Poetry

What makes poetry different than prose (essays, fiction, nonfiction, etc.)?

"Arson" (72):

• Are the line breaks what make this a poem? If it were written in prose (w/out line breaks) would it cease to be poetry?
• Who is the "we" in line 9? 

"Rewinding an Overdose on a Projector" (260):

• What work does the title do for the poem? 
• How do you read the title in conjunction w/ the last 5 lines?
• In those last five lines, who is the narrator? What is the "I" doing in this final scene and what is his relation to the "boy on the floor"? 

"Human Traffic" (270):

•  How does the spacing work in this poem? Is there a system to it? 
• What is your reaction to the line, "If one were to think about it, the concept of ice water is the epitome / Of extravagance." Explain what this means.
• Or this: "Only an anonymous one in the firing squad has the actual bullets."
• How do you interpret the conclusion w/ the image of the man dog paddling? What is the difference between "a kicked-in door & a door kicked out"? 

"Young Hare" (494):

• This is an ekphrastic poem. Ekphrastic poetry is poetry that reacts to visual art. Here is German artist Albrect Durer's Young Hare from 1502:

 

• Now that you've seen the artwork, how does that affect your reading of the poem? 
• What is the significance that every line of the poem ends w/ the word "hare" (and two of the final lines end w/ "hair")?
• How is Durer the speaker's "love"?
• What role does the speaker (the "I") play in the poem? Esp. look at that last stanza again...

 Which of these poems is your favorite? Which do you struggle the most with? Why? What questions do you have about these poems, or poetry in general?

Upcoming...

• The vast majority of you didn't make entries on the blog over break. This is not good for your final grade. Make sure to do the blogging over the last four weeks of the term. 
• Don't forget to submit a draft for group critique this Thursday by 4 pm.  Too many of you are not responding to your classmates' drafts. This is part of your group crit grade. Also, don't forget to read the responses from me and your classmates. All responses are due by this Sunday at the end of the day.
• The official final day for your final collections is next Thursday, 4/30. I will take these up until the last day of class, 5/14 at 4 pm, but I will not accept any work after that. Upload these on Blackboard. Do not simply email them to me.
• Next Tuesday (4/28) during our regular class time (2:10-4 pm), we will screen an episode of Netflix's Black Mirror ("Nosedive" from season 3). If you have Netflix, you can watch the episode on your own. If not, you will need to come to the virtual classroom on Blackboard:

1. Go to "Course Tools." 
2. Click on "Blackboard Collaborate Ultra."
3. Click on "Course Room" and then "Join Course Room." 

Let me know if you have any questions.