Brief Introduction
This course is designed specifically for secondary school educators interested in deepening their expertise as readers and teachers of literatureCourse Summary
This course delves into the forms and themes of American poetry through the lens of the natural world, with a focus on how poetry can be taught in classrooms. Explore the ways in which poets have captured the beauty and power of the earth, sea, and sky, and learn how to incorporate these works into your own teaching practice.Key Learning Points
- Learn about the relationship between nature and poetry in American literature
- Develop new strategies for teaching poetry in the classroom
- Discover lesser-known poets and works that showcase the power of nature in poetry
Related Topics for further study
Learning Outcomes
- Understand the role of nature in American poetry
- Develop effective strategies for teaching poetry in the classroom
- Gain exposure to lesser-known poets and works
Prerequisites or good to have knowledge before taking this course
- Some prior knowledge of American literature is helpful
- Access to a computer and internet connection
Course Difficulty Level
IntermediateCourse Format
- Online
- Self-paced
- Video lectures
Similar Courses
- Modern and Contemporary American Poetry
- The Art of Poetry
Related Education Paths
Notable People in This Field
- Walt Whitman
- Emily Dickinson
Related Books
Description
Course description
This course is designed specifically for secondary school educators interested in deepening their expertise as readers and teachers of literature. In the course, we consider the evolving relationship of American poets to the environment from the mid-nineteenth century to the present. Emily Dickinson, whose poems on the landscape of rural Massachusetts from the 1850s to 1880s drew from the science and the incipient environmental movements of that century, is a touchstone for the course. But her sparse lyrics are only one of the poetic technologies of looking at, caring for, and mourning the destruction of, the natural world that we explore together: from haiku, to African American poems of exploitative agrarianism and fantastical gardening, to poems that expand the scope of nature from the vast and inhuman to the birdcalls echoing in urban backyards. Through field trips, classroom visits, and conversations with ecologists, scientists, gardeners, farmers and other guest interpreters, this course familiarizes students with a variety of canonical and contemporary American poets: Robert Frost, Jean Toomer, Lorine Niedecker, Gary Snyder, A.R. Ammons, Robinson Jeffers, Juliana Spahr, Ross Gay, and more.
Summary of User Reviews
Read reviews of Harvard's Poetry in America: Teachers of Earth, Sea, and Sky course. Students praise the course for its in-depth analysis of American poetry and its engaging teaching style. Many users appreciate the course's interactive features that help them better understand the material.Key Aspect Users Liked About This Course
Interactive features that aid in understanding the materialPros from User Reviews
- In-depth analysis of American poetry
- Engaging teaching style
- Interactive features that aid in understanding the material
Cons from User Reviews
- Course material can be challenging for some students
- Some users found the course to be too academic
- Course workload can be heavy at times
