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 the American cultural context. In this course, students will engage such works from an aspiring poet’s point of view, drawing on them to develop a deeper understanding of how master poets develop their own "poetic lineage" (as opposed to the standard "poetic canon") that shapes and nourishes their work over a lifetime. Discussions and writing assignments will focus on the significance of poetic lineages and help students understand the importance of identifying and cultivating their own.