ENGL 283 A: Beginning Verse Writing

283A: Beginning Verse Writing Tuesday/Thursday from 10:30am-11:50am, Pacific Time Instructor: Anna Ciummo Contact Information: Email: ac5615@uw.edu; Office Zoom ID: 782 568 2215 Office Hours: Monday/Wednesday from 8am-9am Pacific Time, or by appointment Required Materials: A notebook you like, a laptop, and internet access. There are no required books for this course—all reading will be provided via Canvas.

Course Description Welcome to EN283: Beginning Verse Writing! Poems can discuss anything, from an expression of romantic love to the crumbs of cake left behind on a paper plate. But how exactly do we take these ideas and make poetry out of them? To become better poets, you must become familiar with what poetry can be, methods of drafting and writing it, and how poets (including yourself) are using the genre to take part in important discourses of today. Because this is a writing course, we will focus a significant portion of class time on writing down thoughts, ideas, images, and messages that may become poems later on. The generative process lead to specific poem prompts for all to respond to. This class encourages the deep study of other poets’ work, which should expose you to the many creative avenues they’ve taken. In this class, you might decide which road you should take yourself (and which roads you might NOT take. Get it?). By reading, you’ll learn how other poets mix their own poetic potions. You’ll be able to see how even seemingly miniscule craft choices can, in the end, better convey complex messages, emotions, and sensations. Poetry is a universal human trait (Don’t believe me? See Donald E. Brown’s list of Human Universals), and something I believe we will always be drawn to, as long as we are human. We can use poetry today to fulfill our own needs, like perhaps helping ourselves sort out the mess that is our mind. But we can also use poetry to share our thoughts and ideas in a meaningful way. This class will hopefully provide you with a space to feel comfortable doing both. Learning Goals/Outcomes: 1. Gain a deeper understanding of poetry’s forms, subgenres, and traditions, and how to use them to convey specific messages. 2. Use a significant portion of class time as a place to generate poems, thoughts, images, etc. and place them on paper. 3. Read and discuss a variety of poems. We will focus on living poets relevant to the world today, with a small sprinkling of dead people. The study of these poets is to inform you more deeply about the issues and messages contemporary poetry is dealing with today, and how you can take part in these conversations with your own writing. 4. Develop your own personal line between prose and poetry, and to come up with a personal definition of poetry that means something to you. 5. Practice community and “do life” with your fellow poets, through reading, writing, and conversation. Because You Asked about the Line between Prose and Poetry (By Howard Nemerov) Sparrows were feeding in a freezing drizzle That while you watched turned to pieces of snow Riding a gradient invisible From silver aslant to random, white, and slow. There came a moment that you couldn’t tell. And then they clearly flew instead of fell. Evaluation, Feedback, Grading Although there are concrete ways in which we can evaluate poems, this class encourages you to intentionally deviate from traditionalist writing tactics (i.e. perfect grammar and heteronormative topics). Poetry should be an exploration of options, rather than simply repeating a familiar form. In general, following a formula will result in formulaic poems, and that’s the last thing I want to see from you. Rather, it is the poem’s message, craft, and response the reader has to it that I am most concerned with as your evaluator. To marry craft and message is at the heart of most excellent poem, so take a look at their many elements and consider them as you write. Craft can include: ● Line breaks, white space ● Choice/consistency of grammar, punctuation, spelling, capitalization ● Tone ● Word choice ● Meter, rhyme Message can include: ● Theme ● Metaphor ● Argument ● Meaning ● Emotion Grading: You have the potential to earn 100 points in this class. The breakdown is as follows: Poem 1 completed: 15 Points Poem 2 completed: 15 Points Poem 3 completed: 15 Points Poem 4 completed: 15 Points Participation in class: 10 points Portfolio completed: 30 points The keyword here is “completed.” If you do the work in this class, you will get a good grade. I do not give you bad grades based on grammar and spelling “mistakes;” I care much more that you did the work and fulfilled the assignment. Therefore, make sure you fulfill each requirement. Point Breakdown: ≥ 95% = 4.0 88 = 3.3 81 = 2.6 74 = 1.9 67 = 1.2 94 = 3.9 87 = 3.2 80 = 2.5 73 = 1.8 66 = 1.1 93 = 3.8 86 = 3.1 79 = 2.4 72 = 1.7 65 = 1.0 92 = 3.7 85 = 3.0 78 = 2.3 71 = 1.6 64 = .9 91 = 3.6 84 = 2.9 77 = 2.2 70 = 1.5 63 = .8 90 = 3.5 83 = 2.8 76 = 2.1 69 = 1.4 62 = .7 89 = 3.4 82 = 2.7 75 = 2.0 68 = 1.3 <.7 0="" please="" note="" that="" although="" i="" love="" and="" study="" poetry="" am="" not="" the="" end-all-be-all="" expert="" on="" topic="" anyone="" who="" tells="" you="" they="" are="" such="" an="" in="" is="" either="" overconfident="" or="" ignorant="" of="" extent="" their="" knowledge="" many="" poets="" specialists="" generalists="" often="" get="" caught="" up="" own="" taste="" do="" see="" myself="" as="" authority="" therefore="" don="" t="" think="" should="" be="" a="" person="" take="" too="" seriously="" critic="" your="" work="" only="" one="" voice="" crowd="" have="" valid="" reasons="" to="" disagree="" with="" me="" certain="" topics="" so="" my="" words="" gospel="" strive="" learn="" from="" peers="" other="" much="" might="" course="" activities="" class="" days:="" tuesdays="" will="" focus="" more="" in-class="" readings="" discussions="" prompted="" exercises="" thursdays="" we="" call="" our="" virtual="" salon="" ll="" participate="" actively="" guide="" conversation="" thursday="" designated="" student="" required="" provide="" invocation="" presentation="" poem="" type="" art="" lasts="" three="" five="" minutes="" this="" also="" weekday="" present="" memorized="" recitations="" week="" 5="" 9="" otherwise="" it="" time="" write="" schedule="" for="" details="" homework:="" prompts:="" everyone="" four="" poems="" based="" prompts="" submit="" via="" canvas="" shared="" discussion="" each="" completed="" worth="" 15="" points="" observatory="" log:="" throughout="" keep="" log="" things="" notice="" tell="" thing="" observed="" forgeries:="" forgeries="" activity="" require="" at-home="" published="" few="" lines="" cut="" out="" re="" finish="" vote="" most="" successful="" reading="" form="" long="" packets="" final="" portfolio="" requirements:="" at="" least="" radically="" revised="" poetic="" statement="" explaining="" personal="" definition="" ten="" hand-written="" choice="" policies="" timely="" manners="" attendance:="" requires="" regular="" participation="" attendance="" timeliness="" responsibility="" must="" all="" accommodate="" means="" hold="" high="" standard="" expect="" check="" respond="" email="" quickly="" arrive="" prepared="" on-time="" full="" negligence="" lateness="" part="" wastes="" if="" able="" come="" cannot="" let="" know="" advance="" reason="" allowed="" free="" absences="" after="" fourth="" absence="" point="" deducted="" 100="" important="" simulate="" real="" in-person="" possible="" whenever="" can="" video="" sound="" late="" work:="" smooth-running="" depends="" submission="" however="" happen="" especially="" covid="" times="" draft="" soon="" new="" due="" date="" no="" penalty="" any="" drafts="" submitted="" without="" notifying="" lose="" two="" content="" warning:="" writing="" discuss="" anything="" including="" upsetting="" politically="" charged="" decide="" deals="" way="" violence="" sexual="" assault="" racism="" racial="" slurs="" suicide="" self-harm="" eating="" disorders="" homophobia="" transphobia="" xenophobia="" discriminatory="" warning="" before="" audience="" experiences="" listener="" reader="" need="" click="" away="" purpose="" self-care="" there="" aware="" position="" classroom="" about="" effect="" others="" s="" likely="" make="" mistakes="" around="" called="" zoom:="" classes="" held="" meeting="" room="" id="mce_marker" 782="" 568="" 2215="" suggest="" save="" number="" somewhere="" easily="" access="" post="" zoom="" link="" under="" section="" communication="" instructor:="" read="" class-related="" emails="" monday-thursday="" between="" 10am="" 4pm="" central="" 8am-2pm="" pacific="" welcome="" day="" night="" response="" outside="" frame="" nothing="" remember="" talking="" directly="" during="" office="" hours="" probably="" productive="" than="" emailing="" distractions="" classroom:="" distracts="" yourself="" learning="" permitted="" include="" use="" non-class="" technology="" snacks="" noisy="" packaging="" chatting="" intervene="" hindering="" eat="" talk="" someone="" unrelated="" minimize="" distracting="" students="" by="" muting="" turning="" off="" university="" add-ons="" academic="" integrity:="" plagiarism="" dishonesty="" presenting="" else="" ideas="" encouraged="" refer="" people="" thoughts="" writing--as="" cite="" them="" matter="" policy="" found="" plagiarized="" piece="" immediately="" reported="" college="" arts="" sciences="" review="" complaints:="" concerns="" instructor="" these="" comfortable="" satisfied="" receive="" may="" contact="" following="" expository="" program="" staff="" padelford="" a-11:="" director="" candice="" rai="" 206="" 543-2190="" crai="" uw="" edu="" associate="" programs="" michelle="" liu="" msmliu="" speaking="" ewp="" still="" english="" department="" chair="" anis="" bawarshi="" 543-2690="" accommodations:="" accommodation="" sort="" disability="" resources="" drs="" what="" syllabus="" available="" large="" print="" materials="" information="" http:="" www="" washington="" religious="" state="" law="" develop="" significant="" hardship="" faith="" conscience="" organized="" how="" request="" faculty="" guidelines="" accommodations="" requested="" within="" first="" weeks="" using="" https:="" registrar="" religious-accommodations-request="" span="" data-mce-type="bookmark" data-mce-fragment="1">​