posted: 4/10/2008
revised: 5/7/2008

Spring 2008 (session C)
Room UA3
Wednesday, 6 to 10 p.m.
tmorrissey@sci.edu
morrissey@wcusd15.org

Ted Morrissey (CV)
 “Office”: UA3
5:45, after class or by appointment
H: 496-3012 (not after 9 p.m.)
W: 566-3361 (daytime, Williamsville HS—until beginning of June)

ENGLISH 223-70—Literature:  Studies in Poetry (3 Credit Hours)

I. Course Description: English 223 Literature:  Studies in Poetry is a course in which students study selected poems in a variety of verse forms to acquaint them with the nature of poetry. Prerequisite: English 111 with a grade of “C” or better. IAI H3 903; IAI EGL 915.

II. Textbooks:

Caplan, David.  Poetic Form:  An Introduction.  New York:  Pearson-Longman, 2007. 

Trethewey, Natasha.  Native Guard.  Boston, MA:  Mariner, 2006. 

Available at SCI's Bookstore.

Note:  I will go over much of this syllabus in class but not every word.  It is your responsibility to read the entire syllabus and ask questions if you do not understand any part of it.  Being familiar with the contents of the syllabus will enhance your performance in this course.

III. SCI Mission Statement: The mission of Springfield College in Illinois is to provide students the best liberal arts education in the Ursuline tradition of a nurturing faith-based environment. We prepare students for a life of learning, leadership and service in a diverse world.

IV. Goals, objectives and outcomes:

A. Goals:

1. To develop a critical awareness of poetry in its various forms.
2. To learn to analyze various
“texts,” including film and artwork.
3. To develop an aesthetic sense of collections (i.e., books) of poetry as a single, unified artistic expression.
4. To recognize elements of poetry in our everyday world.

5. To develop analytical expression in both writing and oral presentation.

B. Common Student Learning Objectives:

CK-1 Content Knowledge (Lifelong learning): Know and apply the central concepts of the subject matter
CK-1 Content Knowledge (Lifelong learning): Use current research to support assumptions and beliefs
CS-1 Communication Skills (Lifelong learning and leadership): Communicate effectively in oral and written forms
PS-2 Problem-Solving Skills (Lifelong learning and leadership):Seek information and develop an in-depth knowledge base, grounded in research
SR-2 Social Responsibility (Service and Leadership): Make ethical and informed decisions
SP-1 Self-Direction and Personal Growth (Lifelong learning): Develop a sense of intellectual curiosity
GP-1 Global Perspectives (Diversity): Recognize the importance of diversity of opinion, abilities and cultures.

C. Course Based Student Learning Objectives: Students who have successfully completed ENGLISH 223 will be able to . . .

1. Examine the elements of poetry. (CK-1, CS-1)
2. Examine, closely, poems as individual works of creative art and as pieces of a unified artistic expression. (CK-1, CS-1)
3. Examine the similarities and differences between poetry and prose. (CK-1, CS-1, PS-2)
4. Begin to establish criteria for evaluating poetry. (CK-1)
5. Be conversant with literary terminology as it relates to poetry. (CK-1)
6. Recognize the validity of artistic interpretation as it derives from original creation. (GP-1)
7. Develop the ability to make critical judgments in response to literature and to support those judgments through analysis. (CK-1, CK-2, CS-1, PS-1, SR-1)

SCI’s Academic Resource Center: http://www.sci.edu/academics/rc/index.html
SCI
’s Resource Director: Joanna Tweedy: jtweedy@sci.edu

V. Teaching Methodology:

The classroom is considered a discourse community in which students collaborate in the learning process. Students will be involved in peer work, group discussions, pre- and rewriting activities, and projects. There will be intervention in students’s writing process, and response to student writing, by both the instructor and other students. To be successful, students must come to class prepared, which means having all reading and writing assignments done before they are due.

VI. Course Requirements:

Attendance: As in every other class, absences will negatively affect your grade. To avoid class disruption, students must be seated by 6:00. Arriving between 6:00 and 6:05 will be considered a “late” (three lates equal one-half hour absence); between 6:05 and 6:30, one-half hour absence; between 6:30 and 7:00, one hour absence; etc. Missing an entire class session equals 4.0 hours.  If you attend only part of the class session, you run the risk of being counted absent for the entire session at the instructor’s discretion.  Missing six hours is an automatic F, regardless of a student's current grade.

Your goal should be to attend all classes and to have an absence only when it is a true emergency. If you know you are going to be absent (or late), you should contact me as early as possible. This will not “excuse” the absence, but it is considered the appropriate behavior in college. College is like a job in this respect: If you were going to miss work, you presumably would call your supervisor in advance—you would not simply fail to come to work, then wander in the next time you were scheduled (if so, you would not be scheduled a next time).

Behavior: Be attentive to the instructor and your classmates. Private conversations and jokes are rude and disruptive. Turn off your cell phone too.

Work:

1. Completion of all assigned readings and writings according to given deadlines.
2. In-class and out-of-class assignments.
3. Participation in peer activities, sharing of written work, and group discussions.
4. Active involvement in mechanics of all writing projects.
5. Conferences regarding writing assignments as needed.
6. Final project.

VII. Evaluation Criteria:

There are numerous required activities for this course, and not all of them will be graded. Work (generally described as “homework”) that does not receive a numerical score, may be given one of three grades: A check mark indicates an assignment was completed in an acceptable and timely manner; a plus signifies that an assignment was completed with special thoroughness and accuracy; and a minus signifies that an effort was substandard. Each check is worth one point; a plus 1.5 points, and a minus .5; the total will be multiplied by an appropriate number determined by the instructor to establish a homework grade. 

Note that there will be frequent reading quizzes, and these grades will be counted as homework even though they are completed in class, because you did the reading “at home.”  Also note that you must be in class at the time the quiz is given; you cannot make up a missed quiz, even if you attend class on the same evening that the quiz was given.  That is, if you arrive after the quiz has been collected, you will have to take a zero for that homework grade.  Students are expected to complete all assignments, graded or not.

Points will be deducted for issues of misspelling and nonstandard mechanics according to the SCI English/Speech Department Guidelines for the Evaluation of Formal Composition (unless the departures from standard written practice are knowingly done for creative or rhetorical effect).

Late papers will not be accepted, and each will be scored as a zero. Assignments are due even if you are not physically in class.  If you do not turn in the First Critical Paper on time, you may turn it in by the due date for the optional revision; however, you will not be able to improve the grade you receive for this “revised” draft; also, this draft must be submitted to Blackboard’s SafeAssign as if it were turned in on time in the first place.

Plagiarism—presenting the ideas or words of another as if they are one’s own—is literary dishonesty and will not be tolerated. Nor will others forms of academic dishonesty be tolerated. If the instructor deems that the plagiarism is a willful attempt to cheat, the student will receive a zero for the paper with no opportunity to revise, and the SCI administration will be notified.

Midsemester grades will be based on work completed and graded at that time.

Final Grade will be based on a percentage of the total score: A- to A+ = 90 to 100%; B- to B+ = 80 to 89%; C- to C+ = 70 to 79%; D- to D+ = 60 to 69%. Note that plus and minus will be affixed to the letter grade as deemed appropriate by the instructor based on various factors, including attendance, work ethic, attitude, and overall participation.

Incomplete grades:  According to the SCI catalog, students requesting an incomplete grade for a class must have completed at least 75% of the course work. Students must make a request to me in writing no later than one week before final exams explaining in detail why they cannot finish the remainder of the coursework. Acceptable reasons are student illness requiring bed rest or hospitalization, major family crisis, or circumstances beyond the student’s control. I will only issue an incomplete grade at my discretion.

Directions for Written Work:

Keep all assignments, formal and informal, prewriting, revisions, and final drafts until final grades are received.

Out-of-class Paper Requirements:

Each paper must be . . .

1. Typed (printed) in 12-point, Times New Roman font, double-spaced.
2. Presented in MLA style and format (see A Writer's Reference (from ENG 111 or 112)), or another printed or online MLA source, like the following:
http://www.mlb.ilstu.edu/ressubj/subject/intrnt/mla.htm (electronic & online sources)
3. Three to five pages in length (not including required Works Cited page) and represent a
“completed” paper.
4.  Submitted to Blackboard
’s SafeAssign feature.

Three Keys to Success:

* Attend all classes and be on time.
* Turn in all assignments on time.
* Ask for help when you need it.

One or More of the Following Will Lead to Failure:

* Miss class and/or consistently be late.
* Fail to turn in assignments or to turn them in on time.
* Not asking for help when you need it.

VIII. Weekly Assignments: (Note: Syllabus is subject to change; also, page numbers refer to Poetic Form text, except for Week 7, in which they refer to Native Guard).

Week 1

May 7

Theories of Form

Before the first session, read:
* Ch. 1: “Introduction to Theories of Form” (Poetic Form, 1-10).
* Ch. 2:  “Meter” (11-38)

 

In Class:
* Film:  Sylvia (Jeffs, 2:35)


Course Introduction / Reflection on readings & film / Discussion / Quick Response

Morrissey out of town – May 14 session cancelled

 

Week 2

May 21

 Classic Poetic Forms

Read:

* Ch. 3:  “Musical Forms” (39-68)
* Ch. 4:  “Sonnets and the Rondeau” (69-88)
* Turn one of the Week 1 discussion questions into a one- to two-page mini-essay.
* Make entries in your Poetry Journal.

* Consider reading and contributing to the Poetry blog on Blackboard.

Reflection on readings  / Discussion / Quick Response

Week 3

May 28

European Poetic Forms

Read:
* Ch. 6:  “Sestina” (119-32)
* Ch. 7:  “Villanelle” (133-43)
* Turn one of the Week 2 discussion questions into a one- to two-page mini-essay.
* Make entries in your Poetry Journal.

* Consider reading and contributing to the Poetry blog on Blackboard.

 

Reflection on reading / Discussion / Quick Response

Week 4

June 4

Asian Poetic Forms

Read:

* Ch. 9:  “Japanese Forms” (157-65)
* Ch. 10:  “Other Asian Forms” (166-75)
* Turn one of the Week 3 discussion questions into a one- to two-page mini-essay.
* Make entries in your Poetry Journal.

* Consider reading and contributing to the Poetry blog on Blackboard.

Reflection on readings / Discussion / Quick Response

 

Prewriting for first critical paper:  Analysis of Traditionally Structured Poetry

Week 5

June 11

Comic Poetic Forms

First Critical Paper Due: Analysis of Traditionally Structured Poetry (400 pts.) – make sure to also upload your paper to Blackboard (requirement)

Read:
* Ch. 5:  “Short Comic Forms” (176-84)
* Make entries in your Poetry Journal.
* Also consider reading and contributing to the Poetry blog on Blackboard.

Reflection on reading / Discussion / Quick Response

Week 6

June 18

Nontraditional Poetic Forms

Read:
* Ch. 13:  “Forms of Free Verse” (195-223)
* Ch. 14:  “Prose Poetry” (226-35)
* Ch. 15:  “New Forms and Old” (237-44)
* Turn one of the Week 5 discussion questions into a one- to two-page mini-essay.
* Make entries in your Poetry Journal.
* Consider reading and contributing to the Poetry blog on Blackboard.

 Reflection on reading / Discussion / Quick Response

Week 7

June 25

Poetry Collection

Revision of First Paper Due (optional)

Read:
* Native Guard all (N. Trethewey)
* Turn one of the Week 6 discussion questions into a one- to two-page mini-essay.
* Make entries in your Poetry Journal.
* Consider reading and contributing to the Poetry blog on Blackboard.

Reflection on reading / Discussion / Quick Response

Prewriting for second paper: Analyzing Native Guard

Week 8

June 27
(Friday)

Our World of Poetry

Second Critical Paper Due: Analysis of Native Guard (400 pts.) – make sure to also upload your paper to Blackboard (requirement)

Note:  Because of the less than ideal timing of the end of the session, you may turn your Second Critical Paper into me by 6 p.m. on Monday, June 30 – either hand deliver it to me at Sherman Library, or send it via an email attachment.

 

In-class Final Project & Presentation Due: Your Poetry Journal (200 pts.) 

Grades:
First Paper 400 pts.
Second Paper 400 pts.
Final Project & Presentation 200 pts.
”Homework” 100 pts.

Total 1,100 pts.

IX. Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA):

Springfield College in Illinois provides individuals with disabilities reasonable accommodations to participate in educational programs, activities and services. Students with disabilities requiring accommodations to participate in college-sponsored programs, activities, and services or to meet course requirements should contact the Director of the Resource Center as early as possible.

X. Assessment:

Assessment will be an on-going part of the course. In addition to providing feedback on essays and homework assignments, the instructor will ask that you complete a Quick Response form at the conclusion of each class period. Your responses may be shared with the class if the instructor determines that it would be useful to do so.

Instructor assessment: You are invited to visit RateMyProfessor.com, and give your instructor an informal evaluation. This is purely for the instructor's own use; your rating has no bearing on his employment with the college; nor will it affect your grade since it is completely anonymous.

XI.  Illinois Articulation Initiative:  ENG 223 has been approved by the Illinois Articulation Initiative as meeting the criteria stipulated for H3 903.