This special topics course focuses the work of eight major women modernist poets--Edna St. Vincent Millay, Gertrude Stein, H.D., Marianne Moore, Elizabeth Bishop, Laura (Riding) Jackson, Muriel Rukeyser, and Gwendolyn Brooks--in order to address the question, "What happens to our understanding of modern poetry and modernism once we admit these formerly excluded figures into the canon?" Students will read selected work by each poet and essays on them by leading scholars collected in Gendered Modernisms: American Women Poets and their Readers, edited by Margaret Dickie and Thomas Travisano (Philadelphia: The University of Pennsylvania Press, 1996). These essays discuss each poet in terms of her entry into the major canon of American poetry and include close readings as well as literary history and theory.

While I assume no special expertise in American poetry or modernism on your part, I do assume that you are all diligent, intellectually curious readers. Though much of the reading required for this class will be rigorous, the main requirement is an open mind and a commitment to exploring the possibilities of poetic language. Of course historical and literary-historical concerns are important as well. Therefore, we will begin the quarter situating ourselves vis a vis modernist poetry and poetics. Then we will spend the next 8 weeks reading and discussing selected work by each poet in conjunction with the essays. In the final week we will sum up and attempt to draw some conclusions from the quarter's study.

Required Texts:

Gendered Modernisms. Edited by Margaret Dickie and Thomas Travisano

Gertrude Stein, A Stein Reader, ed. Ulla Dydo

H.D., Collected Poems, 1912-1944

Marianne Moore, Complete Poems (Twentieth-Century Classics)

Edna St. Vincent Millay, Collected Poems.

Laura (Riding) Jackson, Poems of Laura Riding

Elizabeth Bishop, The Complete Poems, 1927-1979

Muriel Rukeyser, Out of Silence : Selected Poems

Gwendolyn Brooks, Blacks

Requirements and grading criteria

(N.B. I reserve the right to modify these criteria or this schedule at any time--you are responsible for keeping up with such changes whether I make them in writing or orally in class.)

Class participation and preparation--20%

Upper division literature classes are small in order to facilitate discussion. Thus, I consider class participation a crucial activity. And of course, discussions about reading can only be meaningful when the participants have done the reading carefully. This portion of the grade is based on my assessment of the quality of your participation and preparation.

Papers--45%

Paper one, a 4-5 page close reading of a poem, is worth 15%.

Paper two, an 8-10 page library paper on a particular aspect of a poet or poets' work is worth 30%.

More specific guidelines on papers will be available soon.

Exams--35%

A midterm exam (quotation id's and an in-class essay): 15%

A final exam (same format): 20%

Graduate students will be required to write a longer 2^nd paper and to make a seminar presentation.

POLICY ON ACADEMIC DISHONESTY:

Tentative Schedule

Week 1

January 7, 8

Introduction: Modernism and Gender

Introduction to Gendered Modernisms vii-xvi.

Some high-modernist poems by men.

Week 2

January 12-15

Continue introduction;

Gertrude Stein

Week 3

January 19-22

Stein, continued;

H. D. (Hilda Doolittle)

Week 4

January 26-29

H. D., continued;

Marianne Moore

Week 5

February 2-5

Moore, continued;

Midterm--February 4^th and 5^th

Week 6

February 9-12

Paper 1 due February 9^th

Edna St. Vincent Millay

Week 7

February 16-20

Laura (Riding) Jackson

Week 8

February 23-27

Elizabeth Bishop

Week 9

March 2-6

Muriel Rukeyser

Week 10

March 9-13

Gwendolyn Brooks

Week 11

March 16, 17

Summary and Conclusion

Paper 2 due no later than class time March 17^th.

Final Exam: Thursday, March 19^th 9:00--11:00 a.m.