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The poet Diane Wakoski says, "“American poetry is always about defining oneself individually, claiming one’s right to be different and often to break taboos. Distinctly American poetry is usually written in the context of one’s geographic landscape, sometimes out of one’s cultural myths, and often with reference to gender and race or ethnic origins... America may be a melting pot, but most American poets think of themselves as separate, different, and while very specially identified with some place in America or some set of cultural traditions, it is usually about the ways in which they discovered their differences from others and proudly celebrate them.” Emily Dickinson, with her blatant disregard for punctuation, bold conjectures about life and death, and unconventional life choices, certainly fits this description.

This self-paced U.S. literature class includes 3 lessons and a final project, and is designed to make up one-third to one-half of a semester — though you could certainly stretch it to a full year if you got excited about digging deeper.

Recommended credits: 0.25