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Poetry for Children
Calendar

Spring 2012

 

This calendar is a work in progress until the day class begins. Even then, it may change. I wouldn't recommend printing it.


Week 1 (1/18):
 Introduction to course and setting up your daybook
 Better learning through chocolate.

         
Week 2 (1/23-25):
For Monday: Do Abstract through Apostrophe in Padgett, Handbook of Poetic Forms.
Read Laura Apol and Janine L. Certo, "A Burgeoning Field or a Sorry State: U.S. Poetry for Children, 1800-Present"
For Wednesday: Learning to listen. I'll bring the xylophones.
Bring The New Oxford Book of Children's Verse to class.

Week 3 (1/30-2/1):
Read the Introduction and chapter 1 of Steele (pages 1-52). Take notes in your daybook. You needn't be slavish about this, but I will call on people to respond to specific questions, so make sure you have spent some quality time thinking about the information in the chapters.
Assonance through bouts-rimes in Padgett.
Bring The New Oxford Book of Children's Verse to class.

Week 4 (2/6-8):
Read chapter 2 of Steele (pages 52-93). Think of some ways to play with the sounds and metric variations in this chapter, and bring whatever supplies you think we need.
Calligram through cinquain in Padgett.
Bring The New Oxford Book of Children's Verse to class.

Week 5 (2/13-15):
Taking a break from Steele, read (Something on children and rhythm.)
Collaboration through epic.
Bring I See the Rhythm of Gospel to class.


Week 6 (2/20-22):

Epigram through foot.
Read and bring Diamond Willow to class, and we will discuss how verse novels work, and how it is possible to write a good paper about them.

Week 7 (2/27-29):

Children's poetry and cognitive poetics.
Found poem through insult poem.

Week 8 (3/5-7):
Reading TBA
Light verse through lyric.
Midterm paper due.
Bring A Whiff of Pine, A Hint of Skunk to class. Bring some stuff to class that inspires sensual description--pine cones, baby powder, bubble wrap, etc.
 

Spring Break

Week 9 (3/19) (No Class on Wednesday): 
Macaronic verse - occasional poem.
Bring Janeczko, A Poke in the I, to class.

Week 10 (3/26-28):
Stuff and Nonsense: What makes poems funny? Bring your favorite funny poem to class.
Rieder, John. "Edward Lear's Limericks: The Function of Children's Nonsense Poetry" (on digital reserves under Coats, 373, "26.rieder")
Coats, Karen. "'If it rhymes, it's funny': Theories of Humour in Children's Poetry"

Ode - pastoral

Week 11 (4/2-4):
Language and children's poetry: Charting metaphor and other figures of speech
Jeffries, Lesley. "The Language of Poems for Children: A Stylistic Case Study." (Coats, 373, "jeffries_coats.pdf")
Performance - rap

Week 12 (4/9-11):
Poetry and Emotion: from children to young adults
Read Nye, Time You Let Me In
Renga - Satire
Daybook Portfolio Due

  
Week 13 (4/16-18):
Poetry and the Numinous: From children to young adults
Read Cynthia Rylant, God Went to Beauty School
Senryu - stanza

       
Week 14 (4/23-25):
A Poetry Tasting

Syllabic Verse - Villanelle

Week 15 (4/30-5/2):
Walk poem - word play