The Poem as Party Guest
We’ve all ended up confronted by that person (let’s call him Bob) at the party who unwittingly has you cornered and is expounding in exceptional detail his life story. You have grown tired though you haven’t spoken the entire time, or even been given the room to form an opinion. It’s OK, Bob, of course, doesn’t need anything from you, he has it all worked out and neatly packaged, you just have to pay attention. Except you don’t. You’ve given up, and when you finally escape, you vow to avoid all future Bobs. Imagine your poem is a party guest. What sort of guest would it be? Would it be a Bob, who shows little regard for engaging its interlocutor, intent instead of conveying, at all costs, its opinion? Would it bore the person with whom it is speaking? Or does it house the capacity for charm, engagement, entertainment. Is it someone who can invite its reader to be part of an interesting conversation? This course intends to confront the social etiquette of poetry, raising questions of a poem’s role in social exchange, its aptitude for fun and pleasure and how to make sure it doesn’t outstay its welcome.
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