Poetry is the verbal record of human life and experience in verse form. But how does poetry require a special kind of reading? How does a poem ‘work’? And how should poetry be read and enjoyed? As we explore these questions and others, we will learn to enjoy poetry through the art of close reading. The lectures will introduce students to the elements of poetry, such as figures of speech, sound devices, rhythm and meter, imagery, tone, form, genre, and more.

We will read, listen to, and learn from many English-speaking poets, including the Beowulf poet, Geoffrey Chaucer, William Shakespeare, Mary Sidney Herbert, John Donne, George Herbert, Andrew Marvell, Thomas Gray, Samuel Johnson, William Wordsworth, Elizabeth Browning, T. S. Eliot, Tracy K. Smith, Susan Howe, and others.

By the end of the course, students will have the tools to confidently read and enjoy English poetry of any era.

Schedule

Lecture 1: Introduction to Poetry Sept. 19

Lecture 2: Placing in Contexts Sept. 26

Lecture 3: Observing Words & Language Oct. 3

Lecture 4: Enjoying Impressions Oct. 10

Lecture 5: Marking Meter Oct. 17

Lecture 6: Surveying Structure & Form Oct. 24

Lecture 7: Christopher Ricks, Guest Lect. Nov. 7

7-8 PM at Antrim St.