An introduction to the genre of poetry, this course will expose students to a selection of poems that are generally regarded as classics. Students will learn to summarize, discuss, and interpret these poems, thus increasing their familiarity with ways that various poets use image, metaphor, alliteration, onomatopoeia, pun, verse, and rhythm. To demonstrate their control of the course materials, students will write explications and critical commentary about selected texts, at times using print and on-line sources as well as conventions for citation. By the end of the semester, students will be able to use the critical terms taught in class to analyze a range of poetry, spanning several centuries, cultures, and representing different forms.