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ENG42170

Academic Year 2025/2026

Reading Contemporary Poetry (ENG42170)

Subject:
English
College:
Arts & Humanities
School:
English, Drama & Film
Level:
4 (Masters)
Credits:
10
Module Coordinator:
Assoc Professor Lucy Collins
Trimester:
Autumn
Mode of Delivery:
On Campus
Internship Module:
No
How will I be graded?
Letter grades

Curricular information is subject to change.

This module is designed to introduce students to new work by contemporary poets, exploring strategies for reading texts published in the past five years within the broader context of Ireland’s current poetry scene. We will devote time to the close reading of texts, engaging with the relationship between each poet’s chosen technique and their circumstances of writing. Work by Irish poets will be prominent on this module but we will also explore recent poetry from further afield, considering networks of collaboration and influence among poets, including those working beyond the page. We will analyse the role of poetry journals, digital platforms and performance venues as spaces where poetry is developed and shared. Students are encouraged to attend public readings and poetry events in real time and in the digital sphere, and will have the opportunity to reflect on these encounters as well as to conduct research on their chosen poets.

About this Module

Learning Outcomes:

At the conclusion of this module students will be able to demonstrate

1. understanding of key developments in contemporary poetry
2. critical awareness of the relationship between recent Irish and global poetries, thematically and in terms of formal strategy
3. the capacity to reflect on the position of poetry within the public humanities in Ireland
4. advanced skills in textual analysis
5. the ability to complete an extended essay of their choice on a topic related to the core module texts

Student Effort Hours:
Student Effort Type Hours
Specified Learning Activities

50
Autonomous Student Learning

128
Tutorial

2
Seminar (or Webinar)

20
Total

200

Approaches to Teaching and Learning:
Seminars, supplemented by one-to-one sessions
Engagement with public poetry programming (such as readings, book launches and interviews)
Reflective writing and focused personal research

Requirements, Exclusions and Recommendations

Not applicable to this module.


Module Requisites and Incompatibles
Not applicable to this module.
 

Assessment Strategy
Description Timing Component Scale Must Pass Component % of Final Grade In Module Component Repeat Offered
Assignment(Including Essay): Essay topic will be devised by the student in consultation with the module convenor. It will draw on the texts explored in the seminar sessions, deepening engagement with a key poet or theme. Week 15 Standard conversion grade scale 40% No
60
 No
Reflective Assignment: Reflective journal capturing engagement with public poetry programming and reflecting on live performance and digital contexts. Week 12 Standard conversion grade scale 40% No
40
 No

Carry forward of passed components
Yes
 

Resit In Terminal Exam
Summer No
Please see Student Jargon Buster for more information about remediation types and timing. 

Feedback Strategy/Strategies

• Feedback individually to students, on an activity or draft prior to summative assessment
• Feedback individually to students, post-assessment

How will my Feedback be Delivered?

Not yet recorded.

Timetabling information is displayed only for guidance purposes, relates to the current Academic Year only and is subject to change.
Autumn Seminar Offering 1 Week(s) - Autumn: All Weeks Wed 10:00 - 11:50
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