Global Modernist Poetry Global Studies IN 350 Dr. Randy Brooks, Ph.D. Directory of the Writing Major Millikin University 2006 March 27 • April 3 • April 10 • April 17 • April 24 Classroom: Mattoon Consolidated Communication 6:00 pm - 10:00 pm description || video || textbooks || web site || assignments || schedule tanka kukai 1 favorites • tanka kukai 2 favorites Global Modernist Poetry Students Amanda Zucco Bernie Ryan Brad Wagner Dee Wood Josh Parmenter Kathy Yarnell Katrina Farris Marcia Gordon Mickey Hrvol Mike Bailey   Pat Luedke Patty Barnick Terry Leach Wanda Norris   © 2006, Randy Brooks, Millikin University (All rights retained by the student author.) Course Description: Global Modernist Poetry examines the Global modernist movement in poetry. All of the artists were impacted with the modernization which occurred at the beginning of the twentieth century. In this course we will read and write poetry based on the global modernist response to this age of anxiety, industrialization, hope and war. COURSE OBJECTIVES & LEARNING OUTCOMES: The learning objectives of this course especially emphasize (1) active participation in a diverse global community and (2) to discover and develop a personal life of meaning and value. Students will explore the history and poetic responses to modernism around the globe (1900-1930) and learn about the role of this literary art in American, British, Japanese and Spanish culture. Students will develop their creative writing abilities through poetry writing, and they will develop professional writing abilities, as academic research writers through a comparative study of modernist poetry. COURSE STRUCTURE: We start by exploring the efforts of American and British poets to develop new approaches to write poetry that appropriate captures and conveys the modernist experiences of industrialization, alienation and war. Then we explore how modernist experiences transform traditional approaches to writing poetry in Japan, specifically studying modernist tanka. We end with an examination of modernist Spanish poetry. The course moves from a basic understanding of the modernist poetry from a reader’s perspective to an active writing participant perspective as we try out these techniques for oursevles. The final project of the course is a comparative essay, examining an thematic or poetic thread throughout these various global approaches. This course is structured around the following activities, which are intended to facilitate the achievement of the course objectives: 1. Sharing and discussing favorite poems from the reading assignments     (emailed response paragraphs due midnight the day before the class). 2. Poetry writing (various modernist traditions). Graded by effort/not quality. 3. Critical reading discussion of modern poetry and modernist poetics. 4. Poetry editing workshop. (emailed attempts due midnight day before class) 5. Two “Kukai” selections of favorite tanka. 6. Presentations of completed comparative studies and original work to the class. We will view a video on moderist poetry from the Annenberg/CPB Project: Ezra Pound: American Odyssey. New York Center for Visual History. Washington DC: Annenberg/CPB Project, 1988. A-V. PS3531.O82 E91988 TEXTS REQUIRED: Imagist Poetry: An Anthology edited by Bob Blaisdell Dover Books, ISBN: 0486408752 Chicago Poems by Carl Sandburg Dover Books, ISBN: 0486280578 World War One British Poets: Brooke, Owen, Sassoon, Rosenberg and Others edited by Candace Ward Dover Books, ISBN: 0486295680 Tangled Hair: Selected Tanka from Midaregami by Akiko Yosano Cheng & Tsui, ISBN: 0887273734 Masaoka Shiki: His Life and Works by Janine Beichman Cheng & Tsui, ISBN: 0887273645 Spanish-American Poetry edited by Seymour Resnick Dover Books, ISBN: 0486293807 Class web site located at: http://faculty.millikin.edu/~rbrooks/GlobalModernPoetry2006 Attendance Policy & Grades Students are expected and required to attend all classes and class times and to actively participate in class activities and discussions. According to PACE policy, students that miss more than 25% of scheduled class time will be instructed to withdraw from the course. Failure to “officially” withdraw from the course will result in a grade of F. Assignments, Late Assignments and MAKE-up Work: All assignments must be turned in on the due date as instructed by the professor. Assignments turned in late for any reason will result in deductions in the grade(s) of the assignment(s). Types of Assignments Informal Quick-Writes, Quizzes, Exercises & Planning Work Quick, informal assignments will be graded with a simple check-system (+) (¯) or (–) indicating completion of the assignment. These grades indicate that: 100% (plus) you have done an excellent, thoughtful writing, 50% (check) you have completed the assignment adequately 0% (minus) you have not fulfilled the assignment Formal Documents The other assignments are considered formal which means that they should be printed, carefully edited, revised and designed for maximum effectiveness with the intended audience. Assignments & Semester Grading: *Informal Assignments & Participation (plus, check, minus) 25% *Original Poetry Collection 25% *Original Tanka Collection 25% *Comparative theme or poetic technique Essay 25% *all assignments are to be turned in as digital copies by RTF format email attachment to rbrooks@mail.millikin.edu (Use your SAVE AS function and choose “Rich Text Format” or “RTF” for digital files.) HOW? HOW? HOW? 1. Choose “SAVE AS” instead of “SAVE” 2. Look for “FORMAT” options 3. Choose “RTF” or “Rich Text Format” 4. Save GRADE DISTRIBUTION: Course grades and percentage of points received will be correlated as follows: A 92% and above Outstanding A- 90%-91.9% B+ 88%-89.9% B 82%-87.9% Above Average B- 80%-81.9% C+ 78%-79.9% C 72%-77.9% Satisfactory C- 70%-71.9% D+ 68%-69.9% D 60%-67.9% F less than 60% Schedule The course schedule is merely a guideline. The professor reserves the right to alter course content, class assignments/activities, and/or dates, as deemed necessary. The professor will announce assignments and due dates in class and through the class web site. The student is responsible for attending class to know what assignments will be required and when. Announcements in class or via email will take precedence over the written schedule. Week One (in class only) 1. Sharing and discussing poetry from Imagist Poetry: An Anthology edited by Bob Blaisdell 2. Introduction to modern historical time period and modernist poetics. 3. Video on modernism— Ezra Pound: American Odyssey. New York Center for Visual History. Washington DC: Annenberg/CPB Project, 1988. A-V. PS3531.O82 E91988. in class reading: Imagist Poetry: An Anthology in class response writing: select a favorite poem and briefly write your imagined reader’s response to 2 poets in Imagist anthology. Be ready to discuss why you like them. in class poetry writing (with Dr. Brooks' help): (1) write about something that bothers you in contemporary life & in our own contemporary world and (2) write one short imagistic poem which combines a sense of place and a related emotion. by Wednesday midnight email your in class response writing by Wednesday midnight email your in class writing about something that bothers you, and your related modernist approach poem assignments for week two: reading for week two: Imagist Poetry: An Anthology edited by Bob Blaisdell and Chicago Poems by Carl Sandburg and World War One British Poets response writing for next week: select a favorite poem and briefly write your reader’s response paragraphs to 1 poet in Imagist anthology, 2 poems by Sandburg, and 2 poems from the World War One British Poets. poetry writing for week two: (1) write one Sandburg-like poem celebrating the working man or pride of place (despite problems) and (2) write one short imagistic poem about a more contemporary war from a “being there” or “home front” perspective. EMAIL your 5 response paragraphs & 2 original poems by midnight Sunday to me at: rbrooks@mail.millikin.edu Week Two 1. Sharing and discussing favorite poems from the Imagist Poetry: An Anthology and Chicago Poems by Carl Sandburg and World War One British Poets 2. Sharing and discussing favorite poems from Chicago Poems by Carl Sandburg 3. Sharing and discussing favorite poems from World War One British Poets 4. Discussion of modernist poetics: characteristics of American & British modernist poetry 5. Poetry editing workshop from poetry attempts. (email due midnight day before class) assignments for week three: reading for next week: read the introduction and tanka in Tangled Hair: Selected Tankaby Akiko Yosano translated by Sanford Goldstein response writing for next week: select 5 favorite tanka and write your imagined responses to 3 tanka. comparison writing: find an Imagist or Sandburg poem to match with one of Akiko’s tanka and write a short (no more than 1 page) comparison response to these two poems tanka writing for next class: try writing 5 tanka in Akiko Yosano’s approach of capturing a contemporary scene and expressing a related emotion EMAIL your writings to me by midnight Sunday at: rbrooks@mail.millikin.edu Week Three 1. Sharing and discussing favorite tanka from Akiko Yosano (email day before class). 2. Sharing comparison writings with a critical discussion of Akiko’s modernist approach to tanka compared to Imagists and British modernist poets. 3. Kukai selection of favorite tanka by each other. 4. Editing session on tanka writing. assignments for week four: reading: Masaoka Shiki: His Life and Works by Janine Beichman chapters 1-3 (p. 1-103) response writing for next week: select 3 favorite tanka by Shiki and write your imagined, felt response to each. comparison writing: find an Imagist or Sandburg poem or Akiko tanka to match with one of Shiki’s tanka and write a short (no more than 1 page) comparison response to these two poems tanka writing for next week: try writing 5 tanka in Shiki’s approach of realism and expression of genuine strong emotion EMAIL your writings to me by midnight Sunday at: rbrooks@mail.millikin.edu Week Four 1. Sharing and discussing favorite tanka from Masaoka Shiki (email day before class). 2. Sharing comparison writings with a critical discussion of Shiki’s modernist approach to tanka compared to Akiki Yosano, the Imagists and British modernist poets. 3. Kukai selection of favorite tanka by each other. assignments for week five: reading: Spanish-American Poetry edited by Seymour Resnick response writing for next week: select 3 favorite modernist Spanish poems (at least 1 by Lorca & 1 by Neruda) and write your imagined responses to 3 poems. comparison essay writing: write a reader’s response essay comparing several modernist poets from various cultures on a single theme or poetic method. • you must introduce the theme you are exploring and why it is interesting to you and readers • compare at least three (or more) poets on the theme • include reader response discussions of at least 5 poems • have a conclusion which makes a point about modernist poetry poem writing for next class: try writing 1 new poem imitating or modeled after one of the modernist Spanish poets. create a collection of your best poetry & tanka EMAIL all of your writings to me by midnight Sunday at: rbrooks@mail.millikin.edu Week Five 1. Sharing and discussing favorite poems from Spanish-American Poetry edited by Seymour Resnick 2. Sharing comparison essays on modernist poetry themes and techniques. 3. Reading from final collections of poems. 4. Do course evaluations.