ENG 6388: Form and Theory of Poetry
Syllabus
INSTRUCTOR INFORMATION
Instructor: Steven Schneider
Office: ARHU 326
Office Hours: TR 1-3 p.m. (Because this is an online course, please send me an email if
you have a question or would like to set up a time to talk.)
Do not hesitate to send me an email if we need to talk so we can agree on a
convenient time for a phone call, Connect session, or a meeting.
Office Telephone: 956-665-8775
E-mail: [email protected] (I prefer that you contact me using the mail function in our
Blackboard course)
Generally I will respond to emails within two days of receiving them. If I plan to be away
from my computer for more than a couple of days, I will let you know in advance.
Note: This is an online class.
COURSE DESCRIPTION
Advanced study of the forms, techniques, and directions of contemporary poetry
through intensive reading and writing practice.
This course will be valuable to both poets and prose writers because the knowledge
of poetic form will help you to develop the voice and cadence of your own writing.
Moreover, a section of the course will be devoted to the prose poem, a hybrid form.
The debates over form have been shaped often in visceral ways: “raw” versus
“cooked,” “academic” versus “beat,” “formal” versus “antifomal.” This class is
designed to deepen your knowledge of these debates and to inspire you to draw upon
a variety of forms in your own writing.
Much of the learning in this class will take place in our online Writers’ Workshop,
as well as through online discussions and critiques. You will have the opportunity to
participate in a weekly online discussion, a group project, as well as postings of your
own poems.
Some of the questions we will ask are: What have been the major debates over
poetic form in modern and contemporary poetry? What is the relationship between
form and content, the shape of a poem and its subject matter? How has technology
and hybridity impacted poetic form?
Prerequisite
While this course is designed to meet the Form and Theory requirement for the
MFA degree program, students from other graduate programs are welcome to take
the course. There are no formal prerequisites although it is recommended that you
be currently enrolled in a graduate program at UTPA and are motivated to become
a better writer through your engagement with the content in this course.
TEXTBOOK & COURSE MATERIALS
Required Books:
An Exaltation of Forms, eds. Annie Finch and Kathrine Varnes
The Party Train, A Collection of North American Prose Poetry, eds. Robert
Alexander, Mark Vinz, and C.W. Truesdale
COURSE OBJECTIVES
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The student will define the major debates over poetic form in contemporary
and modern poetry
The student will identify and apply a variety of received poetic forms.
The student will write poems in three of the six assigned types of received
poetic forms.
The student will analyze the principles for formal experimentation.
The student will compare and contrast traditional poetic form with
experimental and hybrid forms.
The student will classify and describe the seven types of prose poems.
The students will prepare and produce a Wiki on an assigned topic related to
Poetic Form and Theory.
The student will arrange and assemble a portfolio of poems composed of the
creative writing assignments in this class that reflects the student’s
understanding of a variety of poetic forms along with a Critical Introduction.
(THECB) Exemplary Objectives for Humanities and Performing Arts:
1.To demonstrate awareness of the scope and variety of works in the arts and
humanities.
2. To understand those works as expressions of individual and human values
within an historical and social context.
3. To respond critically to works in the arts and humanities.
4. To engage in the creative process or interpretive performance and
comprehend the physical and intellectual demands required of the author or
visual or performing artist.
5. To articulate an informed personal reaction to works in the arts and
humanities.
6. To develop an appreciation for the aesthetic principles that guide or govern
the humanities and arts.
7. To demonstrate knowledge of the influence of literature, philosophy, and/or
the arts on intercultural experiences.
You will meet the objectives listed above through a combination of the following activities in
this course:
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Completing assigned readings
Participating in course discussions
Completing course work including quizzes, wiki project and final portfolio
GRADING POLICY
Evaluation:
3 Quizzes – 10 % each or 30%
Wiki Project – 20%
Final Portfolios – 40%
Online discussion participation – 10%
A = 90-100%
B = 80-89%
C = 70-79%
F = Below 70%
RESPONSE TIME TO ASSIGNMENTS
Please note that your quiz scores will be available immediately after the 24 hour
assessment period ends. Please allow one to two weeks for my graded response to
your Wiki project and to your Final Portfolio. I will post your discussion
participation grade at the end of the course.
Discussion Forums – I usually check for postings to the online Discussion Forums at
least every other day. I reply to these selectively though try to get to as many as
possible. You should check for my responses as well as those of your classmates.
Normally, allow for 48 to 72 hours for a reply though sometimes it will be much
sooner.
Writers’ Workshop Forums -- I will check the posted drafts of your poems on the
Writers Workshop Forum at least every other day and will provide a brief critique
of each of these. You should check for my responses as well as those of your
classmates. Normally, allow for 48 to 72 hours for a reply though sometimes it will
be much sooner.
I will post your discussion participation grade at the end of the course. “This will be
determined by your timely participation in all class discussion forums as per the
Discussion Forum Guidelines.”
Email Response Time
Please send any email questions or comments to me within the Mail function of
BBL. I normally check these at least every other day. Normally, allow for 48 to 72
hours for a reply though sometimes it will be much sooner.
TECHNICAL REQUIREMENTS
Computer Hardware
To participate in this online course, you should have easy access to a computer less than 5years old with high-speed internet connection via cable modem, LAN or DSL. To ensure you
are using a supported browser and have required plug-ins please refer to Supported
Browsers, Plugins & Operating Systems for Blackboard Learn from Blackboards resource
page.
Student Technical Skills
You are expected to be proficient with installing and using basic computer applications and
have the ability to send and receive email attachments.
Software
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Microsoft Office’s Internet Explorer (latest version)
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Mozilla’s Firefox (latest version; Macintosh or Windows)
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Adobe’s Flash Player & Reader plug-in (latest version).
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Apple’s QuickTime plug-in (latest version). A free download is available at
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Virus protection
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Microsoft Office
List other tools, resources, and materials needed by the student for success in the course.
Technical Assistance
If you need technical assistance at any time during the course or to report a problem with
Blackboard you can:
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Visit the Blackboard Student Help Site
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Submit a Blackboard Problem Form
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In your course menu, select UTPA Resources and see COLTT Help Desk, they are
UTPA’s Blackboard Support.
COURSE ORGANIZATION & ONLINE TOOLS
Course Structure:
This course will be delivered entirely online through the course management system
Blackboard Learn. You will use your UTPA account to login to the course from the My
UTPA site and under applications click on Blackboard Learn.
Learning Modules
The course is organized into Modules of instruction, as outlined in the Course Schedule and
Due Dates below. Each Module is listed by its main topic and contains required readings,
videos, mini lectures, discussion forum assignments, essay and framework assignments,
and collaborative assignments that you complete working in teams.
Discussion Forums
You will find the following discussion forums in the course Blackboard site:
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General Help: Post any questions or comments you may have about course mechanics or
technical issues to this forum.
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Module Discussion Forums related to discussion assignments, as described in Learning
Module sections
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Module Writers Workshop Forums
Forums versus Email
If you have a question about course content or mechanics, I encourage you to post it to
the General Help discussion forums. Doing so gives students in the course an
opportunity to help one another and allows everyone to benefit from answers to your
questions. Of course, don’t hesitate to email me directly if your concern is of a personal
nature.
My role in discussion forums is that of a facilitator. I will occasionally correct
misconceptions and/or redirect conversations that need redirecting. I may also post
comments following the completion of discussion indicating my general impressions of the
comments and conclusions.
COURSE TOPIC OUTLINE
Module
1
Topic
Week 1: Getting Started
Assignments
Review:
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View “Getting Started” Video
Review Course Syllabus
Review web link resources
Do:
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Week 2 & 3: Traditional Meter
versus Free Verse
Post Student Profile
Read:
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“Iambic Meter” in An Exaltation of Forms
(EF )pp.39-46
“Free Verse,” pp.73-81(EF)
Consult web resources as needed.
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Module 2 Discussion Forum
Module 2 Writers Workshop Forum
Quiz 1
Do
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Week 4: Received Poetic Forms
Read:
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“The Decima,” (EF), pp. 156-164
“Haiku,” (EF) pp.217-223
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“Sestina: The End Game,” (EF) pp. 290-297
“The Sonnet,” (EF) 297-308
“Triolet,” (EF), pp 308-314
“Gymnastics, The Villanelle (EF),pp. 314325
Consult web resources as needed.
Do:
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Week 5: Creating Received Poetic
Forms
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Module 3 Discussion Forum
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Module 4 Writers Workshop
Module 4 Writers Workshop #2
Quiz 2
Do:
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Week 6: Formal Experimentation
Read
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“Fractal Amplification” (EF), pp. 334-341
“Performance Poetry” (EF), pp.341-352
“The List Poem” (EF), pp. 359-366
“Oulipian Poetry” (EF) pp. 386-390
Consult web resources as needed.
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Module 5 Discussion Forum
Module 5 Writers’ Workshop Forum.
Do:
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Week 7: The Prose Poem: Hybrid
Forms
Read
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The Party Train, front material, xix-xxxiv
Read The Party Train, “Pathfinders and
Desperadoes”, pp. 3-51
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Module 6 Discussion Forum
Do:
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Week 8-10: Creating the Prose Poem
Read
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The Party Train, pp.55-325
Consult web resources as needed
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Module 7 Discussion Forum
Do
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Week 11: Creating Wikis on Form
and Theory
Module 7 Writers’ Workshop Forum.
Review:
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All instructional material in groups of 3-4
Topic
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Week 13-15: Final Portfolios
Post topic to Wiki
Review:
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Drafts of all your poems submitted to
Writers’ Workshop Forum
Feedback on all your poems submitted to
the Writers’ Workshop Forum
Do:
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Final Portfolio
Critical Introduction
POLICIES
Student Academic Dishonesty Policy
Committing an act of academic or scholastic dishonesty. Scholastic dishonesty
includes but is not limited to cheating, plagiarism, collusion, the submission for
credit of any work or materials that are attributable in whole or in part to another
person, taking an examination for another person, any act designed to give unfair
advantage to a student or the attempt to commit such acts. See H.O.P. 5.5.2(19 a-c)
for more details.
Inform Your Instructor of Any Accommodations Needed
If you have a documented disability and verification from the Disability Services, and wish
to discuss academic accommodations, please contact your instructor as soon as possible. It
is the student’s responsibility to provide documentation of disability to Disability Services
and meet with a SSWD counselor to request special accommodation before classes start.
Disability Services is located in room 322 University Center and can be contacted by phone
at (956) 316-7911 (Voice) (956) 316-7911 or via email at [email protected].