ENGL 133 - New Poetry

Institution:

Williams College

Subject:

English

Description:

In this class we will read or otherwise experience a range of poetry being produced right now in the U.S. Some of this poetry doesn't immediately seem to "fit" in the classroom: it's too new, too weird, too raw, too cerebral, too multi-media, too performance-oriented, somehow "unteachable." The premise of the course is that by engaging with these diverse voices we will come up with ways of talking about them, and that in the process we will have to take up some big and interesting questions: What is poetry? Can it be defined? How does poetry aim to affect us? Does one need "expertise" to appreciate it? And: is poetry important? Does it matter--socially, politically, culturally? The course is aimed at lovers of poetry, those who dislike poetry, those who are intimidated by the idea of it, and those who can't see why we should bother. Readings will be structured around the work of the poets coming to Williams to read, and may also include some "old poetry" (for purposes of comparison), critical articles, and manifestos; we will also watch documentaries or listen to CDs of more performance-oriented work (e.g., slam, spoken word).

Credits:

3.00

Credit Hours:

Prerequisites:

Corequisites:

Exclusions:

Level:

Instructional Type:

Seminar

Notes:

Additional Information:

Historical Version(s):

Institution Website:

www.williams.edu

Phone Number:

(413) 597-3131

Regional Accreditation:

New England Association of Schools and Colleges

Calendar System:

Four-one-four plan

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