"Counterfeiting or Teaching? Using English Renaissance Poetry to Teach Non-Literary Skills"
Sir Philip Sidney wrote that poetry "is an art of imitation; for so Aristotle termeth it in the word [Greek text]; that is to say, a representing, counterfeiting, or figuring forth: to speak metaphorically, a speaking picture, with this end, to teach and delight." With the humanities under siege and humanities faculty being asked to justify their role in higher education, how might we rethink teaching English Renaissance poetry to make it more relevant to the 21st century college student? For instance, what approaches to teaching poetry can we use to teach the ever-elusive critical thinking? Can we still allow poetry to delight while we teach more marketable skills?
Possible topics may include:
How to use poetry to teach critical thinking
How to use poetry to teach ethics
How to use poetry to teach reading skills
How to use poetry to teach writing
Please send abstracts of no more than 500 words to Dan Mills at engsdm@langate.gsu.edu by May 1, 2011. Southeast Renaissance Conference
