English 106.06: Introduction to Poetry

Instructor: Ms. Christine Adams Email:

Office: Curry 335E, Mailbox in MHRA 3114 Classroom: MHRA 2211

Office Hours: TR 12:30 pm- 2pm Class Time:TR 11:00 am –12:15 pm

Course Description

“It is really hard to be lonely very long in a world of words. Even if you don't have friends somewhere, you still have language, and it will find you and wrap its little syllables around you and suddenly there will be a story to live in.”

“Every day is a poetry day.”

-Naomi Shihab Nye

The word poetry comes from the Greek poiesis, meaning “a making.” It is the assertion ofmany poets and scholars that the experience of hearing poetry taps into something as primal and essential as our own heartbeats, and thus perhaps our connection and love of the form is as human as a beating heart.In this class we will explore poetry from familiar forms, rhymes, and rhythms, to its contemporary incarnations. As we move through the semester we will attempt to define what this “making” truly means by considering the following questions: What is a poem?; How does a poem differ from other literary forms?; Why do poets write poetry?; Does poetry still matter in the 21st century?; What is it about poetry that we are so connected to?; How has poetry changed to meet the needs of people in different times?; How does the history of poetry affect poets today? Through consideration of these questions, coupled with our discussions, projects, and writing, we will begin to scratch the surface of one of the pillars of history and literature.

Required Materials

  • Kennedy, X.J.,Gioia, Dana. An Introduction to Poetry. ISBN: 9780205686124
  • Sparks, Summar C.,ed. Lenses: Perspectives on Literature. ISBN:9780738051055
  • The Greensboro Review, Issue 93. Spring 2013- Available in MHRA 3302.
  • Blackboard Readings- These can be found on Blackboard Under Course Documents.
  • Notebook and writing utensil.
  • Blue Books for the Midterm and Final Exam.

Technology Requirements

  • Active I-Spartan Email Address (You should check this account daily.)
  • Blackboard Account
  • Printing Access. Please make sure you budget enough money to print documents. “My card ran out of money/ my printer ran out of ink/etc. is not an acceptable excuse.

Course Objectives:

Student Learning Outcomes (SLOs) for the GLT marker:

At the completion of this course, students will be able to:

1. Demonstrate the reading skill required for the student of literary texts. (LG3)

2. Identify and/or describe some of the varied characteristics of literary texts. (LG3)

3. Demonstrate orally, in writing, or by some other means, a fundamental ability to use some of the techniques and/or methods of literary analysis. (LG 1 and LG 3)

4. Identify and/or describe some of the various social, historical, cultural, and/or theoretical contexts in which literary texts have been written and interpreted. (LG 3)

Those SLOs labeled LG3 relate to UNCG’s Learning Goal #3 for General Education, which says students will “Describe, interpret, and evaluate the ideas, events, and expressive traditions that have shaped collective and individual human experience through inquiry and analysis in the diverse disciplines of the humanities, religions, languages, histories, and the arts.” ((

Those SLOs labeled (LG1) relate to UNCG’s Learning Goal #1 for General Education.

Course Policies:

Academic Integrity: “Academic integrity is founded upon and encompasses the following five values: honesty, trust, fairness, respect, and responsibility. Violations include, for examples, cheating, plagiarism, misuse of academic resources, falsification, and facilitating academic dishonesty. If knowledge is to be gained and properly evaluated, it must be pursued under conditions free from dishonesty. Deceit and misrepresentations are incompatible with the fundamental activity of this academic institution and shall not be tolerated” (from UNCG’s Academic Integrity Policy). To ensure that you understand the university’s policy on academic integrity, review the guidelines and list of violations at I expect you to abide by the Academic Integrity Policy.

Incidents of cheating and plagiarism are reported to the Dean of Students and sanctions are aligned with the policies at

Moral of the story: I’m interested in your work and thoughts, not someone else’s.If you intentionally represent someone else’s work as your own you will fail this course. I encourage you to ask questions in class or come see me in my office hours if you have any questions about this policy or academic integrity.

Attendance: The success of our class, as it is discussion based, depends on your participation in the conversations we bring up in class. Therefore, any absences are strongly discouraged. For literature classes meeting twice a week: Students are allowed a maximum of three absences without grade penalty. For every absence beyond those allowed, 5 percentage points will be deducted from you final grade. (i.e. A total of five missed classes will result in a 10 percentage point penalty from your final grade. Yikes.) Students who miss six classes on a two-day schedule will fail the course. Should a crisis arise, come talk to me or email me before you miss too many classes.

Students are, by state law, allowed two excused absences due to religious holidays. These absences do not count toward the total maximums allowed above. If you plan to miss class due to a religious holiday, you must notify me via email at at least 48 hours prior to your absence.

I excuse absences only in the case of serious matters such as: chronic illness, hospital visits, or the death of family member.You should expect to be required to produce appropriate documentation if you are asking for an absence to be excused. While I understand that colds, flat tires, and malfunctioning alarm clocks are a fact of life you should use your allotted absences wisely to account for these less serious matters. If you miss class you are responsible for making up any work you may have missed. This includes checking Blackboard and contacting another member of the class for notes, changes to the course schedule, and other pertinent information. It is easy to email your classmates using the email tool in Blackboard.

*Student athletes are subject to the above requirements. If you must miss class for games or practices, they will count as one of your three allowed absences. If you need to miss additional classes, or if you will be traveling when a paper or project is due, you must speak with at least one week in advance to determine an alternate due date. Please bring your travel addendum to me as soon as possible, and maintain communication with me throughout the semester to avoid problems.

Tardiness:I finish taking attendance by the start of class; so being late may result in you being marked absent in addition to affecting your participation grade. If you arrive after I have finished taking attendance you are tardy. If you leave class early you are tardy. Three tardies equal an absence. I say this, simply, because it is vital to our collaborative learning environment that you, your voice, and your work are present if we are to have an engaging and successful course.

Accessibility for Special Needs: Students with documentation of special needs should arrange to meet with me about accommodations as soon as possible. If you believe you could benefit from such accommodations, you must first register with the Office of Accessibility Resources and Services on campus before such accommodations can be made. The office is located on the second floor of the Elliott University Center in Suite 215. The office is open from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Monday-Friday. You can reach them by telephone at 336-334-5440, or email at .

Respect Policy: Most things worth writing about have the ability to cut to the depths of our beings. These things include death, violence, grief, religion, relationships, and our human nature. Sometimes we will disagree with each other in class.Impassioned conversation is great, but disrespectful tones, personal attacks, and violent verbiage are unacceptable. Also, because I do not allow cell phones the buzzing or ringing of these devices is a violation of this policy. I reserve the right to interpret inappropriate behaviors as I see fit and address them accordingly. Remaining in my class is a tacit acknowledgement of this right.

Submission of Work: All papers are to be formatted according to MLA guidelines. This means they should be double-spaced in 12 point Times New Roman font with 1-inch margins (note: not the default setting of the current version of Microsoft Word) and stapled. Please include your name, our course number, the date the assignment is due, as well as an original title. I expect you to responsibly cite all materiel you use in your work. Both in-text citations and references must be in MLA format. Purdue University’s OWL is an excellent resource for learning how to properly cite sources, as is our own library, library databases, and The University Writing Center. Papers that are not formatted correctly or contain improper citation will be returned and penalized 10 points. They will need to be re-submitted within 24 hours or they will be considered late.

Late Work Policy

Papers are due by hard copy at the start of class. If you are absent I still must have an electronic copy of your paper by the start of class. You are responsible for submitting an identical hard copy at our next class meeting. Work that is turned in after the start of class will be considered late. Late work will be penalized one letter grade for every calendar day it is late. It is your responsibility to contact me to arrange turning in your late work. I will not ask you for it.

Technology Policy: Laptops and tablets are permitted to take notes pertaining to our class, to view documents on our Blackboard website, or to engage in class-related activities as approved by the instructor. Any student who uses an electronic device for any activity not relevant to this course during class time will be marked absent and will not be allowed to use electronics in class again. If you choose to use an electronic device in class, I ask that you sit in the front row(s).

Cell Phone Policy: Cell phones may not be used in this class.Silence all devices that make noise. Cell phones shall be stowed “down and away” until the end of class. If I can see your cell phone you will be marked absent and will be asked to leave class. Please see me at the start of class if you anticipate needing to take an emergency call.

Contacting the Instructor: Class time and office hours are the most efficient way to get your questions and concerns addressed. Outside of class, email is the best way to reach me. I will make every effort to respond to your email within 48 hours. If I have not replied to your message after 48 hours, then please re-send the message.

Additional Resources:

The University Writing Center: This is a free service that exists solely to help you become a better writer. Take papers at any stage of completion to the center for a one-on-one consultation. The center is located in MHRA 3211. No appointment needed, though you should arrange to go to the center at least 48 hours prior to when your assignment is due.

Other Helpful Information:

Counseling and Testing Center: 336-334-5874

Office of the Dean of Undergraduate Studies: 336-334-5099

Student Services Center (Tutoring): 336-334-3125

Graded Components:

FINAL GRADE BREAKDOWN

Participationand Discussant Days:15%

Recitation: 5%

The Unexpected Poetry Project: 5%

Weekly Quizzes/ In- Class Writings: 20%

Literary Analysis: 20%

Midterm: 15%

Final: 20%

I utilize the full range of grades from A to F (including plusses and minuses) in keeping with University grading policies. Your course grade will be based on the following components that make up your course work for the semester. UNCG defines an A as excellent; a B as good; a C as average; a D as the lowing passing grade; and an F as failure. Please understand that a C means that you simply met all the requirements of the course, not that you did poorly, which would be indicated by a D or an F. Likewise, an A or B indicates you met and exceeded course requirements.

Your writing assignments and projects will be graded based on their originality, ambition, willingness to take risks, relevance to the subject matter, analysis of particular passages and more general themes, and finally on their mechanics and formatting.

Criteria for Oral Communication

ASuperior communicative skills; excellent preparation for class discussion; always volunteers; listens and responds thoughtfully and courteously to others’ comments; student exemplifies mastery, rigor, and intellectual curiosity regarding course readings and concepts while also introducing relevant independent insights to the discussion; student demonstrates enthusiasm and takes initiative, particularly during group activities.

BGood communicative skills; solid preparation for class discussion; consistently volunteers and makes meaningful contributions in group activities; student exemplifies interest and engagement regarding course readings and concept; student demonstrates a positive attitude

CAdequate communicative skills; fair preparation for class discussion; occasionally volunteers; exemplifies competence regarding course readings and concepts; student demonstrates an inoffensive, but noncommittal attitude; sporadic contributions during group activities

DLimited communicative skills; uneven preparation for class; rarely volunteers; demonstrates indifference or irritation when prompted; inattentive during class; rare contributions during group activities. [Performance may be marked by other flaws: consistent tardiness, disruptive behavior, etc.]

FWeak communicative skills; little to no preparation for class; little evidence of reading assignments (this can include not buying course texts or not making up missed material); never volunteers, or doesn’t respond when prompted; demonstrates potential hostility to discussion; irrelevant, distracting, or no contribution to group activities

Remember, you do not need to be an “expert” to participate; asking a good question is as, or sometimes more, valuable than offering a completed thought.

Participation (SLOs 1,2,3,4): 15%

To succeed in this class, you must do the readings beforehand in a manner that prepares you to engage in substantial, sophisticated discussion, both verbally and written. You also must bring the text(s) that we will be discussing to class. For every class I expect you to come prepared with two discussion questions and two points in the text that interested you. On the days we do not have discussants I may ask you to jump-start our discussion for the day with one of your questions.Your participation grade rests on your contributions to class discussions, required and optional meetings with me about the course matter, your work, and demonstrated knowledge of readings.

At any time throughout the semester you may earn participation points by memorizing one of the assigned poems for the day and reciting it accurately for the class.

Discussant Days (SLO’s 1,2,3,4):

You will be a discussant for two days of the semester. This means that you should do the reading carefully and plan on visiting the library to do some outside research. Come to class prepared with notes, portions of the readings that interested you, and questions to ask the class. You should plan to be able to sustain our class discussion for an hour. Being a good discussant does not mean you need to lead the class, focus on asking questions and making comments that help facilitate our discussion of the text.

Recitation (SLO’s 1 and 2): 5%

To understand the power of poetry, one needs to hear it out loud. You will be required to memorize and recite a poem no shorter than 14 lines and no longer than 30 lines on a specified day during the semester. You should be prepared to get out of your comfort zone. Points will be awarded for the accuracy of your memorization, the creativeness and effectiveness of your recitation, as well as your adherence to your chosen poet’s intention.

The Unexpected Poetry Project (SLOs 1,2,3,4): 5%

April is national poetry month. To celebrate you will be required to present poetry to the community in an unexpected way. You can accomplish this task by reciting a poem in public, by writing a poem in sidewalk chalk, by inserting hard copies of poems into library books, or any other creative idea you may have for exposing poetry to the community. The sky’s the limit. You will need to document your project in photos or video and present it, and your goals for the project to our class in a Power Point or Prezi presentationof 5-7 minutes. Your grade will be based on the originality, willingness to take risks, enthusiasm, and effectiveness of your project coupled with the organization, professionalism, and clarity of your presentation.

Weekly Quizzes and In-Class Writings (SLO’s 1,2,3,4): 20%

In order to have high quality discussions about poetry, one must become a good reader of poetry. Poetry demands careful consideration, which demands time. To foster and reward good reading and annotation habits you will be quizzed weekly on the content of our readings. In lieu of a quiz I may opt to ask you to do an in- class writing assignment. Either way, your weekly quiz grades will be an indication of your commitment to this course and our reading.