The Secret Problems and Pleasures of Poetry (BA seminar)

הבעיות וההנאות הסודיות של השירה

This seminar is intended as an arena for students to pursue their interests in questions pertaining to the problems and/or pleasures that poetry affords. For example, poetry is often said to be notoriously difficult, and some claim that its difficulty is the reason for its lack of popular appeal. But what does it mean that a poem is difficult, and what is it about the language of poetry that seems to encourage this difficulty? These questions go to the heart of discussions not just about poetics but about the ethical value of poetry. They may also relate to the special brand of pleasure that some of the best poets and thinkers about poetry have highlighted. In this seminar, we will combine theoretical texts about poetic language with close reading and listening to a wide range of poems taken from English-language poets both old and contemporary. A major focus of the seminar will be on the practice of carefully reading and misreading poems, and so it is especially recommended for students with an interest in furthering their engagement with poetry.