In this tutorial, we will read closely the works of two of the most influential and fascinating poets in the U.S., Walt Whitman and Emily Dickinson. In addition to studying in depth their poems and other writings-in Whitman's case, his essays; in Dickinson's, her letters-we will delve into some of the major critical debates surrounding their work, both individually and when compared to one another. For example, Whitman is often viewed as perhaps the most public nineteenth-century American poet, whereas Dickinson is regarded as perhaps the most "private." We will interrogate this assumption, exploring how each poet represents publicity and privacy in his/her work, as well as their efforts to "perform" and/or reform the American self. We will also examine how each poet engages questions of gender and sexuality, as well as contemporary debates surrounding such issues as abolition/slavery, women's suffrage, temperance, and territorial expansion. Finally, we will explore Whitman and Dickinson's relation to significant literary and philosophical movements of the period, including transcendentalism and the culture of sentiment. Throughout the course, emphasis will be on analyzing and generating interpretations of Whitman and Dickinson's works, constructing critical arguments, formulating cogent written critiques, and carrying on an oral debate about a variety of interpretations. Students will meet with the instructor in pairs for an hour each week. They will alternate between writing 5- to 7-page papers and commentaries on their partner's papers. Format: tutorial. Students will be evaluated on their written work, their oral presentations of that work, their analyses of their colleague's work, and on a final, comprehensive essay that will address the themes engaged in the tutorial.
Prerequisite: a 100-level English course, except 150. Enrollment limit: 10 (expected: 10). This course is writing intensive. (1700-1900)