483 Spring 2025 : Th 4:30-7:20 Professor Pimone Triplett ptrip@uw.edu THO 231
Office hours: F 3-4 on zoom. Please email me ahead of time for an appointment.
This class will be a traditional workshop where the primary texts are student work, alongside close readings of published poems. Published poems will be brought in by the professor, and students will also be able to select their own favorite poems for class discussion.
Some of the main ways to learn to write better poems are a) close, decelerated readings of a single poem, b) by osmosis, or reading lots of poems overall. The analysis we do in close readings stems from the feeling that when we love a thing we want to know how it works. For this, I’ll bring in pieces I love, and other times you can bring in your own. The osmosis factor in this class is created through your Personal Poetry Anthologies (more on those further down).
The usual format will be discussion of published work during the first half of class (or less, depending on time constraints). On workshop days, students will have a chance to discuss one another’s poems during the second half of the class (or for more time depending on class needs). We may vary from this basic order if the need arises (e.g., a particular technique needs more in-class discussion, or we need more time for workshop, etc.).
Because we don’t have time to workshop all poems by every class member each class, we’ll need to divide into two groups for workshopping during class time. However, whenever everyone writes a poem (Poem #1, Poem #2, etc.), that poem will be due for everyone at the same time/date. See syllabus below for specific due dates. These two groups are simply alphabetical by last name. Group A is Becerra – Huggins. Group B is Moni-Sauri – Uthmaan. To begin, Group A will be workshopped in the first class following whenever a poem is due (usually due Sunday evenings). Group B will be workshopped during the next class. We will then reverse the order of groups so that everyone has a similar experience. For the next poem written and due, Group B will workshopped in the first class following whenever a poem is due. Group A will be workshopped on the following class period. This pattern is continued, AB, BA.
Note: Aside from the syllabus, I place all canvas entries under the “Discussions” heading. The order of these discussion pages is not adjustable in canvas, so be sure to look all the way down when searching for an entry.
POEMS #1-#4: 60% of class grade. You will write 4 poems for the course. Deadlines are given below. For the final portfolio, you are required to revise 2 of the 4 poems, but you can revise all 4 if you’d like. Because these poems are in process, and in the name of encouraging further creativity, I will not be assigning numerical grades to each poem as they are turned back, although I will provide brief comments and suggestions for improvement.
PARTICIPATION: 40%. This number breaks down as 10% Personal Poetry Anthologies (PPA’s) and 10% brief annotations for individual selections made by you from your larger PPA’s and 10% student critiques and 10% in-class participation. Within this last 10% for class participation, 5% is to attend one poetry reading during the quarter and write a 1-2 paragraph account of your impressions. The Theodore Roethke Reading this year features Pulitzer Prize Winning Poet, Brandon Som. It takes place May 8, 7:30 pm in the Roethke Auditorium, Kane Hall.
https://english.washington.edu/calendar?trumbaEmbed=view%3Devent%26eventid%3D182097081
PERSONAL POETRY ANTHOLOGIES: 10%
This is a chance to show us which poems engage you most at the moment. It’s also just an invitation to explore more poetry on your own, which will hopefully be a habit you’ll continue after this course and for life.
During the week, using the Split This Rock poetry website and/or the Poetry Foundation and/or Poets.org websites, simply find 10 poems by at least 3 different poets that appeal to you now for some reason. That reason could be subject matter or a stylistic approach. These poems are assembled for your own pleasure, and for ours. You get credit for doing it. I’m not going to grade your choices as such, but they must be from the sources mentioned above. We will explore the STR and PF websites some in class before the first anthology is due. We’ll make time for you to chat about some of your choices, and you’ll have a chance to write a poem prompted by the poem of your choice. Occasionally, the student poem prompt will be based on your written analysis of poem techniques a published poem of your choice within your collection of personal poetry anthologies (PPA).
For the PPA’s, cut and paste all 10 poems into a single document. Upload this document to the Canvas space provided for the week on or before Fridays at five IF a Personal Poetry Anthology is assigned that week (see syllabus for specific dates).
Annotations and Student Critiques of Peer Poems: 20%
When annotations (10%) are due (see syllabus for specific dates), select 1 poem from among your gathering of poems in your PPA’s OR, depending on the schedule's instructions for the day, select 1 poem from the relevant Terrance Hayes book section (see specifics within daily schedule below). Select 2 relevant techniques from our list of poetic terms on canvas and/or techniques discussed in class. Then write a brief analysis of how these 2 techniques play out in your selected poem. Minimum length is 1 paragraph per technique. This analytical work will be the foundation to the poem prompt assignments. Instructions for doing student critiques will be given in week 3.
Student Critiques (10%): For some classes, you or your fellow students will have written a poem, or a draft of a poem, to which other students will have an opportunity for constructive response. You might address, for example, two or so craft elements that seem more fully realized in this current draft, and two or so more than could use further work. As with class discussion/ workshop, a tone of constructive suggestions, possible directions for future drafting, etc., will be expected. While serious revision/ redrafting/ more drafting are often required, disrespect will not be tolerated in any form. Don’t be too nice or too critical. Direct your comments to how we can help this writer improve the piece. Note: you are required to give at least one aspect of the poem that could be improved with more time, work, and the inspired further drafting.
Class Participation: 10%
In class participation (5%) : People have varying levels of comfort and approach to speaking in class, including but not limited to cultural factors. Other ways of participating in the class include the poems you write, annotations, student critiques and PPA’s. To help give everyone a chance in class, one best practice is to refrain from speaking a second time if you’ve already spoken once already.
Class participation is essential in a once-a-week class where peer input is key. Present in class means mentally present, not doing other work on your computer while someone else is talking, (which is disrespectful and distracting to anyone sitting near you, and to me). If you are using your computer for something else in class, your participation for the day is zero. In rare instances of students being rude or disrespectful to myself or others, this affects your (and potentially other students) participation, and so influences your participation grade. If you miss 1 class, you’ve missed 1/10th of the quarter, 2 classes 1/5th, etc.. Because participation is important, absences will affect your grade overall. It is extremely frustrating when all of us prepare a student poem, only to have that student author not show up. In this case, you forfeit the opportunity for that piece to receive feedback, as it inconveniences the whole future schedule for other students, and our limited time per class, to fit your work back in. If you do have a medical or personal emergency, let me know what is going on by email, preferably with a doctor’s note. If I get sick myself, I will let you know by email that day, and we can have a make up class during what would have been our finals time (if we had finals).
Within this last 10% for class participation, 5% is to attend one poetry reading during the quarter and write a 1-2 paragraph account of your impressions. The Theodore Roethke Reading this year features Pulitzer Prize Winning Poet, Brandon Som. It takes place May 8, 7:30 pm in the Roethke Auditorium, Kane Hall.
WEEKLY SCHEDULE (subject to change if necessary)
4/3 Week 1: Introductions. How to Read a Poem Like a Poet. Close readings of selected poems. Your take on poetic terms. For Poem #1 (due 4/20), you are asked to try out at least 2 techniques introduced in class, so you will want to take notes in class. Keeping an observation log for richer descriptive images.
4/10 Week 2: List poem cont’d. Read sample list poems on canvas several times before class. Close readings of selected poems in class. For Poem #1 (due 4/20)you are asked to try out at least 2 techniques introduced in class, so you will want to take notes. Exploration of websites Poetry Foundation and Split this Rock. Review of List prompt and how to do student critiques. How to do annotations.
Homework: Personal Poetry Anthology #1 due Friday 4/11 at 5pm on Canvas.
Pick up Terrance Hayes book, AMERICAN SONNETS. Read first one third of the book. Upload annotation #1 by Tuesday, 4/15 at 5pm onto Canvas.
4/17 Week 3: Close readings of selected poems (Hayes and list poems continued). Sharing of Personal Poetry Anthologies (you only have to pick one to read aloud while we follow along online).
Homework:
Personal Poetry Anthology #2 due Friday 4/18 at 5pm on Canvas.
Poem #1, the List poem, due Sunday, 4/20 at 5pm.
Student critiques due Tuesday, 4/22 at 5pm.
Terrance Hayes book, AMERICAN SONNETS. Read second third of the book. Select one poem from this section and come ready to share it with us. This is a "low stakes" assignment: you may pose a question about the poem or have a comment about a few lines, then the rest of the class will chime in.
4/24 Week 4: Close readings of selected poems (Hayes) and/or sharing of Personal Poetry Anthology selection. Workshopping of Group A Poem #1.
Homework:
Personal Poetry Anthology #3 due Friday, 4/25 at 5pm on Canvas.
Annotation #2 of 1 Hayes poem, due Tuesday, 4/29 by 5pm on Canvas.
5/1 Week 5: Close readings of selected poems (Hayes) and/or sharing of Personal Poetry Anthology selection. Workshopping of Group B Poem #1.
Personal Poetry Anthology #4 due Friday, 5/2 at 5pm on Canvas.
Poem #2, Hayes related, due Sunday, 5/4 at 5pm on Canvas.
- Due 5/4, POEM #2, Hayes related. Your poem is a poetic “relation” to your reading here. Yours might be a kind of cousin to Hayes’ poetry, or Hayes’ poems might be to you like an aunt or sister, uncle, etc. This poem should be inspired by Hayes’ craft, but adapted and made your own by using at least 2 of Hayes’ techniques culled from our class discussions. Note: you are not required to copy or imitate Hayes’ subject matter, content or “meaning” (although you are free to riff from his starting points if you feel so inspired). Please write the 2 techniques you are using in your poem at the top of the page. And your name at the top as well.
- Due 5/6, Tuesday by 5pm, respond with student critique to 1 fellow student poem and upload onto canvas. Again, be sure to first look for any poems that do not yet have a response, if any, and give your response there.
Student critiques due Tuesday, 5/6 at 5pm.
Terrance Hayes book, AMERICAN SONNETS. Read last third of the book. Select one poem from this section and come ready to share it with us. This is a "low stakes" assignment: you may pose a question about the poem or have a comment about a few lines, then the rest of the class will chime in.
5/8 Week 6: Close readings of selected poems (Hayes) and/or sharing of Personal Poetry Anthology selection. Workshopping of Group B Poem #2.
TONIGHT: Theodore Roethke Reading this year features Pulitzer Prize Winning Poet, Brandon Som. It takes place May 8, 7:30 pm in the Roethke Auditorium, Kane Hall. Please come!
Personal Poetry Anthology #5 due Friday 5/9 at 5pm on Canvas.
Annotation #3 of 1 PPA poem due Tuesday, 5/13 at 5pm on Canvas.
5/15 Week 7: Close readings of selected poems and/or sharing of Personal Poetry Anthology selection. Workshopping of Group A Poem #2.
Personal Poetry Anthology #6 due Friday 5/16 at 5pm on Canvas.
Poem #3 due Sunday, 5/18 at 5pm on Canvas.
5/22 Week 8: Close readings of selected poems and/or sharing of Personal Poetry Anthology selection. Workshopping of Group A Poem #3.
Personal Poetry Anthology #7 due Friday 5/23 at 5pm on Canvas.
Annotation #4 of 1 PPA poem due Tuesday, 5/27 at 5pm on Canvas.
5/29 Week 9: Close readings of selected poems and/or sharing of Personal Poetry Anthology selection. Workshopping of Group B Poem #3.
Personal Poetry Anthology #8 due Friday 5/30 at 5pm on Canvas.
Poem #4 due Sunday, 6/1 at 5pm on Canvas.
Student critiques due Tuesday 6/3 at 5pm
6/5 Week 10: Workshopping of Group A AND B during whole class for Poem #4.