Poetry Learning

Why read a poem? Why write one? People say modern poetry as an art form is imperiled in our time, yet everywhere in the world cultures and individuals memorize, recite, and value various forms of poetry.

This course will attempt to define this genre of poetry writing, to discuss its particular attributes, to distinguish between good and bad poetry, to explain why so much writing poetry is difficult, and to isolate the sorts of truths modern poetry seems best at conveying. Our focus will be on modern poetry, in English and in translation.

*WHAT YOU WILL LEARN*

✔ POETRY AND THE ARREST OF LIFE.

✔ POETRY AND DIFFICULTY

✔ DISTINGUISHING BETWEEN GOOD AND BAD POETRY.

✔ THE POET ON POETRY

✔ "SUNDAY MORNING," WALLACE STEVENS

✔ "THE GRAVEYARD BY THE SEA," PAUL VALÉRY.

✔ "THE MOON AND THE YEW TREE", SYLVIA PLATH.

✔ "AT THE FISHHOUSES," ELIZABETH BISHOP.

✔ PHILIP LARKIN AND W.H. AUDEN

✔ WHAT ARE THEY TRYING TO TELL US?

✔ CONCLUSION, PART ONE: POETRY: WHAT IT IS, AND HOW TO UNDERSTAND IT

✔ JAMES MERRILL'S "SANTORINI: STOPPING THE LEAK." A POEM OF THERAPEUTIC ARRESTATION

✔ LOVE, AND THE ARREST OF LIFE

✔ CHARLES WRIGHT'S BLACK ZODIAC

✔ STOPPING THE LEAK: T.S. ELIOT'S POEM, "VIRGINIA"

✔ POETRY AND THE WAY IT UNDERMINES US: WELDON KEES AND DONALD JUSTICE

*FEATURES*

• Lifetime access to 19 lectures

• 7+ hours of high quality content

• A community of 5100+ people trying to learn the same thing!

• Watch courses on the go: video lectures, audio lectures, presentations, articles, and anything inside your course.

• Watch courses in offline: Save courses for offline viewing so you can watch them while you're on a plane or subway!

* WHAT PEOPLE ARE SAYING ABOUT THIS COURSE*

"Excellent course opened my eyes to the possibilities of improving my own writing and becoming a more informed reader. Thank you."

- (Denise Fletcher) ★★★★★

"Margaret Soltan is a great teacher and trainer having a thorough knowledge of the subject when she delivers."

- (Prashantkumar Mafatlal Chauhan) ★★★★★

"Well organized and delivered with enthusiasm. Lecturer is capable of being tough as well as insightful. And she can sing! Thanks for the course."

- (Lee Whipple) ★★★★★

Instructed By : Margaret Soltan | Associate Professor of English - George Washington University

Margaret Soltan is an English professor at George Washington University in Washington DC. Her interest in twentieth century poetry and fiction is reflected in the title of her co-authored 2008 book, Teaching Beauty in DeLillo, Woolf, and Merrill (Palgrave Macmillan).

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