Università Roma Tre

Poetry and Drama in Contemporary Anglophone North America

As categories of literary compositions, literary genres are naturally flexible and open to blending and hybridization. Poetry and drama, in particular, share specific characteristics and often impregnate each other with lyricism and performative qualities. We need only to address the work of great dramatists, modernist poets, the beat and post beat generation, and post-modern authors whatever their ethnicities and gender to discover how often those two genres mingle to create new subversive blurring. We will aim at reaching an adequate understanding of the significance of genre in contemporary literature: W.C. Williams, Eugene O’Neill, T. Williams, A. Miller, Lawrence Ferlinghetti, Kenneth Patchen, Diane Di Prima, Susan Sontag, Erin Shields, Carolyn Gage, Bob Dylan, and Toni Morrison.


Duff, David. “Key Concepts.” Modern Genre Theory. Ed. David Duff. Harlow: Longman, 2000. x–xvi and “Introduction.” Modern Genre Theory. Ed. David Duff. Harlow: Longman, 2000. 1-24.

Texts: W.C. Williams, A Dream of Love, Eugene O’Neill, Desire under the Elms, T. Williams, A Streetcar Named Desire, A. Miller, Death of a Salesman, Lawrence Ferlinghetti, Tirannus Nix, Kenneth Patchen, Picture-Poems, Diane Di Prima, Memoirs of a Beatnik, Susan Sontag, Alice in Bed, Erin Shields, If We Were Birds Caroline Gage, The Second Coming of Joan of Arc, Bob Dylan, a selection of Songs, Toni Morrison, Desdemona.
Detailed reference and analysis will be supplied of I testi di T. Williams's A Streetcar Named Desire and Virgin Suicides ( Eugenides' novel and S. Coppola's film) saranno analizzati in dettaglio.

Duff, David. “Key Concepts.” Modern Genre Theory. Ed. David Duff. Harlow: Longman, 2000. x–xvi and “Introduction.” Modern Genre Theory. Ed. David Duff. Harlow: Longman, 2000. 1-24.

Texts: W.C. Williams, A Dream of Love, Eugene O’Neill, Desire under the Elms, T. Williams, A Streetcar Named Desire, A. Miller, Death of a Salesman, Lawrence Ferlinghetti, Tirannus Nix, Kenneth Patchen, Picture-Poems, Diane Di Prima, Memoirs of a Beatnik, Susan Sontag, Alice in Bed, Erin Shields, If We Were Birds Caroline Gage, The Second Coming of Joan of Arc, Bob Dylan, a selection of Songs, Toni Morrison, Desdemona.


W.C.Williams, from: Paterson; The Desert Music; A Dreams of Love
Eugene O'Neill, Desire under the Elms; A Long Day's Journey into Night.
T.Williams, from: Poems; The Glass Menagerie; A Street at Named Desire.
A.Miller, The Crucible, A View from the Bridge, Death if a Salesman.
Lawrence Feelinghetti, Pictures from the Gone World.
KennethPatchen, The City Wears a Slouch Hat, Pictures Poems.
Diane Di Prima, Recollections from my Life as a Woman
Anne Waldman, Fast Speaking Woman
Susan Sontag, Alice in Bed
Erin Shields, If We Were Birds
Toni Morrison, Desdemona
Bob Dylan, Emmet Till
Duff, David. “Key Concepts.” Modern Genre Theory. Ed. David Duff. Harlow: Longman, 2000. x–xvi and “Introduction.” Modern Genre Theory. Ed. David Duff. Harlow: Longman, 2000. 1-24.

Texts: W.C. Williams, A Dream of Love, Eugene O’Neill, Desire under the Elms, T. Williams, A Streetcar Named Desire, A. Miller, Death of a Salesman, Lawrence Ferlinghetti, Tirannus Nix, Kenneth Patchen, Picture-Poems, Diane Di Prima, Memoirs of a Beatnik, Susan Sontag, Alice in Bed, Erin Shields, If We Were Birds Caroline Gage, The Second Coming of Joan of Arc, Bob Dylan, a selection of Songs, Toni Morrison, Desdemona.


W.C.Williams, from: Paterson; The Desert Music; A Dreams of Love
Eugene O'Neill, Desire under the Elms; A Long Day's Journey into Night.
T.Williams, from: Poems; The Glass Menagerie; A Street at Named Desire.
A.Miller, The Crucible, A View from the Bridge, Death if a Salesman.
Lawrence Feelinghetti, Pictures from the Gone World.
KennethPatchen, The City Wears a Slouch Hat, Pictures Poems.
Diane Di Prima, Recollections from my Life as a Woman
Anne Waldman, Fast Speaking Woman
Susan Sontag, Alice in Bed
Erin Shields, If We Were Birds
Toni Morrison, Desdemona
Bob Dylan, Emmet Till