This Senior Seminar will focus on the poetry of Walt Whitman & Emily Dickinson, with particular emphasis on reading their work in the historical context of the 19th century and among other 19th century poets in the United States.  We will initially study the poetry as poetry, with work on the prosody of these poets compared to others of the time. Students will develop a good sense of how to read poetry, its structure and texture during this early work. We will turn subsequently to a series of other issues, including the making of books of poetry (Whitman’s own press work and Dickinson’s fascicles), the social aspects of poetry in the period and how these poets did and did not participate in broader literary culture, as well as how these poets transformed various American poetry: their treatment of romantic themes, the sublime, transcendentalism, and so on. We will also necessarily deal with contemporary appropriations of the poets: Whitman as the voice of democracy and of gay sensibility; Dickinson as the voice of feminist rebellion and of lesbian sensibility.

We will proceed through the poetry according to composition or publication dates so that we can see how these poets develop and how they respond to their own cultures.

Texts:
Whitman, Leaves of Grass, Norton. Michael Moon, ed.
Whitman, 1855 ed. Leaves of Grass. Penguin (optional: Cowley Intro is excellent; poems are in Norton edition)
Dickinson, Complete Poems, ed. Franklin, Belknap

Gibaldi, MLA Handbook, 6th ed. MLA
Lanham, Revising Prose, 5th ed. Longman (Recommended)
Eagleton, How to Read a Poem, Blackwell

Online materials on WebCT Vista; secondary critical materials from Ohiolink and Kentlink.

Requirements, etc.: As the capstone course and a writing-intensive course, the seminar will require a series of seminar presentations (collaborative w/written reports), a series of position papers, bibliographies, research paper proposal, and paper draft —all of which lead to a final research paper of approximately 20 pages. Students will be encouraged to select a research topic early in the semester, and to report periodically to the seminar on their research progress.

Policies: We have specific pedagogical goals to accomplish during the semester, so I have these expectations for student conduct in this course: 1) "Assembly is required"! any student who misses more than three class sessions will be penalized a full letter grade for the course. For every two absences beyond that initial period, students will lose another full letter grade. if you miss class for excusable reasons (medical, primarily), you must provide documentation immediately upon your return. 2) I accept no late papers unless arrangements are made in advance or you have a documented medical excuse. The workload is demanding; be prepared to meet the demands of the course every class meeting. 3) As this is a course which focuses on student reading and writing skills, plagiarism and other forms of academic dishonesty will not be tolerated.

Office & Hours: I am available by appointment and will be in my office (209d SFH) for consultation before & after class for 30 minutes. I will be available on WebCT Vista off&on during the day and evening, and I encourage you to contact me via email at raymond.craig@kent.edu for questions and to arrange for longer consultations. My phone number is 672-1741. Leave voice mail messages at the same number.

You will be using Web Vista at vista.kent.edu. Use your Kent State userid and password for access.