LT381-6-FY-CO:
Reading, Writing and Doing Poetry
2023/24
Literature, Film, and Theatre Studies
Colchester Campus
Full Year
Undergraduate: Level 6
Current
Thursday 05 October 2023
Friday 28 June 2024
30
03 March 2023
Requisites for this module
(none)
(none)
(none)
(none)
(none)
In this module we will work in depth on the practice of writing poetry. We will examine distinct elements of poetic forms through selected examples from canonical and contemporary poetry in the English language.
We will look at examples of work considering how styles in form have lasted, whilst also considering the social and structural conditions of the cannon. The module is intended to make the students better at the craft, as well as more appreciative of its history, variety and innovations.
- Undergoing this module (engaging with the essential reading, reading further and participating in workshops) will enable students to gain new skills, talents and knowledge around poetry.
- Specialist knowledge of poetics traditions, its way of critiquing and understanding the world, and as a unique mode of communication, will also be acquired.
- Through exploring and discussing the current ways poetry connects to culture and creative industries, students will also be equipped to participate in contemporary debates surrounding the practice of poetry and its related careers.
By the end of this module, students will be expected to be able to:
- Demonstrate new and enhanced skills in composing and understanding poetry.
- Show an ability to analyse and reflect on their work using technical vocabulary in reference to histories of poetic forms.
- Translate their reading of poetry into practice.
- Demonstrate their knowledge of historical and contemporary poets; engage with poetic forms and the possibility of meaning in poetry.
- Apply enhanced communication skills in offering and receiving peer feedback.
- Participate in current debates surrounding the practice of poetry in contemporary culture.
First Term topics will include:
- Nervous lines and performative breaks
- Rhyme and cadence
- Metaphor and concept
- The lyric and the fragment
Second Term topics will include:
- Poetry Prizes and Award Culture
- Publishing
- Anthologies
- Reviews and Criticism
- Poetry and Protest
Weekly 2-hour classes including collaborative study of a poem, independent writing, and peer reflection
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Mitra, R. (no date) ‘Unmaking Contact: Choreographic Touch at the Intersections of Race, Caste, and Gender’,
Dance Research, 53.3 (2022). Available at:
https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.1017/S0149767721000358.
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Hughes, T. and Heaney, S. (2005) The rattle bag. London: Faber.
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‘See the Moodle for specific journal articles recommended for each session/topic’ (no date).
The above list is indicative of the essential reading for the course.
The library makes provision for all reading list items, with digital provision where possible, and these resources are shared between students.
Further reading can be obtained from this module's
reading list.
Assessment items, weightings and deadlines
| Coursework / exam |
Description |
Deadline |
Coursework weighting |
| Coursework |
Participation |
|
5% |
| Coursework |
Portfolio of 5 poems and an essay (1,500 words) about a particular poet |
|
37.5% |
| Coursework |
A portfolio of 5 well-crafted poems and an essay about form and invention (total 2,000 words), or a review of a contemporary poetry collection (2,200 words), or a review of a poetry event such as a reading or an award ceremony (2,200 words) |
|
57.5% |
Exam format definitions
- Remote, open book: Your exam will take place remotely via an online learning platform. You may refer to any physical or electronic materials during the exam.
- In-person, open book: Your exam will take place on campus under invigilation. You may refer to any physical materials such as paper study notes or a textbook during the exam. Electronic devices may not be used in the exam.
- In-person, open book (restricted): The exam will take place on campus under invigilation. You may refer only to specific physical materials such as a named textbook during the exam. Permitted materials will be specified by your department. Electronic devices may not be used in the exam.
- In-person, closed book: The exam will take place on campus under invigilation. You may not refer to any physical materials or electronic devices during the exam. There may be times when a paper dictionary,
for example, may be permitted in an otherwise closed book exam. Any exceptions will be specified by your department.
Your department will provide further guidance before your exams.
Overall assessment
Reassessment
Module supervisor and teaching staff
Dr Holly Pester, email: hpester@essex.ac.uk.
Dr Holly Pester
LiFTS General Office - email liftstt@essex.ac.uk.
Telephone 01206 872626
No
No
Yes
Dr Eleanor Perry
University of Kent
Lecturer in Creative Writing (Poetry)
Available via Moodle
Of 36 hours, 36 (100%) hours available to students:
0 hours not recorded due to service coverage or fault;
0 hours not recorded due to opt-out by lecturer(s), module, or event type.
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