Masterworks: Poetry

A "masterwork" of poetry is a literary text that has achieved both broad recognition for artistic excellence and an extraordinary level of influence within and beyond its culture of origin. In this course, students will engage such works from an aspiring writer’s point of view, drawing on them to develop a deeper understanding of the way form, structure, style, figurative language, theme, and cultural values work together in some of the most powerful poetic works of modern times. Discussions and writing assignments will focus on how exposure to the poetry of different countries can help us see our own literary and cultural assumptions with fresh eyes.