Writing and Reading Poems

As taught in: Fall 2006

Hands holding a piece of paper.

A homeless man holding a poem he has just written. (Photo courtesy of Premasagar. Used with permission.)

Instructors:

William Corbett

MIT Course Number:

21W.756

Level:

Undergraduate

Course Description

This course is an examination of the formal structural and textual variety in poetry. Students engage in extensive practice in the making of poems and the analysis of both students' manuscripts and 20th-century poetry. The course attempts to make relevant the traditional elements of poetry and their contemporary alternatives. There are weekly writing assignments, including some exercises in prosody.