Studies in Poetry: "Does Poetry Matter"

Calendar

Class #	Topics
1	Introductions and such as that.
2	Lowell. Read the poems from Life Studies and History.
3	A video encounter with Lowell.
4	Lowell. The poems from For Lizzie and Harriett and The Dolphin.
5	Levertov. Poems 1968-72. Some specific advice will be forthcoming, but fare boldly forth on your own.
6	Levertov reads on video.
7	Levertov. This Great Becoming.
8	Rich. We’ll focus on her earlier poems.
9	Rich on video.
10	Rich, the later poems. Specific advice to follow.
11	Heaney. Read the poems from Death of a Naturalist and Field Work.
12	Heaney on video.
13	Heaney. Poems from Station Island and Seeing Things.
14	Pinsky. Pay close attention to An Explanation of America.
15	I hope Pinsky will visit our class today.
16	Pinsky. Sadness and Happiness.
17	Collins. Follow your eys, and ears, and heart.
18	First Essay due.
19	I hope to have MIT’s own Erica Funkhouser visit with us, not so much to talk about Collins as to discuss the nature of her own work, which is not readily available in affordable editions, alas.
20	Collins
21	Monahan
22	Jean Monahan will join us.
23	Monahan
24	Hodgen. I will expect at least a full account of your costume. Better yet, wear it so we can all applaud.
25	John Hodgen will visit us.
26	Hodgen
27	Schwartz
28	A visit from Lloyd Scwartz.
29	Second Essay due.
30	Schwartz
31	Rita Dove. Specific poems TBA.
32	Dove on video.
33	Dove
34	Tapscott
35	Tapscott will meet with us.
36	Tapscott
37-39	We’ll meander. I’ll advise you about some decent poetry websites, you can look back at some poems we slighted on our syllabus, or find poems in the Astley anthology. Come each session ready to read aloud a poem that strikes you, for whatever reason, and to define why that poem “matters” in your judgment.
40-41	Final presentations.