General principles

1. Whenever a poem is presented to the class, it will be presented by two or three of you: each presenter will present a self-contained argument about the poem using a theoretical/methodological approach that is different from the approaches used by the other presenters. I’ve suggested some readings on different approaches, but would like you to consult me as you begin to work on your report. I’ll be introducing the different approaches and giving you a reading list next week.
2. You don’t have to work closely with your other presenters, or at all, but some coordination will really help.
3. Two weeks before your presentation date, you’ll hand in an essay on your topic. I’ll return it to you with my comments for revision, and with a grade that will be worth half of your final grade on this assignment. Late papers will be penaliz ed 10% per day.
4. Your own presentation should last 20 minutes in total: I suggest about 13 minutes for your contribution, and
about 7 minutes for discussion that you conduct. I strongly suggest that you not read your essay aloud, unless you’re really nervous and want to control what happens.
5. Missed presentations. The schedule is tight, so there will be no opportunity for you to reschedule a presentation. If you’re ill and document your illness with a medical certificate, your essay grade will count for the entire mark, and I’ll ask you to send me your essay so that I can link it to the course web site. If you can’t account for your absence, you’ll get a grade of 0 for the oral.