Hispanic Studies 342: Rhymes and Laughter: Understanding Social Change through Contemporary Hispanic Poetry

This course is an introduction to the reading and critical examination of contemporary Hispanic poetry. Its primary purpose is to explore the poetic language, forms, and techniques of sound in poetry, visual artifacts, music, and other  lyrical objects. Using humor and comedy as an axis of study, we will explore poetry as a medium for social commentary and as a means of social change. While the course is focused on 20th and 21st-century artifacts, we will also study the characteristics of relevant historical literary movements such as the Medieval, Renaissance, Baroque, Romantic, Modernist, and Avant-garde periods to establish elements of contact, exchange, and cultural multiplicity in Latin America, Equatorial Guinea, United States, and Spain. Furthermore, we will develop our creative skills and  enhance our understanding of the form by producing poetry in Spanish. Evaluation is based on class discussion, close reading, written and oral assignments, and a final creative project. Course taught in Spanish. Note: Hispanic Studies 341, 342, 343, and 344 can be taken in any order. Intended for first-year students, sophomores, and juniors; open to seniors by consent only.