wom 203: feminism + music from the 1970s and 1980s

Helen Reddy's "I am Woman" (1972)

Pat Benatar's "Shadows of the Night" (1982)

Madonna's "Like a Prayer" (1989)

wom 203: feminism and philosophy

For a solid overview of feminist history, but particularly the history of feminist ideals and philosophy, check out the Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy.

wom 203: have we come a long way?

Here are several images and links to popular culture artifacts mentioned in the first two chapters of Feminism and Popular Culture. Enjoy!

A vintage Lysol ad

A WWII homefront propaganda poster

Rosie the Riveter

Vargas Pin Up Girls

Red-Headed Woman

Hattie McDaniel's Oscar Acceptance Speech

Mildred Pierce

I Dream of Jeannie

Splendor in the Grass

Miss America Protest in 1968

Beatlemania

"Will You Still Love Me Tomorrow?"

"Respect"

Dr. J's Exam Week Office Hours

Wednesday, May 13, 6:00 pm-8:00 pm in the Commons (Study Night)
Thursday, May 14, 4:30 pm-6:30 pm in my office
Friday, May 15, 11:00 am-1:00ish pm in my office
Monday, May 18, 10:00 am-noon in my office

eng 278: ceremony

Shell shock. Battle Fatigue. Combat Stress Reaction. PTSD. All are names give to the psychological and physical symptoms manifested by soldiers like Tayo, who have lived through wartime battles and now must grapple with their survival.


VA resources on PTSD

classic rhetoric: making an argument

One sure-fire way to construct a solid argument is to use tools from classic rhetoric: ethos, logos, and pathos. Being able to combine all three appeals in one argument can help you create a solid argument. The following website explains all three appeals and gives some humorous examples of ethos, logos, and pathos at work:

http://www.rpi.edu/dept/llc/webclass/web/project1/group4/

Here's another website that explains ethos, logos, and pathos more thoroughly:

http://courses.durhamtech.edu/perkins/aris.html

And yet more examples!

http://www.public.asu.edu/~macalla/logosethospathos.html

How to Read a Poem

Emily Dickinson, circa 1846 or 1847, courtesy of Wikipedia

HOW TO READ A POEM

a love of learning talk by Jessica Lyn Van Slooten

March 31, 2009

7:00 p.m.

Hillside 204

UW-Manitowoc

in celebration of National Poetry Month

In order to figure out how to read a poem, we must first know why we are reading a poem. Are we reading for pleasure? For a special occasion? For class? Do we have to read the poem aloud--to an audience? to ourselves? Do we have to read it silently? Discuss it? Analyze it?

Tonight we're going to read several poems together, applying a variety of skills to the poems to read them successfully, and, more importantly, to enjoy reading.

Let's start by reading the Billy Collins poem "Introduction to Poetry." You may read the poem however you'd like--aloud, silently, etc. Then we'll discuss your reading process and what the poem itself tells us about reading poetry.

Now, here are a few misconceptions about reading poetry, taken from a useful handout on How to Read a Poem:

1. We should "get" a poem after one reading.

2. The poem has a secret, hidden meaning that we can uncover if we know the "code."

3. The poem can mean anything.

Why are these statements false? Who says if a reading is "right" or not? How can we begin to read a poem in order to both create meaning and pleasure?

Here are a few steps I like to take when reading poems:

1. Look at the poem:

What shape does it make on the page?

Is it a "skinny" poem? A long, breathless poem? A concrete poem with a definite shape?

Does it have more than one stanza?

How are the lines arranged?

How is the poem punctuated?

Do the last words in each line rhyme?

2. Listen to the poem:

Where do I naturally want to pause?

What kind of rhythm does the poem have?

What kind of sounds do the words make?

How does the poem feel as I say it aloud?

3. Consider the poem:

What does the title tell me about the poem?

What do I know about the poet?

When was the poem written? And where?

What is the cultural context of the poem?

What kind of literary devices are used in the poem?

4. Gauge my reaction to the poem:

How does the poem make me feel?

Do I like the poem? Why or why not?

5. Compare the poem to other texts:

How is the style different?

How is the subject treated?

Does the poem remind me of other works?

6. Offer up conditional meanings:

What do I think the poem is about?

How do I support these readings?

7. As the "How to Read a Poem" handout suggests, there comes a time to simply "embrace ambiguity" and enjoy the process of reading and the connection with the poem.

Poems that sound neat, read by the poets themselves:

Gwendolyn Brooks reading "We Real Cool"

Robert Frost reading "The Road Not Taken"




Robert Creeley reading "Kore"




Allen Ginsberg reading Howl, part III and Footnote to Howl