Synopsis:

This course is designed to introduce students to a wide variety of forms of lyric poetry - in many styles and from many periods - whilst also communicating a sense of the lyric poem's historical development. We trace the lyric poem's development from Mediaeval times through to the Renaissance's increasing focus on the individual as an unique human being. We then proceed to the eighteenth century, and onwards to the Romantic period where the lyric became the pre-eminent poetic genre. The Renaissance lyric's representation of subjectivity was developed by the Romantics as they used poetry to explore the relationship between the individual's subjectivity and the process of imaginative creation - an exploration that we shall see was continued through the Victorian era into the 'modernist' and 'postmodernist' lyrics of the twentieth century.

Learning Outcomes:

At the end of this module the student is expected to be able to discuss and analyse lyric poems, with some guidance, in tutorial and seminar contexts.Write an account of a given poem in terms of its form, technical organisation (rhythm, rhyme, word-play), imagery, diction and theme.Be aware of the historical context within which a given poem is set.Compare and contrast the key characteristics of lyrics written in the historical eras discussed on the course (Medieval, Renaissance, Eighteenth century, Romantic, Victorian, Modernist, Postmodernist).

Course Book:

The Norton Anthology of Poetry (4th edition