Poetics of Protest: Political Poetry from Sonnet to Slam
In this course we will study the art, history, theory, politics, and practice of American poetry that is explicitly aimed at protesting various forms of social injustice, beginning with the Harlem Renaissance and through the most recent experiments in the spoken word form. Students will write a research essay integrating a range of critical sources with their own analysis, but the course is also designed to help students develop techniques for powerfully expressing political dissent through poetry. The flexible syllabus will include the likes of Claude McKay, Countee Cullen, Helene Johnson, Langston Hughes, W.E.B. Du Bois, Richard Wright, Allen Ginsberg, Charles Bernstein, Gwendolyn Brooks, Audrey Lorde, Adrienne Rich, Amiri Baraka, Nikki Giovanni, Claudia Rankin, Ashley Jones, Saul Williams, Denice Frohman, Alysia Harris, Rachel McKibbens, Taylor Mali, and others. Coursework will include reading poetry and critical essays, viewing videos, listening to recordings, composing and performing (or recording) one poem, and attending one live event. 3 hrs. sem. (Diversity)/