Great Literature 103 - Poetry
Poetry: A collaborative, low-stress canon of essential poetry, chosen for cultural importance, stylistic range, and readability, with emphasis on Romanticism and Naturalism.
🎯 Goals & Constraints
- Focus on major poets and essential poetry collections (late 18th century onward)
- Emphasize Romanticism and Naturalism, while including other significant movements
- Avoid works that are:
- Excessively long or difficult
- Better admired than actually read
- Too obscure or inaccessible
- Prioritize collections and poets that still feel alive to a modern reader
- Balance between classic foundations and influential modern works
This is meant to be rigorous but humane, exploring the depth and breadth of poetry across movements.
📚 Core Reading List (Great Literature 103 - Finalized)
- Leaves of Grass (Selected Poems) — Walt Whitman ⚪ Not Started
- Selected Poems — William Wordsworth ⚪ Not Started
- Selected Poems — John Keats ⚪ Not Started
- Selected Poems — Emily Dickinson ⚪ Not Started
- Selected Poems — Samuel Taylor Coleridge ⚪ Not Started
- Selected Poems — Percy Bysshe Shelley ⚪ Not Started
- Selected Poems — T.S. Eliot ⚪ Not Started
- Selected Poems — Langston Hughes ⚪ Not Started
- Selected Poems — Robert Frost ⚪ Not Started
- Selected Poems — Sylvia Plath ⚪ Not Started
🧠 Movement & Style Coverage (Why These?)
- Romanticism (4 poets) - Emotion, nature, individualism, the sublime
- Wordsworth, Keats, Coleridge, Shelley
- Naturalism/Realism (2 poets) - Everyday life, social issues, objective observation
- Modernism (2 poets) - Experimentation, fragmentation, new forms
- Harlem Renaissance (1 poet) - African American voices, jazz influences
- Confessional Poetry (1 poet) - Personal experience, psychological depth
Together, these form a strong foundation for understanding how poetry evolved from Romanticism through Naturalism to Modernism and beyond.
🗓️ Syllabus Structure
This course is structured as a flexible reading plan (approximately 20–30 weeks) with:
- Reading pace calibrated for real life
- Focus on selected poems rather than complete collections
- Optional supplemental poems
- Reflection / discussion prompts (lightweight, not academic busywork)
Pacing approach:
- 1 poet every 2–3 weeks
- Alternating long / short collections
- Thematic arcs (nature, identity, social issues, etc.)
🔄 Brainstorming & Iteration Notes
Use this space to:
- Swap poets in or out
- Add alternates or honorable mentions
- Note reactions after reading a collection
- Flag anything that feels like a slog
(Keep this section messy on purpose.)
Alternates Considered:
- Lord Byron - Romanticism (could replace Shelley)
- Stephen Crane - Naturalism (shorter works)
- Paul Laurence Dunbar - Naturalism/African American poetry
- W.B. Yeats - Modernism (Irish poetry)
- Maya Angelou - Contemporary/Confessional
- Adrienne Rich - Feminist poetry
- Wallace Stevens - Modernism (more challenging)
Note on Selections:
- Using "Selected Poems" allows focus on essential works
- Can use anthologies or curated selections
- Goal is accessibility and representative coverage
➕ Future Expansions (Optional)
- Additional poems from each poet
- International poetry (Rumi, Basho, Neruda)
- Contemporary poetry collections
- Spoken word and performance poetry
- Poetry in translation
📝 Weekly Reflection Prompts (Lightweight)
Optional, but recommended. No essays, just thinking.
- What images or phrases stuck with you?
- How does this poet's style differ from others you've read?
- What felt surprisingly modern or timeless?
- How does the poet use form (or break from it)?
- What does this say about the human experience?
🔁 Built-In Flexibility
- Any 2–3 week block can stretch to 4 weeks without breaking the flow
- Poets can be swapped without derailing the whole plan
- If momentum dips, insert a buffer week or focus on fewer poems
- The list remains flexible for adjustments as you discover new poets
This syllabus is finalized for Great Literature 103. As you read, note any reactions or adjustments in the "Brainstorming & Iteration Notes" section above.