This discussion course is designed to introduce students considering the major to the study of lyric poetry by raising three fundamental questions: How does one read a lyric? How does one talk about a lyric? How does one write about a lyric? In the first half of the course we will read groups of poems from a range of historical periods in order to examine the various elements that make up a poem (line breaks, tone, image, versification, form, lyric audience). In the second half of the course we will focus on two writers, John Donne and Robert Frost, to see how an individual poet uses and adapts lyric conventions to develop a distinctive style and vision. Format: discussion/seminar. Requirements: active class participation and frequent short writing assignments. Prerequisites: a 100-level English course, except 150. Enrollment limit: 19 (expected: 19). Preference given to first-year students, sophomores, and English majors who have yet to take a Gateway. (Pre-1700 or Post-1900)