Meets the following requirements: HS   

This course focuses on the global literary figures that have most influenced the shape of American poetry today.  It is designed as background for students interested in creative writing, but we also consider the broader context of artistic and intellectual patterns in the twentieth century.  We begin with classics like Rilke and Cavafy, then move to mid-century surrealists like Neruda, Pavese, Pessoa, and Transtrormer, then finish with living writers such as Zbigniew Herbert and Czeslaw Milosz.  Special attention is paid to the political situations from which poetry has emerged.  Students are encouraged to discover and report on their own favorites to augment the class anthology.  The three written assignments may be either critical or creative work. 

Level:  Intermediate.  *HS*