SE2606: American Poetry after Modernism
School | English Literature |
Department Code | ENCAP |
Module Code | SE2606 |
External Subject Code | 100319 |
Number of Credits | 20 |
Level | L6 |
Language of Delivery | English |
Module Leader | |
Semester | |
Academic Year | null |
Outline Description of Module
This module will explore some of the key figures in experimental and avant-garde American poetry (including Beat and New York School poets, projectivism, L=A=N=G=U=A=G=E writing, conceptual poetry, cyberpoetry/Flarf) in relation to their poetic heritage of the modernist traditions of Ezra Pound, William Carlos Williams, Wallace Stevens and Gertrude Stein. Emphasis will be on the close reading of texts in conjunction with the historical and contemporary poetic contexts; on the growing interrelation between twentieth-century American writing of poetry and more critical essays on poetics by its practitioners; and on the changing relationships between poetry, politics and society, including with respect to gender, race and sexuality.
On completion of the module a student should be able to
- articulate ways in which experimental and avant-garde American poetry differs from and rewrites its modernist precursors in a range of historical and artistic contexts;
- read poems representative of a varied spectrum of aesthetic productions and locate them in their different interrelated poetic traditions
How the module will be delivered
One one-hour lecture, and one two-hour seminar weekly, over the course of one semester. When appropriate, handouts and slideshows will be used in the lectures, which will also include the opportunity for discussion in pairs/small groups, and for written exercises. Where copyright allows these will be made available to students on Learning Central in advance of the session. In the seminars there will be the opportunity for student presentations, small-group discussion and close analysis, and for developing writing and editing skills. Students will be expected to write regularly, within and outside the formal contact time, and to work on this writing during seminars.
Skills that will be practised and developed
This module will develop a wide range of skills, as students develop and enhance their ability to assimilate a variety of critical approaches to a range of literary and cultural texts. The close analysis of texts will call for sensitivity to the use of language, as well as visual and historical awareness. Essential critical skills developed during this module include critical thinking, the successful integration of theoretical material into an analysis of a text, and the formulation of concise, articulate and effective argumentation. Discussion, both in larger and smaller groups, will develop a supportive learning community, improving both communication and interpersonal skills.
How the module will be assessed
- One portfolio of c. 3,200 words. This can consist of a single essay, or of two (or exceptionally more) shorter pieces, which might include book reviews, textual analysis exercises, or creative-critical writing in the legacy of the tradition of avant-garde American poetics. Students will be encouraged to develop their own questions and titles in dialogue with one another and with the module leader.
The portfolios are assessed according to the Assessment Criteria set out in the module guide. There are otherwise no academic or competence standards which limit the availability of adjustments or alternative assessments for students with disabilities.
THE OPPORTUNITY FOR REASSESSMENT IN THIS MODULE:
In accordance with University regulations, students are allowed two attempts at retrieval of any failed essay, for a maximum module mark of 40%. Resit assessments are held over the summer.
Assessment Breakdown
Type | % | Title | Duration(hrs) |
---|---|---|---|
Written Assessment | 100 | Essay (3200 Words) In May | N/A |
Syllabus content
A week-by-week schedule will be provided at the beginning of the module, based on the key figures listed above, but with some possibility for students to inflect the module’s contents as they will build up an expertise in the topic. Themes for study will include but are not limited to: space, rewriting, the evolution of open form, the relation between poetry and painting, the connection between aesthetics, politics and ethics, society and social critique.
Essential Reading and Resource List
Postmodern American Poetry: A Norton Anthology, ed. Paul Hoover (New York and London: Norton, 2013), to be supplemented where appropriate by handouts of poems not included in the anthology.
Background Reading and Resource List
Further information about recommended reading will be provided at the start of the module.