Reading Poetry

Curriculum guideline

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Course
ENGL 1114
Discontinued
No
Course code
ENGL 1114
Descriptive
Reading Poetry
Department
English
Faculty
Language, Literature & Performing Arts
Credits
3.00
Start date
End term
201530
PLAR
No
Semester length
15 weeks
Max class size
35
Contact hours
4 hours per week
Method(s) of instruction
Lecture
Learning activities

Some or all of the following methods will be used:

  1. Lecture/discussion
  2. Group work
  3. Peer editing
  4. Instructor feedback on students’ work
  5. Individual consultation
Course description
In this course students will read, discuss and write about poetry. The works assigned may include poems from diverse cultures, contexts and traditions, as well as from non-traditional sources, such as song lyrics or spoken word.
Course content

All first-year English literature courses share the following features:

  1. Students are instructed in the writing of critical essays on literary subjects.
  2. Students are taught to recognize and understand a variety of literary devices and textual elements, such as metaphor, symbolism, distinctions between author and narrator/narrating persona, and issues of language and of structure, as appropriate to the genres and texts studied.
  3. Readings and topics vary among sections of the same course, according to each instructor’s selection; however, all course materials are consistent with the objectives of the course. 

In English 1114, students will focus on detailed analysis of poems.  The works studied may include poems from diverse cultures, contexts and traditions, as well as from non-traditional sources, such as song lyrics or spoken word.

Learning outcomes

Upon completion of any first-year English literature course, the successful student should be able to

  1. read receptively and reflectively, with sensitivity to the subtleties of language;
  2. recognize and understand literary devices;
  3. practice writing as a process involving pre-writing, drafting, revising and editing;
  4. write an essay of literary criticism that develops an interpretive thesis supported by appropriate and correctly cited evidence; and
  5. give and receive constructive criticism on written work.

Upon completion of English 1114, the successful student should also be able to recognize and understand a range of poetic devices and features, including

  1. A poem’s situation, and the difference between poet and speaker
  2. Theme
  3. Poetic forms (open / free verse versus closed forms, such as the ballad or sonnet)
  4. Emotional tone (such as irony)
  5. Figurative language (such as imagery, metaphor and symbolism)
  6. Literary allusions
  7. Diction (such as formal versus colloquial, and the differences between denotative and connotative meaning)
  8. Syntax and other details of grammar and style, such as enjambment
  9. Prosody and sound effects—such as alliteration, rhythm and rhyme
Means of assessment
  1. A minimum of two formal academic essays, with a combined value of at least 40% of the course grade.
  2. A minimum of 80% of the course grade will be based on writing assignments (essays, essay-based exams, journals, paragraphs). A maximum of 20% of the course grade may be based on informal writing (quizzes, short answer tests); oral reports/presentations; participation/preparation grades; and/or other non writing-intensive assignments.
  3. A minimum of 15% of the course grade will be based on in-class writing (essay or exam).
Textbook materials

Textbooks and Materials to be Purchased by Students

Sample reading list:

  • Selections from an anthology such as The Broadview Anthology of Poetry
  • A coursepack with additional readings
Prerequisites
  • The minimum required score on the Douglas College English Assessment, written within the last four years, OR
  • a final grade of "B" or higher in English 12, Literature 12 or English 12 First Peoples, OR
  • proof of enrolment in a college-level writing or literature course, defined as a course that transfers to Douglas College as an English, Communications or Creative Writing course, OR
  • a grade of C- in EASL 0460, or a minimum grade of C- in both EASL 0465 and 0475, OR
  • a grade of C- or better in ENGU 0450 or ENGU 0455, OR
  • a Language Proficiency Index (LPI) score of 5 on both Essay Level and English Usage and a score of 10 on the Reading Comprehension section, OR
  • an IELTS score of 7 with a minimum score on all parts of 6.5 within the last two years, OR
  • a TOEFL (internet-based) overall score of 92 with a minimum of 22 in each of Listening, Speaking, Reading and Writing within the last two years
Which prerequisite

In combination with another 1100-level English or CRWR course (as per College calendar requirements), this course may serve as a prerequisite for any 2nd year English course.