ENGL 2690

American Poetry Since 1850

Course Description

Course information provided by the Courses of Study 2024-2025.

This course introduces students to major American poets from the mid-nineteenth century to the present. It is designed for anyone wanting to deepen their knowledge of and appreciation for poetry while also addressing its relationship to modern American social and cultural history. It addresses questions about what poetry is for, why it is often "difficult," how it is related to language-play as a basic human drive that engages with personal anxieties, bodily rhythms, social and existential tensions, and the riddles of existence. Another through-line of this course is the relationship of poetry to democracy in the United States.

When Offered Fall or Spring.

Distribution Category (ALC-AS) (CA-AG, LA-AG)
Satisfies Requirement This course counts toward the Literatures of the Americas and post-1800 requirements for English majors.

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