You will have the opportunity in this course to engage (as both reader and writer) a variety of poetic forms and styles and moods. We won’t have a textbook — I’ll provide you with the reading assignments. I will be asking you to "look around and write" instead of simply "write what you know" in order to push your imaginations to work on the world around you, and on what you dream, think, apprehend, intuit, interpret, fear, re-remember, and the like (your way of "knowing" will of course come into play). I will also be asking you to work together, to write a lot, read a lot, and pay attention (more on this later). And I'll be sending you off on excursions/casual "field trips" close to campus, small notebooks in hand.
Expectations
Preparation and Participation: Please do not wait until the last moment to complete your reading and writing assignments. You will be expected to participate in class discussions (much more fun than it may sound).
Homework: I will plan to give you longer assignments on Fridays. In some cases I will ask that you send your homework to the class as a whole by Sakai in advance of our meeting together.
Portfolio: Please keep all of your work in a manila folder: all of the drafts that I will have read and commented on, as well as any revisions you choose to commit to (more on this when we meet).
Grades
Your homework will not be given letter grades, but I will indicate strengths and weaknesses. At midterm, I will collect your portfolios and give them back to you with a grade, and then re-collect them at the end of the term.
English Department