poetry / research paper

ENG 360 01 American Poetry

Spring 2019

Tuesday/Friday 8:00 – 9:15 St. Mary’s B1

Brandon Clay

Course Description:

ENG 360 is a survey of a selection of American poetry and poetics from the Puritan era to the present, showing the effects of the Romantic revolution on an American Puritan tradition and the making of a national vernacular for poetry. Students will study poetic technique and read authors such as Bradstreet, Taylor, Freneau, Emerson, Longfellow, Poe, Thoreau, Whitman, Dickinson, Robinson, Dunbar, Crane, Stein, Sandburg, Stevens, Williams, Pound, H.D., Moore, Eliot, Millay, Hughes, Cullen, Zukofsky, Auden, Roethke, Bishop, Berryman, Brooks, Lowell, Plath, Glück, Levertov, Ginsberg, Merrill, Kinnell, Rich, Pinsky, and Collins. This is a writing intensive course and it meets literature requirements for graduation.

Course Learning Outcomes:

· To become familiar with the history of and different styles of American poetry

· To develop an understanding of the historical and social frameworks in which poems are written

· To understand different critical approaches to the interpretation of poetry

· To refine the critical and analytical skills used in verbal and written discussions of poetry

· To develop an enjoyment of and appreciation for poetry

Prerequisite:

ENG 142, earning a “C” or better.

Required Text(s):

Lehman, David, ed. The Oxford Book of American Poetry. Oxford: Oxford UP, 2006.

Expected Student Behavior in Class:

All students are expected to behave in a professional and courteous manner to both the professor and other students in class, and to follow the procedures as outlined in this syllabus for this course. If the professor deems that a student has failed to adhere to this standard, the professor shall make a report to both the Dean of the School of Arts & Sciences, and the Dean of Students. Please follow all policies as written in the 2018-2019 Student Handbook.

Preparation and Active Class Participation:

Students are required to read all works for the course. Assignments must be read prior to the class in which the particular work(s) will be discussed. Papers must be written in MLA format, using and citing quotations from primary and/or secondary sources. Written work is due at the beginning of class on the due date specified on the schedule below. Major writing assignments will be submitted electronically using Moodle and Turnitin.com. Some written work may also be turned in as a hard copy. Use white paper and 12 point, Times New Roman font with one-inch margins. All papers must be stapled and (per MLA format) include name, class title, instructor name, and due date in upper left hand corner.

Note that Student Performance counts for 15% of the final grade (complete grading system described below). This is defined as how a student conducts him/herself in the class, and refers specifically to attendance, lateness, manners, and respect towards professor and fellow students. A student can expect to receive a full 15% in this category if he/she attends all classes on time, hands in all assignments on time, consistently contributes to class discussions, completes in-class exercises, and shows respect towards professor and fellow students throughout the semester. Bad manners are not tolerated, and will result in a reduced Student Performance grade. Examples of bad manners are forgetting to silence cell phones, dozing or not paying attention, leaving class early, speaking out of turn, or speaking rudely to professor or fellow students.

Academic Honesty Statement:

Academic honesty is expected at all times. Cheating and/or plagiarism may include, but is not limited to, using the work of someone else and claiming it as your own without acknowledgment of the original source, using unauthorized assistance on in-class or take-home examinations, projects, papers, tests, quizzes, etc., and/or submitting the identical academic work on more than one occasion for credit without consent from the relevant parties.

If you have questions about how to cite a source from a reference or other data, please refer to the appropriate citation guide (in this course use the MLA guide) first, then you can contact me for any additional assistance. Any violation of academic honesty will instantly result in a zero for the assignment as well as other possible sanctions by me and/or TU. Please refer to the Student Handbook for more detailed information.

Plagiarism is the act of using another person's work - either word for word or paraphrased - without giving credit using the proper format. Plagiarism is a serious offense and will result in failure. Plagiarism is defined in the MLA Handbook as the use of another's ideas or expressions without proper acknowledgment. It is not limited to word for word copying; it includes any false assumption of authorship, including paraphrasing lines of reasoning from a printed or digital source and copying or stealing from an unpublished writer. Plagiarism includes any of the following:

- Buying a paper from a public source (such as a "paper mill" website).

- Copying material from a printed or digital source.

- Soliciting or allowing someone to write material for you.

- Submitting previously written material (material for another course)

without the consent of the faculty members involved.

- Cutting and pasting a collection of ideas from other sources without giving credit to your sources and providing your own ideas and text.

- Following the wording of a source too closely.

- Failing to cite/document source material adequately or properly, thereby

failing to acknowledge the author or authors whose ideas and work

are being used.

The lightest penalty will be automatic failure for the assignment in question, but serious offenses will result in automatic failure for the course. Penalties for plagiarism can also apply to students who voluntarily provide work of their own to be plagiarized or who provide plagiarized work for others. All incidents of plagiarism shall be reported to the Academic Dean, the student's advisor, and, if applicable, athletic coaches.

All complaints of sexual harassment/misconduct, domestic violence, dating violence, bullying, cyber-bullying, stalking, or discrimination should be reported to Dr. Perry-Fantini, Assistant Vice President for Diversity & Equity Officer/Title IX Coordinator,  [email protected]  or  419-448-3504 . You can report incidents or complaints at  http://www.tiffin.edu/institutionaldiversity/titleix/Incident_Reporting.pdf .

FERPA:

The Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) protects student information. Other than directory information, such as name, address, phone number, etc., students must give consent for individuals to gain access to a student’s educational record, including grades, transcripts, and behavior reports (unless the student is under the age of 18). Students also have the right to review their educational records. For a more detailed explanation, please see the Student Handbook.

Grading Criteria, Late Work, Gradebook:

Students are expected to read all assigned material and to contribute to all class discussions. Avoid turning in work late. For each calendar day (including weekends) an assignment is past due, one full letter grade will be deducted. Instructions and grading criteria for individual assignments will be developed and discussed in detail in class. The modified WIC and Lit rubrics (available on Moodle) will be used to assess major writing assignments. There is absolutely no extra credit in this course. Do not ask for extra credit projects to be created. Grades are non-negotiable. The online gradebook for this course will be kept in Moodle.

In the final expect quistions like,

· what centry this author lived in,

· When he was born

· His famous pome

· Authors affected by jazz, the founder of jazz music.

· Kind of a tone in a certain line

· What is the tone of the poem / does it ever shift.

· Similarity between a certain line and another poem

· What allusion in this song

·

·

·

Total Points for the Course:

There are 850 total points available in this course. Note that grades are weighted (specific scale below).

Quizzes 100 pts. (10 @ 10 pts. ea.)

Lyric analysis essay (1-2 pgs.) 100 pts.

Compare and contrast essay (2-3 pgs.) 100 pts.

Dylan essay (2-3 pgs.) 100 pts.

Research essay (5-6 pgs.) 100 pts.

Midterm exam 100 pts.

Final exam 100 pts.

Student performance 150 pts.

TOTAL 850 pts.

Grading Scale: (Based on 100%)

Quizzes (10) 10%

Lyric analysis essay (1-2 pgs.) 5%

Compare and contrast essay (2-3 pgs.) 15%

Dylan essay (2-3 pgs.) 15%

Research essay (5-6 pgs.) 20%

Midterm Exam 10%

Final Exam 10%

Student Performance 15%

TOTAL 100%

98-100 = A+ 77-79 = C+ Below 60 = F

93-97 = A 73-76 = C

90-92 = A- 70-72 = C-

87-89 = B+ 67-69 = D+

83-86 = B 63-66 = D

80-82 = B- 60-62 = D-

Class Assignments:

This course features frequent quizzes. Most quizzes cover assigned reading. Quizzes are short (approximately 10 minutes long) and typically consist of five (5) items, each of which is worth two (2) points. Major assignments are listed above. Specific instructions and grading criteria for each assignment will be discussed in class and outlined in separate handouts. It is imperative that students read the original reading selections carefully. Do not rely on online summaries/analyses or summaries/analyses by classmates.

Exams:

For the midterm and final exams, bring lined paper and pens/pencils. Close all notes and books, and place these items in a bag or under your chair. Silence your phone, and do not touch it during the exam. Use the restroom before an exam so that you do not have to leave during the exam.

Tentative Course Calendar:

(Subject to change at Professor or Tiffin University discretion)

Date Topics/Assignments Due Assigned Reading

Week 1

T 1/15 Introduction to the course

F 1/18 Introduction to poetics syllabus and course docs

Reading poetry Furniss and Bath 1-23

Writing about poetry (Moodle)

Formatting a paper in MLA style

Dylan, “A Hard Rain’s a-Gonna Fall” (Moodle)

(1963)

Week 2

T 1/22 Introduction to American poetry Lehman vii-xxi; 1-4

Beginnings: Puritan and Revolutionary

Bradstreet, “The Prologue”; “The Author to

Her Book”; “Before the Birth of One of Her

Children”; “To My Dear and Loving

Husband” (1650-1678)

F 1/25 Beginnings: Puritan and Revolutionary Baym and Levine

Bradstreet, “The Flesh and the Spirit” 207; 222-224 (Moodle)

(1678)

Dylan, “Girl From the North Country” (Moodle)

(1963)

Week 3

T 1/29 Beginnings: Puritan and Revolutionary Lehman 5-9

Taylor, “Meditation III (Canticles I:3: Thy

Good Ointment)”; “Meditation VI

(Canticles II:1: I am…the lily of the

valleys.)”; “The Preface”; “Upon a Spider

Catching a Fly”; “Huswifery” (1682-1939)

F 2/1 Lyric analysis essay due Submit to Moodle

Beginnings: Puritan and Revolutionary Lehman 9-13

Freneau, “On the Emigration to America

and Peopling the Western Country”; “The

Wild Honey Suckle”; “The Indian Burying

Ground” (1785-1788)

Dylan, “The Lonesome Death of Hattie (Moodle)

Carroll” (1964)

Week 4

T 2/5 Beginnings: Puritan and Revolutionary Gates, Jr. 1-22 (Moodle)

The Trials of Phillis Wheatley Lehman 13-14

Wheatley, “On Being Brought from Africa

to America”; “To The Right Honorable

William, Earl of Dartmouth” (1773)

F 2/8 Beginnings: Puritan and Revolutionary Baym and Levine 762-764;

Wheatley, “To the University of 766-768; 771-773 (Moodle)

Cambridge, in New England”; “On the

Death of the Rev. Mr. George Whitefield,

1770”; “To S. M., a Young African Painter,

on Seeing His Works”; “To His Excellency

General Washington” (1770-1776)

Dylan, “Masters of War” (1963) (Moodle)

Week 5

T 2/12 Nineteenth Century Lehman 41; 44-45; 47-52;

Longfellow, “The Jewish Cemetery at 54-57

Newport”; “Paul Revere’s Ride” (1858-

1860)

Whittier, “For Righteousness’ Sake”;

“Barbara Frietchie”; “What the Birds Said”

(1855-1864)

F 2/15 Nineteenth Century Lehman 61; 67-73

Poe, “The Raven”; “Ulalume—A Ballad”;

“Annabel Lee” (1845-1849)

Dylan, “Mr. Tambourine Man” (1964) (Moodle)

Week 6

T 2/19 Nineteenth Century Lehman 84-131

Free verse

Whitman, “Song of Myself” (1855)

F 2/22 Compare and contrast essay due Submit to Moodle

Nineteenth Century Lehman 145-151

Whitman, “When Lilacs Last in the

Dooryard Bloom’d” (1865)

Dylan, “The Times They Are a-Changin’” (Moodle)

(1963)

Week 7

T 2/26 Nineteenth Century

Exam review Lehman 163-167; 169-170;

Dickinson, 67; 185; 216; 249; 254; 258; 175; 177-183

280; 288; 448; 465; 613; 650; 657; 1072;

709; 712; 754; 986; 1129; 1263; 1732; 1763

(1859-1898)

F 3/1 Midterm exam

Week 8

T 3/5 No class—Spring Break

F 3/8 No class—Spring Break

Week 9

T 3/12 Harlem Renaissance and Modernism Huggins 1-11 (Moodle)

Introduction to the Harlem Renaissance Lehman 206-207; 210-211

Johnson, “O Black and Unknown Bards”

(1908)

Dunbar, “We Wear the Mask” (1895)

F 3/15 Harlem Renaissance and Modernism Lehman 382-384; 962-965

McKay, “If We Must Die”; “America”;

“The White City”; “The Harlem Dancer”;

“The Tropics in New York” (1922)

Dylan, “Desolation Row” (1965)

Week 10

T 3/19 Harlem Renaissance and Modernism Lehman 272-273; 408-410

Grimké, “The Black Finger”; “Tenebris”;

“Fragment” (1925-1930)

Toomer, “November Cotton Flower”;

“Beehive”; “Reapers”; “Georgia Dusk”

(1923)

F 3/22 Harlem Renaissance and Modernism Lehman 477-479; 468-469;

Cullen, “Colored Blues Singer”; “To John 472-473; 475

Keats, Poet at Spring Time” (1925)

Hughes, “The Weary Blues”; “Harlem”;

“Dream Variations” (1926-1951)

Dylan, “It’s Alright, Ma (I’m Only (Moodle)

Bleeding)” (1965)

Week 11

T 3/26 Harlem Renaissance and Modernism Baym and Levine 13-18

Introduction to Modernism (Moodle)

Eliot, “The Love Song of J. Alfred Lehman 342-346; 351-365

Prufrock”; “The Waste Land” (1917-1922)

F 3/29 Harlem Renaissance and Modernism Lehman 322-325; 341-342

Moore, “Poetry”; “The Fish”; “What Are

Years?” (1921-1941)

Dylan, “Just Like Tom Thumb’s Blues” (Moodle)

(1965)

Week 12

T 4/2 Harlem Renaissance and Modernism Lehman 393-398; 400-401;

Cummings, “Buffalo Bill’s”; “ ‘next to of 314-316

course god america i’ ”; “may i feel said

he”; “anyone lived in a pretty how town”;

“poem” (1923-1958)

H.D., “The Helmsman”; “Oread”; “Helen”

(1916-1924)

F 4/5 Harlem Renaissance and Modernism Lehman 249; 255-257;

Stevens, “Thirteen Ways of Looking at a 276-277; 285-286; 388-390

Blackbird” (1917)

Williams, “The Red Wheelbarrow” (1923)

Millay, “First Fig”; “Pity me not because

the light of day”; “What lips my lips have

kissed, and where, and why”; “Love is not

all: it is not meat nor drink” (1920-1931)

Dylan, “Visions of Johanna” (1966) (Moodle)

Week 13

T 4/9 Postwar Lehman 750-762; 886-890;

Ginsberg, “A Supermarket in California”; 892-894

“Kaddish”; “America”; “City Midnight Junk

Strains” (1955-1966)

Plath, “Mirror”; “Lady Lazarus”; “Daddy”

(1961-1962)

F 4/12 Postwar Lehman 867-869; 872-874;

Rich, “Living in Sin”; “Diving into the 623-627

Wreck” (1955-1973)

Brooks, “a song in the front yard”; “the

mother”; “still do I keep my look, my

identity…”; “We Real Cool” (1945-1960)

Dylan, “Tangled Up in Blue”; “Hurricane” (Moodle)

(1974-1975)

Week 14

T 4/16 Dylan essay due Submit to Moodle

Postwar Lehman 853; 855-856; 915-

Sexton, “Wanting to Die”; “The Fury of 918; 945; 951

Cocks” (1964-1974)

Oliver, “Rain” (1992)

Pinsky, “Samurai Song” (2000)

F 4/19 No class—Good Friday

Week 15

T 4/23 Postwar Lehman 953-954; 959-961;

Collins, “Another Reason Why I Don’t 982-985

Keep a Gun in the House”; “Dharma”; “No

Time” (1988-2002)

Olds, “Satan Says”; “The Pope’s Penis”

(1980-1987)

F 4/26 Research essay due Submit to Moodle

Exam review

Finals Week

4/24 – 4/28 Final exam (Tuesday, April 25, 8:00-10:00)

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