LITE302 American Poetry
Syllabus | International University of Sarajevo - Last Update on Jul 07, 2026
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English Language and Literature
Nadira Puškar Mustafić
Course Lecturer
Course Objectives
This course explores American poetry from its early colonial roots to contemporary voices, using a combination of New Historicist, biographical, and reader-response approaches. We will consider how each poem reflects both personal experiences and the broader socio-historical context of its time. Special attention will be paid to marginalized voices, including African American, Native-American, and female poets. We will analyze how these poets engaged with the mainstream and often resisted dominant cultural narratives.
Learning Outcomes
After successful completion of the course, the student will be able to:
Course Materials
Required Textbook
1. Lehman, David, and John Brehm, editors. The Oxford Book of American Poetry. Oxford University Press, 2006. 2. Parini, Jay, and Brett C. Miller, editors. The Columbia History of American Poetry. Columbia University Press, 1993. 1. The Norton Anthology of American Literature, (Vol. One-Two), Edited by Nina Baym, Wayne Franklin, Phillip F. Gura, and others, Seventh Edition, (August 1, 2007)
Additional Literature
2. Postmodern American Poetry: A Norton Anthology, Paul Hoover, Editor. (May 17, 1994) 3. The Body Electric: America's Best Poetry from the American Poetry Review, Edited by Steven Berg, David Bonnano, and Arthur Vogelsang. W.W. Norton Company; Reprint edition (April 2001). 4. The Anthology of Modern American Poetry. Carl Nelson, editor. Oxford University Press (2000). 5. The Oxford Book of American Poetry. David Lehman (Ed.) Oxford University Press (2006). 6. Angelou, Maya. The Complete Collected Poems of Maya Angelou. Random House, 1994.Teaching Methods
Weekly Topics
| Week | Topic | Readings / References |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Overview of syllabus, course goals, and critical approaches | |
| 2 | Early Colonial and Puritan Poetry (1620–1770) | Anne Bradstreet, Edward Taylor, and Michael Wigglesworth |
| 3 | Enlightenment and Early Republic Poetry (1770–1830) | Phillis Wheatley, Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, and Ralph Waldo Emerson |
| 4 | American Transcendentalism (1830–1860) | Ralph Waldo Emerson, Henry David Thoreau |
| 5 | Civil War and Post-Civil War Poetry (1860–1890) | Herman Melville, Julia Ward Howe, and Paul Laurence Dunbar |
| 6 | African American Voices in Early Modernism (1890–1915) | James Weldon Johnson, Frances E.W. Harper, and W.E.B. Du Bois |
| 7 | Romanticism in American Poetry (1830–1860) | Emily Dickinson, Walt Whitman |
| 8 | Mid-term Exam | |
| 9 | Early Modernism (1910–1930) | Robert Frost, T.S. Eliot, Ezra Pound |
| 10 | Harlem Renaissance and Modernism (1920–1935) | Langston Hughes, Marianne Moore, William Carlos Williams |
| 11 | Women and Modernism (1915–1940) | Edna St. Vincent Millay, Claude McKay, Dorothy Parker, and Elizabeth Bishop |
| 12 | Post-War and Confessional Poetry (1945–1965) | Sylvia Plath, John Ashbery, Charles Bukowski |
| 13 | Protest and Marginalized Voices (1960–Present) | Maya Angelou, Joy Harjo, Bob Dylan |
| 14 | Creative Writing Workshop I | |
| 15 | Creative Writing Workshop II |
Course Schedule (All Sections)
| Section | Type | Day 1 | Venue 1 | Day 2 | Venue 2 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| LITE302.1 | Course | Thursday 12:00 - 14:50 | B F2.8 | - | - |
Office Hours & Room
| Day | Time | Office | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tuesday | 13:00 - 15:00 | B F2.26 | |
| Thursday | 13:00 - 15:00 | B F2.26 | |
| Friday | 10:00 - 12:00 | B F2.26 |
Assessment Methods and Criteria
Assessment Components
Final Exam
AI: Not AllowedAlignment with Learning Outcomes : 1 2 3 4 5
In- Term Exam
AI: Not AllowedAlignment with Learning Outcomes : 1 2 3 4 5
Quizzes
AI: Not AllowedAlignment with Learning Outcomes : 1 2 3
Presentation
AI: Not AllowedAlignment with Learning Outcomes : 2 3 4 5
Activity
AI: Not AllowedAlignment with Learning Outcomes : 3 4 5
IUS Grading System
| Grading Scale | IUS Grading System | IUS Coeff. | Letter (B&H) | Numerical (B&H) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0 - 44 | F | 0 | F | 5 |
| 45 - 54 | E | 1 | ||
| 55 - 64 | C | 2 | E | 6 |
| 65 - 69 | C+ | 2.3 | D | 7 |
| 70 -74 | B- | 2.7 | ||
| 75 - 79 | B | 3 | C | 8 |
| 80 - 84 | B+ | 3.3 | ||
| 85 - 94 | A- | 3.7 | B | 9 |
| 95 - 100 | A | 4 | A | 10 |
Late Work Policy
Information about late submission policies will be shared during class and posted in this section. Please check back for official guidelines.
ECTS Credit Calculation
📚 Student Workload
This 6 ECTS credit course corresponds to 150 hours of total student workload, distributed as follows:
Lecture hours
42 hours ⏳ (14 week × 3 h)
Quizzes
10 hours ⏳ (2 week × 5 h)
Home study
56 hours ⏳ (14 week × 4 h)
In-term exam study
16 hours ⏳ (2 week × 8 h)
Final exam study
16 hours ⏳ (2 week × 8 h)
Assignments
10 hours ⏳ (2 week × 5 h)
150 Total Workload Hours
6 ECTS Credits
Course Policies
Academic Integrity
All work submitted must be your own. Plagiarism, cheating, or any form of academic dishonesty will result in disciplinary action according to university policies. When in doubt about citation practices, consult the instructor.
Attendance Policy
Students are expected to adhere to the attendance requirements as outlined in the International University of Sarajevo Study Rules and Regulations. Excessive absences, whether excused or unexcused, may impact academic performance and eligibility for assessment. Mandatory sessions (e.g., labs, workshops) require attendance unless formally exempted. For detailed policies on absences, documentation, and penalties, please refer to the official university regulations.
Technology & AI Policy
Laptops/tablets may be used for note-taking only during lectures. Phones should be silenced and put away during all class sessions. Audio/video recording requires prior permission from the instructor.
Artificial Intelligence (AI) Usage: The use of AI tools (e.g., ChatGPT, Copilot, Gemini) varies by assessment component. Please refer to the AI usage indicator next to each assessment item in the Assessment Methods and Criteria section above. Submitting AI-generated content as your own work, where AI is not explicitly allowed, constitutes an academic integrity violation.
Communication Policy
All course-related communication should occur through official university channels (institutional email or SIS). Emails should include [LITE302] in the subject line.
Academic Quality Assurance Policy
Course Academic Quality Assurance is achieved through Semester Student Survey. At the end of each academic year, the institution of higher education is obliged to evaluate work of the academic staff, or the success of realization of the curricula.
Learning Tips
Be prepared to contribute thoughtfully during class discussions, labs, or collaborative work. Active participation deepens understanding and encourages critical thinking.
Complete assigned readings or prep materials before class. Take notes, highlight key ideas, and jot down questions. Aim to grasp core concepts and their applications—not just facts.
Use course frameworks or methodologies to analyze problems, case studies, or projects. Begin early to allow time for reflection and refinement. Seek feedback to improve your work.
Don’t hesitate to reach out when something is unclear. Use office hours, discussion boards, or peer networks to clarify concepts and stay on track.
Syllabus Last Updated on Jul 07, 2026 | International University of Sarajevo
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Referencing Curricula Print this page
| Course Code | Course Title | Weekly Hours* | ECTS | Weekly Class Schedule | ||||||
| T | P | |||||||||
| LITE302 | American Poetry | 2 | 1 | 6 | ||||||
| Prerequisite | None | It is a prerequisite to | - | |||||||
| Lecturer | Nadira Puškar Mustafić | Office Hours / Room / Phone | Tuesday: 13:00-15:00 Thursday: 13:00-15:00 Friday: 10:00-12:00 |
|||||||
| npuskar-mustafic@ius.edu.ba | ||||||||||
| Assistant | Assistant E-mail | |||||||||
| Course Objectives | This course explores American poetry from its early colonial roots to contemporary voices, using a combination of New Historicist, biographical, and reader-response approaches. We will consider how each poem reflects both personal experiences and the broader socio-historical context of its time. Special attention will be paid to marginalized voices, including African American, Native-American, and female poets. We will analyze how these poets engaged with the mainstream and often resisted dominant cultural narratives. | |||||||||
| Textbook | 1. Lehman, David, and John Brehm, editors. The Oxford Book of American Poetry. Oxford University Press, 2006. 2. Parini, Jay, and Brett C. Miller, editors. The Columbia History of American Poetry. Columbia University Press, 1993. 1. The Norton Anthology of American Literature, (Vol. One-Two), Edited by Nina Baym, Wayne Franklin, Phillip F. Gura, and others, Seventh Edition, (August 1, 2007) | |||||||||
| Additional Literature |
|
|||||||||
| Learning Outcomes | After successful completion of the course, the student will be able to: | |||||||||
| Teaching Methods | ||||||||||
| Teaching Method Delivery | Face-to-face | Teaching Method Delivery Notes | ||||||||
| WEEK | TOPIC | REFERENCE | ||||||||
| Week 1 | Overview of syllabus, course goals, and critical approaches | |||||||||
| Week 2 | Early Colonial and Puritan Poetry (1620–1770) | Anne Bradstreet, Edward Taylor, and Michael Wigglesworth | ||||||||
| Week 3 | Enlightenment and Early Republic Poetry (1770–1830) | Phillis Wheatley, Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, and Ralph Waldo Emerson | ||||||||
| Week 4 | American Transcendentalism (1830–1860) | Ralph Waldo Emerson, Henry David Thoreau | ||||||||
| Week 5 | Civil War and Post-Civil War Poetry (1860–1890) | Herman Melville, Julia Ward Howe, and Paul Laurence Dunbar | ||||||||
| Week 6 | African American Voices in Early Modernism (1890–1915) | James Weldon Johnson, Frances E.W. Harper, and W.E.B. Du Bois | ||||||||
| Week 7 | Romanticism in American Poetry (1830–1860) | Emily Dickinson, Walt Whitman | ||||||||
| Week 8 | Mid-term Exam | |||||||||
| Week 9 | Early Modernism (1910–1930) | Robert Frost, T.S. Eliot, Ezra Pound | ||||||||
| Week 10 | Harlem Renaissance and Modernism (1920–1935) | Langston Hughes, Marianne Moore, William Carlos Williams | ||||||||
| Week 11 | Women and Modernism (1915–1940) | Edna St. Vincent Millay, Claude McKay, Dorothy Parker, and Elizabeth Bishop | ||||||||
| Week 12 | Post-War and Confessional Poetry (1945–1965) | Sylvia Plath, John Ashbery, Charles Bukowski | ||||||||
| Week 13 | Protest and Marginalized Voices (1960–Present) | Maya Angelou, Joy Harjo, Bob Dylan | ||||||||
| Week 14 | Creative Writing Workshop I | |||||||||
| Week 15 | Creative Writing Workshop II | |||||||||
| Assessment Methods and Criteria | Evaluation Tool | Quantity | Weight | Alignment with LOs | AI Usage |
| Final Exam | 1 | 40 | 1,2,3,4,5 | Not Allowed | |
| Semester Evaluation Components | |||||
| In- Term Exam | 1 | 30 | 1,2,3,4,5 | Not Allowed | |
| Quizzes | 2 | 10 | 1,2,3 | Not Allowed | |
| Presentation | 1 | 15 | 2,3,4,5 | Not Allowed | |
| Activity | 1 | 5 | 3,4,5 | Not Allowed | |
| *** ECTS Credit Calculation *** | |||||
| Activity | Hours | Weeks | Student Workload Hours | Activity | Hours | Weeks | Student Workload Hours | |||
| Lecture hours | 3 | 14 | 42 | Quizzes | 5 | 2 | 10 | |||
| Home study | 4 | 14 | 56 | In-term exam study | 8 | 2 | 16 | |||
| Final exam study | 8 | 2 | 16 | Assignments | 5 | 2 | 10 | |||
| Total Workload Hours = | 150 | |||||||||
| *T= Teaching, P= Practice | ECTS Credit = | 6 | ||||||||
| Course Academic Quality Assurance: Semester Student Survey | Last Update Date: 16/07/2026 | |||||||||