American Flamingo, public domain, John James Audubon

Part 1: Overview & Structure

In this first PodClass, I introduce myself and provide short audio lectures covering the structure of each class and the big themes in American poetry. Included are a few introductory writing exercises and some links to related videos and online content.

We will also talk about where to find the poetry readings for upcoming classes.

Where to Check for Poems:

  • Online
  • Libraries (with a library card you can search their online catalog)
  • Online bookstores (new and used)

If you need a transcript of any audio lecture, please email mary@bigbangpoetry.com.

Audio Lecture: Overview (2:24 minutes)

Audio Lecture: Structure and Finding Poems (3:10 minutes)

Part 2:  Themes In American Poetry

  1. Periodization and movements
  2. ­The American identity
  3. Protecting the past while exploring the future
  4. Challenges to authority
  5. Site of conflict
  6. Experimentation and discovery / idealism and optimism
  7. America as constantly new
  8. Multitudes, grandness, tangled threads
  9. The cult of the personal
  10. The open road (through American space)
  11. The American work ethic
  12. The Power of sensationalism and bigness
  13. Innocence to experience
  14. America as a figment of the imagination

Audio Lecture: Themes 1 – 2 (9:05 minutes)

Audio Lecture: Themes 3 – 6 (7:23 minutes)

Audio Lecture: Themes 7 – 9 (9:38 minutes)

Audio Lecture: Themes 10 – 14 (8:38 minutes)

Part 3: All About You

Audio Lecture: Preparing yourself for the class (3:35 minutes)

Part 4: Writing Exercises

Exercise 1:

  1. Take a blank piece of paper and cut it up into twenty (20) pieces.
  2. On each of the twenty (20) pieces of paper write one (1) word to describe yourself, qualities you have (like being smart or kind), roles you have (like mother or son), jobs you do or hobbies (like carpenter, computer programmer or art therapist) or anything else that identifies and defines you.
  3. Remove ten (10) of those words. Put them in a trash pile. Keep only the words you think are more important and reflect who you are the most significantly.
  4. Lose five (5) more words, whittling it down to the most important aspects of you.
  5. This may be painful, but lose two or three (2-3) more words.
  6. Pick the one word that is the most important to you.
  7. Take that last piece of paper with your most important word and rip it up.
  8. Ask yourself are you still there?

Exercise 2:

  1. Find a journal for the class. You can get cheap ones at the dollar store or fancy ones at the book store, as you like.
  2. Answer this question for yourself in your journal: Where are you now? Answer this question in any way you can or want to. Where in your life are you now? Or literally, where are you located now in time and space? Whatever you want to say about this, write it out.
  3. Now imagine that no one can see you or will ever know you existed. Take a minute doing this.
  4. If nobody is ever going to read what you wrote, why write it? Explore that.

Now you’re ready to start learning something.

Question to Think About Before Next Class:

What Makes American Poetry American?

Further Reading

 

Back to the Class Syllabus