Darren DeFrain
UW-Fox Valley
ENG 255/Lec 1
3 Credits
MWF 1:00 – 1:50 p.m. / Room 1332
Office: Rm 1835 Phone: 832-2668
Email: ddefrain@uwc.edu
Office hours: 2-3 p.m. MWF, 1-2 p.m. TR & by appointment
Final Examination: Monday, Dec. 22nd at 2:00 p.m.
ENG 255-Intensive analysis of poetry using representative types from several periods of poetry.
Prereq: ENG 101 or consent of instructor..
ENG 255 – Course Syllabus
“I look for the forms/ things want to come as/ from what black wells of possibility,/how a thing will/unfold:/ not the shape on paper – though/that, too – but the/ uninterfering means on paper:/ not so much looking for the shape/as being available/to any shape that may be/summoning itself/through me/from the self not mine but ours.”
~ A.R. Ammons from “Poetics”
Required Materials:
Texts: The Odyssey – Homer (transl. by Robert Fagles)
The Aeneid – Virgil (transl. by Robert Fitzgerald)
Beowulf – A new verse translation by Seamus Heaney
The Essential Rumi – translated by Coleman Barks
The Canterbury Tales – Chaucer (Norton Critical Edition)
Purgatorio – Dante Alighieri (transl. by W.S. Merwin)
Other: One spiral bound notebook (which you must bring to class every day)
Pocket Calendar
College level dictionary
Non-erasable typing paper or computer paper
Copies as necessary. You will be responsible for photocopying your own work to distribute to the class. DO NOT BRING YOUR WORK TO ME TO PHOTOCOPY. DO NOT ASK WHERE YOU SHOULD COPY YOUR WORK. THIS IS ENTIRELY YOUR OWN RESPONSIBILITY AS A STUDENT IN THIS CLASS.
Course Description
The purpose of this class is to introduce you to the history of poetry. We will be asking some simple-seeming questions that should prove to be infinitely more complex than they might at first appear: 1) What is poetry? 2) Why and how has poetry changed, and changed form, over the centuries? 3) How is poetry related to national and global events, and which one causes the other? 4) How do different times and cultures value poetry, and how do those values shape the form? 5) Why is this poetry still important today? We will be looking at several important and influential texts to help us address these questions, but we will also be combining this with historical texts and issues to assist us in our personal understanding. There may also be guest speakers, films, and other opportunities over the course of the semester to aid in our learning.
Policies and Requirements
Attendance & Tardies: The English department has its own policy regarding attendance. Not only am I required to enforce that policy, I believe very strongly that if you do not come to class you do not deserve to pass. I recommend you keep track of your attendance (you can be assured that I will as well). I also recommend “saving” your absences in case you need them later, or if an emergency arises. Getting to class late is both rude and disruptive and will be noted. Two tardies will equal one absence per the formula below. If you doubt how serious I am about these matters I’m sure any number of former students will be happy to share their stories with you. Further, you are responsible for the hand-outs, notes, etc. if you must miss class. Contact either another student or myself to avoid falling behind. Here is the breakdown of the attendance policy for this class:
Absences Effect on your grade
0 May help you
1-2 No effect on grade
3-6 Drops final grade one
letter increment for
each absence, i.e. B to
B- to C+ to C etc.
7+ Non-negotiable failure
Note: All absences are recorded. There is no excused or unexcused absence in my class, but I do encourage you to keep me up to date if you run into extraordinary circumstances such as extended hospitalization, death of an immediate family member, etc.
Grading: Your final grade is 30% Quizzes, 20% Participation, 20% Oral Presentation, 20% Midterm, 10% Final exam (covering the oral presentations). Participation takes into account your willingness to take part in class activities, to help others in class, to arrive to class on time, to take beneficial risks with your comments and papers, to meet schedules for assignments, and your contribution to the overall community of the class. All of this makes the class successful, which in turn makes you successful.
Oral Presentations: Depending on class size you may be assigned to a group for your oral presentation. Either way, this presentation will discuss an important literary movement or figure not extensively covered in class. I will provide a list of potential subjects for these reports, but there are many germane subjects out there suitable for presentation to the class. Please let me know by the third week of the semester (no later!) what you will be reporting on.
Possible Presentation List: Specific forms, Daily life and times during the times of the texts, Who was reading this and why?, How have these texts survived?, The Irish and their influence on “saving” texts, etc.
Extra Credit: As a rule I do not like extra credit (so understand that this is non-negotiable and do not approach with your “ideas” for extra credit), but in addition to the above, you may gain up to five percentage points for attending select events writing a brief (2 ½ pages) response. ONLY THOSE STUDENTS WHO ARE IN GOOD STANDING (ALL WORK COMPLETED AND MAINTAINING AT LEAST A C IN THE CLASS) WILL BE ALLOWED TO DO EXTRA CREDIT. I will provide more details about dates, times, and subjects as we get further into the semester.
This is a list of standards of grading in English 255:
A Consistent excellence, versatility, creativity, glowing prose and verse with stylistic sophistication and finesse, serious and comprehensive approach to revision, mastery of writing techniques not discussed in class, fresh insights and perspectives, perfect attendance, active participation, willingness to help peers, above and beyond what is asked on all fronts.
B Excellent in some respects, good writing still in need of some polishing, some participation, moderate attempts at pursuit of original thoughts and ideas.
C Acceptable college writing, some improvement, little preparation, bland stylistically, cliché-riddled work, sloppy presentation, widespread spelling and punctuation errors.
D Not acceptable in most respects, no improvement, no willingness to improve, no participation, no revision, poor writing, poor attitude.
F No improvement, no willingness to improve, poor attitude, seven or more absences (automatic failure, regardless).
I AM CHIEFLY INTERESTED IN HOW YOU RESPOND TO THE CLASS AND HOW YOU IMPROVE OVER THE COURSE OF THE SEMESTER!
Quizzes: There may be a short quiz covering the assigned readings and discussions. You will not know in advance when these quizzes will be given so you must be prepared. They factor significantly into your professionalism points, so scoring consistently poorly on quizzes does twice the harm to your final grade.
Plagiarism: Although this is a community of writers, all work should be yours. You can use help from your peers, the writing lab, sources, and myself. But this should be noted in your work and in your paper. This class gives you the opportunity to speak up in your work. When you speak, make sure it is in your own words, and not someone else’s. I am interested in what you have to say. Give the proper credit where you received your help. Check your Student Handbook if you are not clear about what constitutes plagiarism and its penalties. Failing the course is a given and expulsion is a very real possibility. I’ve been down this road before, and it is both embarrassing for the student, and taken extremely seriously by the administration. Know that the Internet is a very real temptation, but also know that it is even easier to trace work taken off the web and to document such plagiarism. I do not want to deal with such matters. I want to teach you how to write and think about poetry– not to punish you for stealing.
Academic Misconduct: All suspected incidents of academic misconduct shall be handled using the UW System rules, Chapter 14. ‘Academic Misconduct’ includes, but is not limited to, the following examples: ‘cheating on an examination, collaborating with others in work to be presented, contrary to the stated rules of the course; submitting a paper or assignment as one’s own work, when a part or all the paper or assignment if the work of another; tampering with the laboratory equipment or computer program of another student. (From UWS 14.03)’ Further definition of ‘academic misconduct’ can be found in UWS 14.03. UWS 14 is available to all students in the library; additionally, all students receive a copy of this policy during their orientation.
Workload: The gauge in college courses is that for every hour in class you should be doing two hours outside of class. This gauge is, in my opinion, conservative for the ‘A’ student. The amount of time you put into reading and writing will be reflected in your work.