Course Syllabus

JOHN CABOT UNIVERSITY

COURSE CODE: "CW 354"
COURSE NAME: "Creative Writing Workshop: Poetry"
SEMESTER & YEAR: Spring 2026

SYLLABUS

INSTRUCTOR: William Schutt
EMAIL: [email protected]
HOURS: TTH 1:30 PM 2:45 PM
TOTAL NO. OF CONTACT HOURS: 45
CREDITS: 3
PREREQUISITES: Prerequisite: EN 103 or 105 with grade of C or above
OFFICE HOURS:

COURSE DESCRIPTION:
This course aims to develop the creative, editorial, and reading habits needed for the production of poems; to develop self-editing skills; to foster an aesthetic sensibility for use in writing poems. Students will read both contemporary and canonical poetry and materials related to analyzing and editing poems, and participate in a traditional creative writing workshop through in-class writing exercises, reading classmates’ poems, and producing their own poems and discussing them in workshop. Students will compile a portfolio of the work they produce during the term. Students completing this workshop course will be familiar with the skills needed to produce poems, to self-edit work in progress, and to discern the characteristics of quality poetry.

SUMMARY OF COURSE CONTENT:

Students will read and discuss various poems from the textbook that will serve as inspiration and guides for making their own work. Instructor will provide prompts. Workshops, brief lectures, and class discussions will acquaint students with tools for critical reading and incorporating feedback into their own writing. Combining first-hand experience with influences from the texts, students will create a final portfolio of their own poems.

LEARNING OUTCOMES:

This course aims to develop the creative, editorial, and reading habits needed to make quality poems, to develop self- editing skills, to cultivate an aesthetic sensibility. At the conclusion of this course, students will have established a steady writing routine using prompts and exercises, developed a sense of the thematic and stylistic choices that poets before them have made and they themselves may make use of, and drafted and revised a large body of original work.

TEXTBOOK:

Book Title	Author	Publisher	ISBN number	Library Call Number	Comments	Format	Local Bookstore	Online Purchase
Zoo of the New: A Book of Exceptional Poems	Nick Laird & Don Paterson	Penguin	978- 0141392493			Hard Copy	Almost Corner	Amazon, etc.

REQUIRED RESERVED READING:

NONE

RECOMMENDED RESERVED READING:

NONE

GRADING POLICY
-ASSESSMENT METHODS:

Assignment	Guidelines	Weight
Participation	Regular attendance, considerate observations of class readings, enthusiastic involvement in in-class writing exercises, and constructive commentary on 25 classmates' work.	25
Regular Poem Submission	Timely submission of all written assignments that engage with the creative writing prompts dynamically and demonstrate an understanding of the technique and craft discussed.	25
Final Portfolio	Final portfolio showcasing the semester's work with thoughtful revisions based on workshop discussions and feedback from peers and professor. Final portfolio will include final drafts, first drafts, and a 1000-word reflection on your writing process. Save your first drafts!	25
Commonplace Book	Commonplace books have a long history among readers, scholars and writers. They are a hodgepodge of transcribed quotes, a writer’s thoughts, overheard conversation, anything deemed worth noting. You will bring this to every class and use it as your space for drafting and taking notes in and out of class. I will collect it twice during the semester	15
Presentation/Recitation	Near the end of the term, students will present on and recite from memory a poem of their choosing (min. 12 lines) from the anthology	10

-ASSESSMENT CRITERIA:
AWork of this quality directly addresses the question or problem raised and provides a coherent argument displaying an extensive knowledge of relevant information or content. This type of work demonstrates the ability to critically evaluate concepts and theory and has an element of novelty and originality. There is clear evidence of a significant amount of reading beyond that required for the course.
BThis is highly competent level of performance and directly addresses the question or problem raised.There is a demonstration of some ability to critically evaluatetheory and concepts and relate them to practice. Discussions reflect the student’s own arguments and are not simply a repetition of standard lecture andreference material. The work does not suffer from any major errors or omissions and provides evidence of reading beyond the required assignments.
CThis is an acceptable level of performance and provides answers that are clear but limited, reflecting the information offered in the lectures and reference readings.
DThis level of performances demonstrates that the student lacks a coherent grasp of the material.Important information is omitted and irrelevant points included.In effect, the student has barely done enough to persuade the instructor that s/he should not fail.
FThis work fails to show any knowledge or understanding of the issues raised in the question. Most of the material in the answer is irrelevant.

-ATTENDANCE REQUIREMENTS:
ATTENDANCE REQUIREMENTS AND EXAMINATION POLICY
You cannot make-up a major exam (midterm or final) without the permission of the Dean’s Office. The Dean’s Office will grant such permission only when the absence was caused by a serious impediment, such as a documented illness, hospitalization or death in the immediate family (in which you must attend the funeral) or other situations of similar gravity. Absences due to other meaningful conflicts, such as job interviews, family celebrations, travel difficulties, student misunderstandings or personal convenience, will not be excused. Students who will be absent from a major exam must notify the Dean’s Office prior to that exam. Absences from class due to the observance of a religious holiday will normally be excused. Individual students who will have to miss class to observe a religious holiday should notify the instructor by the end of the Add/Drop period to make prior arrangements for making up any work that will be missed. The final exam period runs until ____________

ACADEMIC HONESTY
As stated in the university catalog, any student who commits an act of academic dishonesty will receive a failing grade on the work in which the dishonesty occurred. In addition, acts of academic dishonesty, irrespective of the weight of the assignment, may result in the student receiving a failing grade in the course. Instances of academic dishonesty will be reported to the Dean of Academic Affairs. A student who is reported twice for academic dishonesty is subject to summary dismissal from the University. In such a case, the Academic Council will then make a recommendation to the President, who will make the final decision.

STUDENTS WITH LEARNING OR OTHER DISABILITIES
John Cabot University does not discriminate on the basis of disability or handicap. Students with approved accommodations must inform their professors at the beginning of the term. Please see the website for the complete policy.

SCHEDULE

WEEK 1: My Vocabulary Did This to Me

WEEK 2: Finding Your Voice, Locating Tone

WEEK 3: Line and Stanza

WEEK 4: Varieties of Repetition

WEEK 5: Meaningful Images

WEEK 6: Received Forms, More on Meter