L.ENG 201 - Poetry in Performance

Credits: 3

An in-depth study of lyric and dramatic poetry for students who would like to approach the subject in an experiential way. Students will learn to understand and appreciate poetry by writing about poems, and by making poetry physically part of themselves through memorization and performance. They will learn to read aloud and recite poems in a way that develops their skills for reading expressively, and for public speaking. Topics will include the application of fundamental concepts in poetics, including image, trope, scheme, lineation, syntax, tone, sound, prosody, speaker, and addressee, and fundamental acting techniques, including control and variation of volume, tone, inflection, pitch, pacing, eye-contact, facial expression, gesture, body-language, and gaze. The course is open to all students who have taken one of the possible prerequisites, but would be of particular interest to those majoring or thinking of majoring in English Literature or Creative Writing (or minoring in English or Theater), as well as any student wishing to learn about poetry and develop their abilities in critical and expressive reading, critical writing, memorization, and public speaking.
Prerequisite: L.ENG 105 or L.ENG 111
Co-requisite: None
General Education Classification: Not Applicable