Modern & Contemporary Poetry Study + Internship in London: CEA London Center - OLD Program Spring 2017 Semester

This module examines developments in poetry written in English from the early twentieth-century to the present day. Significant trends in post WW2 poetry are identified: e.g. the "confessional poetry" of 1950s and '60s America; the "Movement" poets of Britain in the 1950s; the challenge to Standard English in post-colonial poetry and poetry written in minority British dialects; the voices of contemporary poetry. Particular attention will be given to the treatment of subjectivity and cultural location in the poetry studied. A key aspect of the course is consideration of poetry as a living cultural medium. The class is taught principally through the use of poetry anthologies, so that students are encouraged to read poets' work in the context of their contemporaries and with the historical and social background in view.