CHL 424B Verse Novels, Narrative Poetry
In this course we'll read and critique poetry for children and verse novels, which combine the pull of story with finely pared or lyrical language. We'll consider book-length narratives that rely on formal elements such as meter and rhyme and those written in free verse, depending for their power on well-chosen nouns and verbs, startling conjunctions, and echoing imagery. Some poetry may be more musical than linear, with an emphasis on concision and pacing, but poetry and prose exist on a spectrum, and we'll examine where borders blur.