Rosenbaum, Susan
TR 2 :20 PM
Park Hall 144
What is a prose poem? This class will explore the fascinating history of this paradoxical genre,
beginning in the late 19th century with Baudelaire and traversing the twentieth century, with
many forays into the present moment. We will read a variety of prose poems from this historical
span, but will also explore the related topics of the "poetic essay," "poetic novel" and
"documentary poetics." As we trace the ever-shifting relation of poetry and prose, we will
examine some scholarship on the prose poem as well as some theoretical considerations of
poetry and prose. A key question this class will explore is why the prose poem coincides with
the origins and development of modernism and the modern era: our survey of this genre will
allow us to gain perspective on the widespread, international use of the prose poem in the twentieth and twenty-first centuries.