Understanding Poetry [1960]. Brooks & Warren. Pls read Preface, Intro & Chap 1

Our Let's Read! Classics/Toronto Meetup turns to another aspect of the Western canon, its great poetry in English. We will begin with a methodical approach, using a classic college textbook on poetry for the first 6 sessions, but soon we'll follow the group's lead: perhaps we will trace the history of English poetry from Chaucer to Adrienne Rich, or perhaps we'll continue reading from a recognized anthology such as the Norton Anthology of Poetry. Perhaps we'll look at traditions in other languages.

"Understanding Poetry" (see below for a link to a free PDF of the entire text!) by Cleanth Brooks and Robert Penn Warren is an ideal choice for our group's next program (after reading Proust and surveying 2500 years of strange and wondrous tales) with lucid analysis and insightful approach unraveling the layers of poetry. Its New Critical approach seems dated in some aspects, and women poets in particular are rarely invoked, but it demystifies the complexities of poetic language and encourages engaging discussions on various poetic forms, techniques, and deeper meanings. It equips readers with tools to appreciate and interpret poetry, fostering a shared journey of literary exploration within the group.

Pre-Reading for each session:
Jan 21, 2024: Preface, Intro. and Chapter I -Narrative Poems, pp. 1-76
Feb 4, 2024: Chapter II -Descriptive Poems, pp. 77-118
Feb 18, 2024: Chapter III -Metrics, pp. 119-180
Mar 3, 2024: Chapter IV - Tone, pp. 181-267
Mar 17, 2024: Chapter V - Imagery, pp. 268-339
Mar 31, 2024: Chapter VI - Theme, pp. 340-433
Apr 14, 2024: Chapter VIII -Intention and Meaning, pp. 514-550
Apr 28, 2024: TBD
May 12, 2024: TBD
May 26, 2024: TBD

Recommended edition(s):
Select this link for Free PDF of the text we will be reading throughout 2024. Download into Abode Acrobat to add highlights and comments.

Outside sources are welcome if they help us understand the poems. We will be keeping focus on the texts in front of us. A 2020 article by Naomi Levine on Brooks/Warren "New Criticism" approach to poetry.

Understanding Poetry 3rd Ed. by Cleanth Brooks and Robert Penn Warren. New York: Holt Rinehard & Winston, Inc, 1960/1976. ISBN: 9780030074950. Used: $31+
This textbook may be available online or from your local library.

ONLINE:
Please RSVP, join us via Zoom link

IN-PERSON [Hybrid sessions soon!]:
Tender Greens
1109 Glendon Ave
Los Angeles CA 90024

Our 2024 Schedule (subject to change):
Jan-May 2024: Brooks: Understanding Poetry 3rd Ed. [1960] 6-8 sessions.
June 2024: The Norton Anthology of Poetry [Shorter 5th Ed, 2005] Ed. by Margaret Ferguson, et al. ISBN: 9780393979213. (tentative)

The Norton Anthology of Theory and Criticism [Third Ed. 2020] Ed. by William, McGowan, Leitch, et al. ISBN: 9780393602951 (tentative)

Here are links to the other book groups I host on Meetup:
Reading Marcel Proust's In Search of Lost Time in French and English:
www.meetup.com/proust/
Reading the most influential Non-Ficton works of the past three millenniums:
www.meetup.com/history-of-ideas/