English 168 - Winter, 2013

20th Century American Poetry

Class Information

Instructor: Clover, Joshua
CRN: 52754
Time: MWF 12:10-1:00
Location: 106 Olson

Description

20th Century American Poetry: Ideas and Things

Because literature is made of language while "the real world" is allegedly made of sterner stuff, lit has always been interested in the relation of ideas to things. Because poetry is particularly interested in the "thing-ness" of language, how it sounds and looks and feels, it has taken this question especially seriously. And it turns out that the question has not only aesthetic or philosophical significance, but social and political significance as well.

We will look at a few poets who have been interested in the relation between ideas and things in interesting ways. Happily, they are all fascinating poets in other regards, and we won't talk only about the relation of words and things; that will just be our frame, or hinge. We'll read a couple essays as well. By the end we should have a way to tell at least one or two interesting stories about 20th century American poetry, and why it was like it was, and not some other way.

NOTE: the texts listed below are the ones you will likely need to purchase. There will be other reading as well, available online or distributed during the term.

Grading

Grading will be based on the following formula:
10 participation
20 reading notes (four sets, 5 pts each)
25 first paper
35 final paper
10 final exam

Texts

Collected Poems, Wallace Stevens
Descent of Alette, Alice Notley
Collected Works, Lorine Niedecker
Collected Poems (Vol 1), William Carlos Williams
Lunch Poems, Frank O'Hara