EGL 191 Introduction to Poetry Spring 2014

Tuesday and Thursday, 5:30 to 6:50 pm

Staller Center 2314
Alexis Kharchla (Chartschlaa) alexischartschlaa@gmail.com - 718.314.9450
Office Hours HUM 1109 Tues & Thurs, 3-5 pm
Required Texts
Kennedy, X.J. and Gioia, Dana. Introduction to Poetry, 13th Edition.
Collins, Billy. Poetry 180.
Course Description/Objectives
Our goal will be to develop the critical reading, writing and vocabulary skills needed to
analyze poetry without deadening our appreciation of it. We will work with a variety of
poems from multiple time periods and genres, although we will pay particular attention to
20th and 21st century poets writing in English from points across the globe. Grades will be
calculated based on attendance, participation, quizzes, short semi-weekly response papers
and a final paper.
Graded Course Requirements
Class participation & attendance: 10%

Attendance is mandatory. If you are absent more than three times, one letter
grade will be deducted from your final grade for each additional absence. Five or
more absences result in failure of the course. If you fail to bring the text being
discussed in class on any given day, you will be counted as absent.

Arriving late and leaving early will also lower your grade. Three late arrivals
and/or early departures will count as one absence.

I calculate your participation grade based upon your readiness to participate in

class and small-group discussion as well as attentive, alert notetaking when your
peers or I speak.

Quizzes: 10%
20-question, multiple-choice quizzes based upon that weeks reading. Administered
Wednesdays during the first fifteen minutes of class.

Graded Course Requirements, cont.

Response papers: 40%
You will write four response papers. Each paper will be between 3-5 pages. For further
instruction, see the specific response paper prompts. All response papers must be typed in
Times New Roman 12-point font. Your name, my name, the class name, section number
and date must appear at the top left-hand corner. I will not accept late response papers.
If you do not turn in your response paper on the date it is due, you will receive a zero for
that paper.
Final paper: 20%
For this 5-7 page final paper, you will choose one of three writing prompts (one prompt
for each novel we read). Format and submission requirements are the same as those for
your response papers.
Final exam: 20%
A cumulative in-class exam comprised of multiple-choice, fill-in-the-blank, shortanswer and essay questions. You will not be allowed to refer to your books or notes for
any portion of the exam.

Course Calendar (Short Additional Readings May Be Assigned)

Jan 28
Jan 30
Feb 4
Feb 6
Feb 11
Feb 13
Feb 18
Feb 20
Feb 25
Feb 27
March 4
March 6
March 11
March 13
March 17
March 25
March 27
April 1
April 3
April 8
April 10
April 15
April 17
April 22
April 24
April 29
May 1
May 6

Introduction to class
Poetry 180, 1-20; Introduction to Poetry, Chapter 1: Reading a Poem
Poetry 180, 21-40; Introduction to Poetry, Chapter 2: Listening to a Voice
Poetry 180, 41-62; Introduction to Poetry, Chapter 3: Words; Quiz One
Poetry 180, 63-84; Introduction to Poetry, Chapter 4: Saying and
Suggesting
Poetry 180, 85-106; Introduction to Poetry, Chapter 5: Imagery;
Response Paper One Due
Poetry 180, 107-128; Introduction to Poetry, Chapter 6: Figures of Speech
Poetry 180, 129-141; Introduction to Poetry, Chapter 7: Song;
Poetry 180, 142-163; Introduction to Poetry, Chapter 8: Sound
Poetry 180, 164-185; Introduction to Poetry, Chapter 9: Rhythm; Quiz
Two
Poetry 180, 186-207; Introduction to Poetry, Chapter 10: Closed Form
Poetry 180, 208-229; Introduction to Poetry, Chapter 11: Open Form;
Quiz Three
Poetry 180, 230-251; Introduction to Poetry, Chapter 12: Symbol
Poetry 180, 252-272; Introduction to Poetry, Chapter 13: Myth and
Narrative; Quiz Four; Response Paper Two Due
Poetry 180, 273-294; Introduction to Poetry, Chapter 14: Poetry and
Personal Identity
Poetry 180, 295-316; Introduction to Poetry, Chapter 15: Translation
Poetry 180, 317-338; Introduction to Poetry, Chapter 16: Poetry in
Spanish; Quiz Five
Poetry 180, 339-352; Introduction to Poetry, Chapter 17: Recognizing
Excellence
Introduction to Poetry, Chapter 18: What is Poetry? Quiz Six; Response
Paper Three Due
Introduction to Poetry, Chapter 19: Emily Dickinson
Introduction to Poetry, Chapter 19: Langston Hughes; Quiz Seven
Introduction to Poetry, Chapter 20: T.S. Eliot
Introduction to Poetry, Chapter 21: Poems for Further Reading
(Anonymous through Frost); Quiz Eight
Introduction to Poetry, Chapter 21: Poems for Further Reading (Frost
through Keats); Quiz Nine
Introduction to Poetry, Chapter 21: Poems for Further Reading (Keats
through Olds)
Introduction to Poetry, Chapter 21: Poems for Further Reading (Olds
through Pound); Final paper due
Introduction to Poetry, Chapter 21: Poems for Further Reading (Pound
through Yeats)
Final exam (administered in class)