The focus of this introductory class will be on the uses and functions of descriptive detail in poetry, examining how appeals to the five senses create (or choose to forego) ritualistic action in the “event” that is the reading and writing of a poem. By the end of the course, students should be able to recognize the elements of meter, be familiar with the major classical forms, and be able to recognize the major components of a poem’s structure, including but not limited to the use of sound, syntax, diction, metaphor and imagery. Students should also be able, by the end of the term, to demonstrate ease in analyzing the work of other workshop participants as well as in analyzing published authors. Although this class will have a workshop component (25%), the primary focus of class time (75%) will be on the discussion and written critical analysis of literary models from contemporary and modern or pre-modern works.