This course is intended to help students to think, talk and write about poetry. No prior knowledge is assumed; the course is designed to offer a useful introduction. But if you have already read some poetry, this course will deepen your appreciation and enjoyment of it. Poetry studied will range from the 15th century to the present,  from Renaissance sonnets to Sylvia Plath's Ariel poems. There will be a special in-depth studies of T.S. Eliot's The Waste Land.  Students will be given a broad picture of the history and development of poetry in English, as well as an introduction to key critical terms. The course also serves as a general introduction to the methods of literary criticism. Teaching and assessment will aim at developing each student's capacity to explore his or her own responses to what they read, to construct cogent arguments and to write and speak clearly.

This course aims to introduce students to some major poets from the Renaissance through to the present, as well as important genres, forms and techniques they used.

This course aims to enhance skills to critical analysis and to increase knowledge of poetry.

1 x 700 word close reading of a poem 15%

1 x 1500 word essay 40%

1 x 2 hour exam 35%

Tutorial participation 10%

The Norton Anthology of Poetry, Ferguson, Salter & Stallworthy eds. 5th Edition.