Department of English

Our course takes up a selection of major British poets, from the Augustans to the Modernists, reading the poetry in the context of major cultural tensions, and noting the complex relations between form and meaning. We will usually pay special attention to representative and/or influential poems from each period. Students will be asked to engage in close readings of individual poems.

Writing requirements include three short (3-5pp) papers, two one-page, single-spaced presentation papers, and a final exam. I compute final grades as follows: Three 5pp Essays: 50%; two one-page, single-spaced presentation papers: 20%; occasional quizzes and various classwork: 5%; final exam: 25%