This document provides information about an Introduction to Poetry class (ELIT 11) at De Anza College taught by Dr. Ken Weisner. It includes details about the course such as dates, times, required materials, grading policy and an overview of what poetry is and how to write Haiku poems. The class will cover different forms of poetry through readings, writing assignments and presentations. Students are asked to download and print the syllabus and purchase required textbooks and supplies.

1. ELIT 11
CLASS 1
• Dr. Ken
Weisner

2. DR. WEISNER HAD AN UNAVOIDABLE
COMMITMENT

3. DR. WEISNER HAD AN UNAVOIDABLE
COMMITMENT

4. ELIT 11: INTRODUCTION TO POETRY
• Spring, 2013/ Ken Weisner
• M, T, W, Th 12:30-1:20 in SEM 2
• #00608 ELIT 011.01 (Honors option: #42381 ELIT 11-01H)
• Office: Forum 2C
• Office Hours, Spring, 2013: Mondays/Wednesdays 1:30-
2:30, Tuesday/Thursday 3:45-4:45
• Office Phone: (408) 864-5797
• E Mail: weisnerken@fhda.edu and/or: gyre@cruzio.com
• Website: http://faculty.deanza.fhda.edu/weisnerken/

5. GREEN SHEET
http://faculty.deanza.edu/weisnerken/
You can download and print the green sheet at this address. Please do so.
Grades: 90% = A, 80% = B, 70% = C, 60% = D [possible 1000 points]
Reader’s notebook (20 X 15 points each): 300
Memorizing/ presenting a poem: 100
Midterm: 200
Final: 200
Class participation and attendance: 200
1000
Grading Scale
A= 920-1000 A- =900-919 B+ =880-899
B= 820-879 B- =800-819 C+ =780-799
C= 700-779 D =600-699 F =0-599

6. TEXTS & SUPPLIES:
• 1. Gioia, D, and Kennedy, X.J., An Introduction to
Poetry, 13th Edition.
• 2. Instructor will provide you with a course reader
of collated handouts.
• 3. A notebook used for this course only.
• 4. Red Wheelbarrow Magazine, 2012 National
Edition

7. Is this
class too Will I be a
hard? famous poet
someday?
Is this class
History 10?

8. WHAT IS POETRY?
Poetry uses words to express thoughts and feelings.
It can be found in just about every culture on earth.
It differs from prose in several ways. Poems:
look different
sound different
often use figurative language
There are many different kinds of poetry. Today, we
are going to look at just one. The Haiku.

9. WHAT IS HAIKU?
• It is a traditional form of
Japanese poetry
• It describes nature, every
day life, or the human
condition
• It is based on personal
reflection
• Its value is in sudden
discovery or revelation http://www.flickr.com/photos/ionushi/434663959/
Attribution, Non Commercial, No Derivatives

10. WRITING HAIKU: FORM
• A Haiku traditionally has three lines with seventeen
syllables:
• Five --Three
• Seven --Five
• Five --Three
• This form is strict in Japanese
• Sometimes it varies in other languages or in translation.
This is true in English. You may use fewer syllables.

11. WRITING HAIKU: STRUCTURE AND
LANGUAGE
• A haiku consists of two parts: The description and the
reflection.
• Each part depends on the other for meaning.
• In Japanese Haiku, the break is marked by a “cutting word.”
In English, the break is often marked by punctuation (e.g.
colon, long dash, ellipsis)
• A haiku usually includes a kigo, a word that indicates a
season. This does not have to be a traditional season like fall
or winter. It could be baseball season or voting time; the
reader just has to be able to determine when the event takes
place.

12. Traditional Japanese Haiku
The moment two bubbles
}
are united, they both vanish.
Description
A lotus blooms. } Reflection
-Kijo Murakami (1865-1938)

13. OLD POND . . .
• Billboards . . . • the nail box:
A FROG LEAPS IN
wet every nail
in spring
WATER'S SOUND
is bent
rain . . . MATSUO BASHÔ
(1644-1694) • Ozaki
Eric W. Amann Hôsai(1885-1926)
Sign says "no parking"; pausing
it wasn't there yesterday; halfway up the stair--
my favorite spot. white chrysanthemums
Paul Brown Elizabeth Searle Lamb

14. IN PAIRS, IN GROUPS, OR ALONE
GIVE WRITING A HAIKU A TRY

15. HOMEWORK
HOMEWORK
• Download and print the syllabus
• Buy your materials:
• 1. Gioia, D, and Kennedy, X.J., An Introduction to Poetry, 13th
Edition.
• 3. A notebook used for this course only.
• 4. Red Wheelbarrow Magazine, 2012 National Edition
• Come to class Tuesday to hear Dr. Weisner’s
explanation of the course!