terms:
Lenses: Chapter 5 – Power: Nation and Culture (60-65);
Bb: Sample Analysis
Sample Analysis (Group Work)
MoP: “America” (Ginsberg, 269-271); BolT: History
(291-293); Bb. Mayes, “The Speaker: The Eye of the Poem”
Points of View
Identify the different Points of View (Group Work)
BolT: Situations (Pg. 237 -238); Dodd, “Of His Life” 247; Chii-I,
“After Getting Drunk, Becoming Sober in the Night” 246; Bb:
Examples of various point of views; Lenses: Chapter 9 – Narrators
and Speakers
Identifying the speaker and their reliability
Speaker and/or persona
Week 13: Lyrical Poetry
11.11 Mon.
Readings:
Terms:
MoP: The Ode (240-255); Bb: Handout – Komunyakaa, “Ode
to a Maggot”, Selections from Neruda’s Ode to Common Things.
(cont’d) Speaker and/or persona
11.13 Wed.
*cont’d Selections from Neruda
Readings:
BolT: The Secret of a Thing (49-52); Bb: The Rhetorical space
of an Object.
Discussions: Commonality and conventions of the Ode
11.15 Fri.
Readings:
11.18 Mon.
*cont’d The Pastoral
Readings:
BolT: O’Hara “Ave Maria” (272); Graham, “Reading Plato”
(284-285)
Discussion:
Making the Poem New?
11.20 Wed.
Readings:
MoP: The Pastoral (207-239); Transtromer, “Outskirts” (130);
Bishop, “Brazil, January 1, 1502” (121-123); Bb: Gilbert,
“Searching for Pittsburg”
Week 14: Blurring the Line
Discussion:
MoP: Forche’, “The Colonel”; Bb: Mayes, Prose Poem, Hass,
“Story About the Body”, Handout on defining experimental
poetry.
Prose Poem
10
11.22 Fri.
*cont’d Prose Poems
Readings:
BolT: Epiphany (3-4); B.B. Handout of various Haikus and Visual
Poetry
Terms:
Visual Poetry, Haiku
11.25 Mon.
Peer Review - Final Paper
11.27 Wed.
*No Class
11.29 Fri.
*No Class
12.2 Mon.
*Final Paper Due
Review for Final Exam
12.3 Tue.
Reading Day
Week 15:
Week 16
Final Exam Schedule:
Section 01: Friday, December 6
Section 02: Monday, December 9
8:00 A.M. - 11:00 A.M.
8:00 A.M - 11:00 A.M.
11