Introduce students to aspects of poetic form and technique through reading and discussing recent poetry and relevant criticism.
Explore the ways in which poets achieve specific effects for their readers.
Facilitate the writing of new material through structured writing exercises.
Foster self-awareness in the use of poetic form and students’ ability to edit and redraft their own work.
Provide a space for students to give and receive constructive feedback.
Cultivate the enjoyment of reading, writing, listening to and performing poetry.
Promote critical thinking and the ability to make arguments supported by the close reading of texts.
Module learning outcomes
Upon successful completion of the module, students will be able to:
Reflect critically on their own poetry and that of others
Have gained experience in editing and redrafting their work to a high standard
Discuss aspects of poetic form using appropriate terminology.
Give specific technical feedback to their peers.
Use quotation in order to develop and support argument, including referencing.
Be introduced to a range of contemporary poets whose work may have previously been unfamiliar, encouraging regular reading and engagement with the culture of poetry beyond the classroom.
Indicative assessment
Task
Length
% of module mark
Group
Essay/coursework Poetry Portfolio & Commentary
N/A
100
Default
Essay/coursework Poetry Portfolio & Commentary
N/A
100
B
Special assessment rules
None
Indicative reassessment
Task
Length
% of module mark
Group
Essay/coursework Poetry Portfolio & Commentary
N/A
100
Default
Essay/coursework Poetry Portfolio & Commentary
N/A
100
B
Module feedback
The tutor will give regular individual verbal and written feedback throughout the module on work submitted.
The assessment feedback is as per the university’s guidelines with regard to timings.
Indicative reading
Neil Astley (ed.) Being Human: More Real Poems for Unreal Times (Bloodaxe, 2011).
W.N. Herbert and Matthew Hollis (eds), Strong Words: modern poets on modern poetry (Bloodaxe, 2000).
Tom Chivers (ed.), Adventures in Form: A Compendium of Poetic Forms, Rules and Constraints (Penned in the Margins, 2012).
Ruth Padel, 52 Ways of Looking at a Poem (Vintage, 2004).