Lyric Theory
Course Description
Summary
What is the lyric? How did lyric poetry emerge as a genre, and how have reading practices evolved alongside it? This is a 2-credit survey class exploring theoretical engagements with the modern idea of the lyric, including readings in genre theory, new criticism, structuralism, post-structuralism, and beyond. Drawing primarily from The Lyric Theory Reader, edited by Virginia Jackson and Yopie Prins, and Jonathan Culler’s Theory of the Lyric, this course will also include inquiries into how race, coloniality, gender, and sexuality shape critical perspectives on the lyric. This course may be of interest to students who are studying poetry/poetics, who are considering graduate study in the humanities, or who otherwise want to build a stronger foundation in literary and/or cultural criticism. It is also, at heart, a course that will ask you to practice thinking with others: to work together to untangle the nuances of a difficult argument, to try (and maybe sometimes fail) to apply theory to poems, and to travel to the edges of our collective understanding.
Students will read 1-2 essays per week, lead discussion at least once during the term, and write a final paper or lyric essay.
Learning Outcomes
- To gain an understanding of the history of lyric poetry as a genre, including a range of perspectives on modern conceptions of the lyric
- To become more comfortable reading the often difficult material that literary theory presents and applying it to works of literature
- To build a foundation of knowledge in literary studies in order to become sharper readers, writers, and critical thinkers
- To practice paying deep attention to our reading practices and thinking through complex ideas together
Prerequisites
Students are required to have taken EITHER:
a) at least two courses in Literature (2000 or 4000 level) that included the study of poetry, or
b) at least one poetry course in Literature and one course in another area of study that included significant reading in critical theory.
Please send an application, and include a list of relevant courses you have taken, as well as a short description of your Plan. If you have not met the above prerequisites, please also submit a critical writing sample (up to 8 pages). Submissions should be submitted via this form: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScuWN5vs6d7CrPk28hfvI9jiAI8BO5…. Submissions are due by November 13, 2025. Students admitted to class will be notified by email by November 18, 2025.
How admission is decided: Students who meet the prerequisites and whose Plans are centered primarily around poetry will receive priority. Others who meet the prerequisites will be added to the class in the order they apply. Students who do not meet the prerequisites may be placed on a waitlist based on availability and the quality of the submitted writing sample.
Corequisites
Students in 4000-level Literature classes are required to attend Literature Evening and Poetry at Bennington events, typically held on Wednesdays at 7pm.