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| Semester | fall semester 2020 |
| Course frequency | Once only |
| Lecturers | Ridvan Askin (ridvan.askin@unibas.ch, Assessor) |
| Content | In this course we will devote ourselves to the notorious poetological form of the long poem - notorious because of its challenging and often difficult character, both in quantitative and qualitative terms, and in terms of aesthetics and politics. Those who meet the challenge, however, are rewarded with a unique experience of intimacy apt to convey not only moments of poetic insight but the very processes of writing and reading themselves. Long poems often constitute a poet's life-long endeavor and the capstone of their poetic oeuvre. It is thus not surprising that they are displays of virtuosity and engines for and excellent showcases of aesthetic and poetic innovation. Focusing on select North American examples (Whitman, Eliot, Williams, Dorn, Hejinian, Walcott, NourbeSe Philip), we will trace their particular ways of staging the tension between the epic and the lyric, of interweaving myth and history, and of exploring questions of national, personal, (post)colonial, and diasporic identity. We will focus on the close reading of the selected works. There will be no additional required reading. |
| Learning objectives | Students taking this course will become acquainted with the history, aesthetics, poetics, and politics of the long poem form, particularly as it plays out in the North American context. Along the way, they will revisit and refine their knowledge of American literary history from romanticism to today. Finally, students will acquire expertise in the analysis of poetry and hone their general close reading skills. |
| Bibliography | Please purchase the following volumes: William Carlos Williams, "Paterson" revised edition as printed by New Directions from 1992 onwards Edward Dorn, "Gunslinger" any edition, though I recommend the 2018 paperback version of the 50th anniversary printing by Duke University Press Lyn Hejinian, "My Life" revised and updated edition, Sun & Moon Press 1987 or, more likely, the Green Integer reprint of 2002, or as printed in "My Life and My Life in the Nineties", University Press of New England, 2013 Derek Walcott, "Omeros" any edition M. NourbeSe Philip, "Zong!" Wesleyan University Press, 2008 Additional primary material by Walt Whitman and T.S. Eliot will be made available on ADAM. |
| Comments | Please note that this course takes place face to face in the English Department's Great Lecture Hall. ________________________________ Lehrveranstaltung mit Maskentragpflicht ________________________________ |
| Weblink | ADAM |
| Admission requirements | This seminar is for BA students on the advanced level who have completed ALL three introductory modules (including the proseminar papers). |
| Course application | Please register by email to ridvan.askin@unibas.ch. Registration will be open as of August 1, 2020. Only sign up on MOnA once your registration has been confirmed. Note that places are limited to 25, and once the course is fully booked, you will have to sign up for one of the department's alternative offerings. |
| Language of instruction | English |
| Use of digital media | Online, mandatory |
| Interval | Weekday | Time | Room |
|---|
No dates available. Please contact the lecturer.
| Modules |
Modul: Advanced Anglophone Literary and Cultural Studies (Bachelor's degree subject: English) |
| Assessment format | continuous assessment |
| Assessment details | Regular attendance, active participation, reading blog |
| Assessment registration/deregistration | Reg.: course registration; dereg.: not required |
| Repeat examination | no repeat examination |
| Scale | Pass / Fail |
| Repeated registration | no repetition |
| Responsible faculty | Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences, studadmin-philhist@unibas.ch |
| Offered by | Fachbereich Englische Sprach- und Literaturwissenschaft |