W. [William] S. [Stanley] Merwin, The Vixen/ La renarde, Fanlac éditions, 2004
Nothing more ordinary than poetry that describes landscapes, animals in the countryside, traditional ways of rural life, the juxtaposition of centuries old lifestyles with rapidly changing modern “life.” W. S. Merwin's The Vixen consists of 64 poems, using very ordinary oral patterns, and a dazzling array of poetic techniques from ancient, Old English, medieval, and early modern poetry, to merge lyric and narrative modes. This is poetry that profoundly bears witness to things as ordinary as remembering, experiencing uniqueness, but also things repeated every day. This is poetry that must be read out-loud, repeatedly and performatively. This course will also be an introduction to ecological awareness, via this writer close to nineteenth century Henry David Thoreau and to contemporary eco-poetry. NOTE: Students must have the primary text, La renarde/ The Vixen.
- Teacher: Thomas Dutoit