Introduction to World Poetry

This quarter we will immerse ourselves in the reading of poems in order to learn how poems are made and received. In addition to focusing on close-reading and insightful analysis of poetry sampled from around the world—as well as issues pertaining to translation and cross-cultural dialogue—we will also investigate various social, political, and cultural contexts and themes, such as war, death, feminism, and nationhood, to see if and how they might have impacted the authors under discussion. Furthermore, students will also have opportunities to hear guest speakers and to write their own original poems, with the idea that hands-on learning gives us a higher appreciation for the subject under discussion. Our goal will be to experience the creative and critical processes together, so that our communal experience is not just an addendum to act of reading and discussing poetry, but an extension of it. All readings in English. No prerequisites.

Intro to World Poetry syllabus.docx