Course Description
This course will explore one of the most important poetic movements of our time, Eco-Poetry, which refers to poetry about nature, wilderness, water, ecology, environmental justice, pollution animals, and climate change, among other topics.
As creative writers, we will write, workshop, and revise our own original portfolio of eco-poetry. Additionally, we will read, discuss, and critique the literary history and poetic theories of eco-poetry through formative critical and literary anthologies, single author collections, and monographs in the field.
This course will emphasize hands-on activities, and students will be required to participate in individual and group eco-poetic excursions, community engagements, and performances.
Student Learning Outcomes:
Develop an understanding of the discipline of English (specifically, Poetics) and its relationship to other disciplines (Nature, Ecological, and Environmental Justice Studies)
Develop an awareness of the contributions of Oceanic, Asian, and other cultures to the formation of the field of Eco-Poetics and English Studies in the 21st Century
Develop an understanding of advanced research methods and creative techniques in relation to Eco-Criticism and Eco-Poetic practice
Develop the ability to demonstrate advanced critical analysis in both written and oral formats in relation to the history and theory of Eco-Poetics
Develop the ability to map, historicize, and contextualize the history and theory of Eco-Poetics, as well as it major sub-fields
Develop advanced creative writing skills for publication
Assignments:
Creative Writing Prompts: Throughout this course, students will be required to write poems based on prompts and inspired by course readings
Critical Reading Responses: Over the course of the term, students will write responses to our course reading.
Research Paper: A final research paper, based on a topic related to the course, will be due at the end of the course.
Workshop and Revision: Throughout the course, students will engage in-class writing workshops, peer-review, written/oral feedback, and revisions.
Discussion is a vital part of this course, and students are expected to contribute every class session to our ongoing conversation.
Required Texts
All texts will be provided as PDFs via Laulima