Poetry Appreciation Criticism Course

This course is designed to train students in the art of appreciating poetry. Focuses upon the formal properties of poetry and studies the conventions of the genre as it develops within or across historical periods and/or cultures. The first part of the class will introduce a variety of short poems and educate students in the skills necessary for reading and evaluating poetry. They will also learn how to scan lines for meter and rhythm; learn how to analyze in detail the use of figures of speech such as metaphor, metonymy, personification, allusion and so on; and they will also identify and appreciate techniques of sound and structure to better understand and appreciate poetry works. The course will modify the methods of lecturing, performance, group discussion, questions and answers, and peer assessment.