ENGL 174 - Poetry and Philosophy: The Ancient Quarrel

Semester Offered: Fall and Spring
0.5 unit(s)

When Plato famously banished poets from his ideal Republic, he spoke of an ancient quarrel between poetry and philosophy. That argument has continued, in various forms, down to the present, culminating in Heidegger’s notorious question, “What are poets for?” This six-week course looks at a number of key texts in this contentious history, along with exemplary poems that illustrate the issues. Writers include Plato, Aristotle, Dante, Shelley, Wordsworth, Wilde, Eliot, Blanchot, Derrida, and others. Paul Kane.

No specialized knowledge of poetry or philosophy required.

The class is ungraded. First and second six-week course.

Two 75-minute periods.