The Poetics of Protest
Course Description
Summary
Since the killing of poet Refaat Alareer by Israeli forces in December of 2023, his now-famous poem “If I Must Die” has been read aloud at rallies and teach-ins, shared widely on social media, and written on countless picket signs. What makes a bit of language sticky and alive enough to mobilize people to take political action? What role has poetry played in liberation movements throughout history? And what might happen if we thought about the slogans that have animated social movements (e.g., “Black is beautiful,” “Nothing about us without us”) through the lens of poetry?
In this advanced special topics course, we will read poems of resistance from the 19th through 21st Centuries that have circulated in close proximity to social movements, from the abolitionist verse of Henry Longfellow, to the consciousness-raising poetry of the women’s liberation movement, to the works of Mahmoud Darwish and other Palestinian writers, to contemporary poets such as Solmaz Sharif and Danez Smith. Taking each period as a sort of case study, we will consider these works in conversation with political writing and activism of the period, examine the tools of craft that socially-engaged poets have utilized, and perform rhetorical analysis on “non-poetry” texts such as speeches, chants, and slogans. Students will regularly write short critical and creative responses to readings and work towards a final research project on the poetry of a social movement of their choice.
Students with experience and interest in this course topic across disciplines are encouraged to apply; however, students with at least some experience studying poetry will receive priority. See application details below.
Learning Outcomes
- Become familiar with literary devices, poetic forms, and rhetorical tools, both as readers and writers of texts
- Explore the various approaches used by poets to engage with social movements of the 19th through 21st Centuries, and analyze their works in conversation with both primary and secondary texts
- Read works of literature through the lens of Black, feminist, and anti/post-colonial theory and activism
- Strengthen writing skills through both critical analyses of texts and creative mimetic exercises
- Research and think critically about socially engaged poetry from an era/movement not covered on our syllabus, applying skills and insights you have gained throughout this course
Prerequisites
Interested students should submit the following information, via this form: , by May 9. Students will be notified of acceptance into this class by May 13.
A list of relevant courses you have taken.
500 words max: Choose a piece of art (in any genre) which you would consider to be political in some way. Describe how you believe this piece is working and why you think it is an effective piece of political art.
Optional: 1-3 page creative writing sample, preferably related to the course content
Corequisites
Students are required to attend all Literature Evenings and Poetry at Bennington events this term, commonly held at 7pm on most Wednesday evenings.