Crafting & Redrafting: Making Poems Work - CED00168C

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Module summary

Why can poems change the way we think and feel? This module considers vital aspects of form including rhythm, enjambment, layout, punctuation, voice, imagery, alliteration and rhyme. We will explore how these tools are used by published authors in relation to their subject matter, and put techniques into practice through a structured series of writing activities. Students will develop a critical awareness of how poems work, expand their knowledge of contemporary poetry, and enhance their editing, redrafting and feedback skills. By the end of the module students will have produced a portfolio of new poems and a critical commentary. All levels of experience welcome.

Module will run

Occurrence	Teaching period
A	Spring Term 2022-23

Module aims

The module aims to:

• Introduce students to aspects of poetic form and technique through reading and discussing recent poetry and relevant criticism.
• Explore the ways in which poets achieve specific effects for their readers.
• Facilitate the writing of new material through structured writing exercises.
• Foster self-awareness in the use of poetic form and students’ ability to edit and redraft their own work.
• Provide a space for students to give and receive constructive feedback.
• Cultivate the enjoyment of reading, writing, listening to and performing poetry.
• Promote critical thinking and the ability to make arguments supported by the close reading of texts.

Module learning outcomes

Upon successful completion of the module, students will be able to:

• Reflect critically on their own poetry and that of others
• Have gained experience in editing and redrafting their work to a high standard
• Discuss aspects of poetic form using appropriate terminology.
• Give specific technical feedback to their peers.
• Use quotation in order to develop and support argument, including referencing.
• Be introduced to a range of contemporary poets whose work may have previously been unfamiliar, encouraging regular reading and engagement with the culture of poetry beyond the classroom.

Indicative assessment

Task	% of module mark
Essay/coursework	100

Special assessment rules

None

Indicative reassessment

Task	% of module mark
Essay/coursework	100

Module feedback

The tutor will give regular individual verbal and written feedback throughout the module on work submitted.

The assessment feedback is as per the university’s guidelines with regard to timings.

Indicative reading

• Neil Astley (ed.) Being Human: More Real Poems for Unreal Times (Bloodaxe, 2011).
• W.N. Herbert and Matthew Hollis (eds), Strong Words: modern poets on modern poetry (Bloodaxe, 2000).
• Tom Chivers (ed.), Adventures in Form: A Compendium of Poetic Forms, Rules and Constraints (Penned in the Margins, 2012).
• Ruth Padel, 52 Ways of Looking at a Poem (Vintage, 2004).
• poetryarchive.org
• poetryfoundation.org