English Literature: Encountering Poetry – Close-Reading A New Poem With Dr Mike Rodman Jones From University of Nottingham

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Please note that this session needs to be rescheduled due to an emergency that has arisen at the last minute. Please do still feel free to register and we will notify you of the new time/date in due course.

Over time, poems tend to be re-read, recited, recorded, anthologised, and memorised, and printed countless times in different formats and editions to be read and re-read again.

However, at some stage, a poem needs to be read for the first time, with none of the inherited forms of understanding, explication, and interpretation that have accumulated alongside it over time.

This session introduces students to the art of encountering a poem they might never have seen before. To begin with, we will encounter some of the disciplinary history of close-reading as a skill and practice associated with the study of English Literature both at, and before, the university study of English.

Then, using a specific case-study, we will encounter a poem: a poem with a number of challenging and perplexing aspects to it. By using close, analytical reading practice in action, the session will aim to give students and teachers a ‘tool-kit’ of skills and insights which will allow them to encounter an unseen poem, one that brings together detailed interpretation of textual evidence with a recognition of the importance of text, context, and ideas in encountering the language, form, and meaning of a complex poem.

Lecturer Profile: Dr Mike Rodman Jones is Associate Professor in Medieval Literature in the School of English at University of Nottingham.

Our events are designed so that a group of students can take part from a classroom or students and teachers can take part as individuals, either from school or from home. This means that sessions will continue irrespective of possible school closures.

As a live, participative event, this session will not be recorded but slides and other resources will be shared after the event, where available.

Suitable for: Year 12 & 13 students (and equivalent) studying, or with a possible interest in studying, English Literature and related disciplines.

Preparation/Pre-Reading: Students may wish to consider the topic in advance, with respect to challenges they may face or questions they have. Students can also think about questions they have about studying at university level. For teachers joining with a group, we will provide the poem in advance so that students can have a hard copy for the session, if preferred. Please do not share the poem until the actual session though.

The IT Setup: The event will be run on Zoom and participants will be able to join using laptops, tablets, and mobile devices. If you are joining as a school group, we recommend connecting with one device and projecting on to a whiteboard. You will be able to interact with the university via a microphone and/or typed comments and questions. Full details will be sent to those who have registered (see below) prior to the event.

Booking a Place: This is free for schools and colleges. If you would like to take part in this event, please register your interest using the link to the registration form below:

Register here