English 130 - Introduction to Poetry: The Sonnet

[Before 1800] The sonnet is one of the most enduring poetic forms in English Literature. Broadly defined, it is a poem with fourteen lines, a strict rhyme scheme, and the expectation that there will be a volta, or a turn in the argument or logic of the poem at some point. Yet despite these strict constraints, it is a space that poets have willingly entered into for centuries. In this course, we attempt to understand the appeal of the sonnet form, from the 14th century to the present. Along the way, students will gain skills in how to close read poetry (especially poetry written before 1800), how to understand the relationships between different literary periods, how to engage with literary criticism, and how to write argumentative essays. The course will include workshops on research and writing, as well as opportunities for students to learn how to revise their papers in order to strengthen their arguments. You will also have the chance to meet a poet who writes sonnets and to attend events with literary critics. We will begin with translations of poems by the fourteenth-century Italian poet Petrarch, who invented the conventions that poets are still responding to today. We will then study how early modern British writers, including William Shakespeare and Lady Mary Wroth, for instance, adapted this Italian form in English. We will go on to consider the reasons that the sonnet fell out of fashion for a period of time, only to resurge in the late eighteenth-century. Finally, we will read twenty-first century sonnet collections by Terrance Hayes and Tyehimba Jess, opening a conversation about the kinds of games contemporary poets are playing–and what kinds of critiques they are making–when they choose to experiment with this particular poetic form.

The course will satisfy the department’s requirement to take a “pre-1800” class. No previous knowledge of poetry or essay-writing will be assumed. 

Limited to 18 students. Spring semester. Professor Worsley.

How to handle overenrollment: If over-enrolled, preference will be given to first years and seniors who need this requirement in order to graduate.

Students who enroll in this course will likely encounter and be expected to engage in the following intellectual skills, modes of learning, and assessment: The majority of class time will be spent close reading poetry together, both in class discussion and small group work. A significant amount of class time will also be spent introducing students to college-level research and writing skills. No previous knowledge of poetry or essay-writing will be assumed–we will build the skills needed to close read, do research, write essays, and attend poetry readings together. Course grades will take into account class participation as well as both formal and informal written assignments.