Dickinson and Millay, 19th and 20th century poets, seem to have nothing in common. The former was almost unpublished in her lifetime, the latter published with accolades from age 17. Dickinson’s poetic form was “slant,” as was her worldview. Millay, for the most part, used traditional poetic forms. Both, however, were iconoclasts whose work expressed their inability to accept social norms.

This course will focus on biographical information and emphasize selected poems. You will have the opportunity to try your hand at writing poetry with prompts delivered from particular poems and themes. Class discussion will  illuminate why these poets are still relevant today.