CHL 404A Children's Poetry on Trial : You'll Be Judge, You'll Be Jury
From 1979 to 2001, the Signal Poetry Award aimed to bring attention to the lack of children's poetry on store shelves and in scholarly venues, not only by granting the award itself, but also by publishing light-hearted, yet keenly critical essays about the year's poetic crop. When this award disappeared with the journal, its mantle was taken up by The Lion and the Unicorn Award for Excellence in North American Poetry, where it still remains. This class, taught by a four-time judge, will function like a mini-session of the Lion and the Unicorn Award. The class will study the award essays from both journals to get a sense of the critical issues favored by judges, and we will read a sampling of poetry books for children similar to any given year's selection, including the good, the meh, and the pyre-worthy amongst verse novel, nature poems, picture book, young adult, light verse, and nonsense. Just as the real judges do, we will form groups to determine the winners and write collaborative essays to defend our choices and comment on the wider field of entries. Of particular importance will be consideration of the book of poetry, rather than just a poem or series of poems, as well as a focus on the fraught relationship with poetic traditions. In the end, we will, collectively and individually, come to our own conclusions about what kind of book deserves the laurels-and what kind the gallows.
Prerequisite
None