Since Open AI’s release of ChatGPT, many have wondered—even panicked—about how this new technology would impact literature, including the field of poetry. But literature has always been shaped by the technology of its time. In this 2-credit class, we will look beyond the common assumption of poems as ideally “timeless” to examine how poetry has developed alongside (not against) technology. We will go back in time to the inventions of stereotype printing, the telegraph, the tape recorder, and the hyperlink before reading contemporary poetry shaped by the process of social media, coding, blockchains, and AI. Students will work towards a critical or creative final project.
Learning Outcomes:
- Understand various theoretical and historical frameworks for the intersection of literature and technology
- Critically analyze literary forms and techniques of different historical periods
- Become familiar with contemporary poetry informed by technological processes and innovations, and create our own
Delivery Method: Fully in-person
Prerequisites: Students must have taken at least one literature course (critical or workshop based) with a significant focus in poetry. Special consideration will be given to students with Science/Mathematics in their Plans. Please submit a list of 1-3 relevant courses and a 1-sentence description of your Plan. Interested students should submit this form by November 24, 2023. Students will be notified of their acceptance into the course by November 29, 2023.
Course Level: 4000-level
Credits: 2
M 3:40PM -5:30PM (Full-term)
Maximum Enrollment: 15
Course Frequency: One time only
Categories: 4000 , All courses , Fully In-Person , Literature , New Courses , Two Credit , Updates
Tags: Contemporary Poetry , digital media , literary history , poetry , technology , theory