ENG 211 - Introduction to Poetry and Poetics

This course is an introduction to poetry and poetics. We will read poems written in English from the seventh-century “Caedmon’s Hymn” to those by poets visiting Reed that semester. The primary aim is to give students the tools and the confidence to analyze poetry closely: thus, this course will cover a lot of the most central vocabulary of poetic terms, techniques, genres, and forms. While primarily a course committed to the practice of close reading, it will also begin to familiarize students with literary criticism.

Unit(s): 1
Group Distribution Requirement(s): Distribution Group I
Instructional Method: Conference
Grading Mode: Letter grading (A-F)
Notes: Genre: Poetry
Group Distribution Learning Outcome(s):

Understand how arguments can be made, visions presented, or feelings or ideas conveyed through language or other modes of expression (symbols, movement, images, sounds, etc.).
Analyze and interpret texts, whether literary or philosophical, in English or a foreign language, or works of the visual or performing arts.
Evaluate arguments made in or about texts (whether literary or philosophical, in English or a foreign language, or works of the visual or performing arts).