We will not only think about particular poems together, but also learn something about the history of poetry in English. We'll read and hear examples of different verse forms: sonnets, couplets, alliterative verse, blank verse, free verse, really free verse, and poems in unusual meters and stanzas. Examples will be drawn from very early English poetry up to poetry in the 20th century. We will think about how poetry works as a narrative, as a vehicle for experience, and as self-expression. We will consider how grammar and syntax affect the shaping of verse and how the hybrid character of English affects its poetic expression. We will use a short anthology that Jim McIntosh will compose and make available in class, rather than a textbook. James McIntosh is Professor Emeritus of English and American Culture at U-M. This class meets Mondays until April 18th. No class on March 21. This study group is for adults 50+.
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