module specification

This module will provide students with a wide-ranging introduction to reading poetry and to the great variety of poetic forms and genres, from sonnets to free verse and performance poetry. It will introduce students to poetic literary history through major poets such as Wordsworth and Eliot, and equally explore contemporary poetry and poetics. Throughout the module, students will be provided with skills and opportunities to read published poetry, write their own poetry, and discuss poetry in a supportive environment facilitated by their tutor. The module is taught primarily by three-hour weekly classes typically comprising a lecture and a writing workshop. The module is assessed by written coursework and an oral presentation.

The module aims to introduce a range of critical and technical skills required to read, write and discuss poetry; to examine poetic forms and genres in the context of both the historical development of (mostly British) poetry and also the diversity of contemporary poetic practice; and to explore different ideas about the function of poetry.

Students will be introduced to a range of key poetic concepts for close-reading poetry, such as voice, image, line, musicality, and poetic form. (LO3)

The module will also provide students with an overview of poetic history and the key genres and poets of specific periods, such as the Romantic and Modernist periods. Forms and genres introduced will include fixed forms such as the sonnet and the various uses of free verse in contemporary poetry. (LO1)

Throughout the module, students will be provided with opportunities to both read and write poetry so as to strengthen their knowledge of the connection between creative and critical practice. Students will be encouraged to develop and articulate their own sense of the value of poetry as a form of literature, and to begin developing their own poetic voice. (LO1, LO2, LO4)

Scheduled teaching ensures that independent study is effective and addresses the learning outcomes and assessment tasks. Students are expected to, and have the opportunity to, continue with their studies outside of scheduled classes. There will be a range of learning strategies deployed and individual learning styles will be accommodated. The module’s learning outcomes, its contents and delivery, have been scrutinised and will be regularly reviewed to ensure an inclusive approach to pedagogic practice.

The module and course utilise the University’s blended learning platform to support and reinforce learning, to foster peer-to-peer communication and to facilitate tutorial support for students. Reflective learning is promoted through assessment items and interim formative feedback points that ask students to reflect on their progress, seek help where they identify the opportunity for improvement in learning strategies and outcomes, and make recommendations to themselves for future development. Throughout the module, students build a body of work, including reflections on progress and achievement.

The School’s programme of employability events and embedded work-related learning within the curriculum supports students’ personal development planning. Through these initiatives, students are increasingly able, as they progress from year to year, to understand the professional environment of their disciplines, the various opportunities available to them, and how to shape their learning according to their ambitions.

On successful completion of the module students will be able to:

Knowledge and understanding
LO1 show understanding of the history of British poetry and of contemporary poetic practice;

Cognitive intellectual abilities
LO2 reflect on the value of poetry as a form of literature;

Subject-specific skills
LO3 analyse poetry through application of key terminology and critical concepts;

Transferable skills
LO4 engage in oral presentation of their ideas.

Summative assessment will comprise a presentation and a portfolio of students’ own poetry with accompanying critical commentary.

Core textbooks:
Dobyns, S., (2011) Next Word, Better Word: The Craft of Writing Poetry, Palgrave Macmillan
Furniss, T. and Bath, M., (2007) Reading Poetry: An Introduction, 2nd ed., Prentice Hall
Samson, P., (2011) Writing Poems, Bloodaxe Books
Wainwright, J., (2016) Poetry: The Basics, 3rd ed., Routledge

Other textbooks:
Astley, N. (ed.), (2011) Being Human: The Companion Anthology to Staying Alive and Being Alive, Bloodaxe
Eagleton, T., (2006), How to Read a Poem, Blackwell
Ferguson, M., Salter, M. J. and Stallworthy, J. (eds.), (2005) The Norton Anthology of Poetry, 5th ed., W. W. Norton
Greene, R. (ed.), (2012) The Princeton Encyclopedia of Poetry and Poetics, 4th ed., Princeton University Press
Lennard, J., (2005) The Poetry Handbook: A Guide to Reading Poetry for Pleasure and Practical Criticism, 2nd ed., Oxford University Press
Martiny, E. (ed.), (2012) A Companion to Poetic Genre, Wiley-Blackwell
Redmond, J. (2006) How To Write A Poem, Blackwell

Journals:
Poetry London
Poetry Northwest

Websites:
The Poetry Archive, www.poetryarchive.org
The Poetry Foundation, www.poetryfoundation.org

Electronic Databases:
Academic Search Complete
JSTOR

Other:
Box of Broadcasts
Credo Reference Academic