Course Description and Objectives
This semester in Introduction to Poetry: Envisioning Poetry, we will read a variety of poetry; we will also incorporate other art forms such as painting and photography where appropriate to explore the connections between the written and the visual. Our class meetings will include discussions about the readings, in which we will consider elements such as content, form, historical period, biographical background, and the relationship among the readings. Through our discussions of the reading, we will engage with the mechanics of poetry as well as the issues of literary and artistic expression. We will also actively maintain a course site on City Tech’s OpenLab, which will extend our conversations beyond the classroom. Students in ENG 2003 must draw on the skills gained in the prerequisite course, ENG 1101, to meet the Outcomes outlined by the English Department.
Success in this class requires careful, punctual, inspired, and respectful work. You should expect to spend six hours per week on your work for this class in addition to the time you will spend in class. Students in this course will:
- Read actively, carefully, critically, repeatedly, and thoroughly, looking at details and at the piece as a whole;
- Formulate questions as part of the reading process in anticipation of class or online discussions;
- Analyze poetry from a range of cultures, historical periods, and literary movements, with awareness to form, syntax, sound, and themes, as well as cultural, historical, and biographical contexts, and the literary canon;
- Discuss poetry through paraphrasing, interpreting, analyzing, and evaluating course material;
- Use clear, logical, and correct writing as a tool for analysis and a means of expressing understanding of course material;
- Develop a research project, drawing on various types of primary and secondary sources, and formatting according to MLA guidelines;
- Demonstrate the ability to draw from multiple texts to synthesize an effective comparison;
- Present orally the information learned through the course, and recite the poems we read;
- Gain familiarity with online tools such as blogs, online writing centers, and library research tools;
- Communicate professionally via e-mail and other online media;
- Demonstrate information fluency—the ability to find, evaluate, use, and create online resources.
General Education Student Learning Outcomes
- Students will demonstrate ability to read, analyze, and interpret texts.
- Students will demonstrate proficiency in written discourse.
- Students will demonstrate proficiency with digital content creation systems.
- Students will understand and use basic research techniques.
- Students will locate, evaluate and synthesize information from a variety of sources.
- Students will develop well-reasoned arguments.
- Students will identify, analyze and evaluate arguments in their own and others’ work.
