20th-21st Century Poetry Programs

[emily.rose]

My first post on gradcafe!! I just started gathering all of my materials for Fall 2015 season of applications - I have three professors to write me what I feel will be strong recommendations, scheduled to take the GRE in May, had a 3.72 cGPA and 3.85 major GPA (English Lit, politics minor...I was a confused freshman). I went to what I consider to be a top tier public university and had professors that made me change my mind from wanting to go to law school (thank god I decided not to do that) to wanting to pursue further education in literature.

 

I wrote my honors thesis on Sylvia Plath (love it or hate it), motherhood, Eden myth, to put it very shortly. I am very interested in mid-late 20th century and contemporary poetry, with particular emphasis on women's studies. Does anyone out there know any graduate programs that might fit both my interests and qualifications? I am looking primarily into PhD programs, but will probably end up applying to 2 or 3 MA programs as well.

 

Thank you!

Edited January 21, 2014 by emily.rose

[iExcelAtMicrosoftPuns]

Salutations,

I can't offer the advice you're looking for but I can offer a hearty welcome.

[emily.rose]

Thank you thank you! This site has both motivated and terrified me...everyone seems so accomplished and focused! I'm working a full time job right now, but just graduated in May, so still pretty green to the whole process.

[Strong Flat White]

Sylvia Plath (love it or hate it)

 

I also cannot offer the sort of advice you seek, but I'm going to say "love." Call me crazy, but I never understood the "hate." Plath rocks.

[echo449]

I cannot speak to exactly what appeals to you, so you should look more closely at faculty but: If you are interested in 20th century American poetry, places like UPenn, Columbia, Cornell, WashU, Northwestern, Berkeley, UCLA, Penn State, U Chicago, UVA, and possibly Vandy depending on if you want to work in AF AM lit. Buffalo and Maryland arn't bad either. Duke is great for 20th century lit but poetry is not a focus there. Maybe someone else could help you fill in the blanks farther down yr list.

[champagne]

everyone seems so accomplished and focused!

Humor will get you a long way throughout this process, so at least you've got that going for you!

[emily.rose]

That's a really helpful place to start, echo449. It's a little overwhelming just starting to look at schools because I know that fit is more prevalent than ranking, so your list is really helpful. And UVA is my alma mater! So I've actually thought about heading back over to Charlottesville, but it would also be nice to go off to somewhere new.

Edited January 21, 2014 by emily.rose

[echo449]

No problem! Also I forgot Yale, which is very good, but I was adamant about not applying to that many Ivies so I blocked it from my mind I guess. And talk to your old professors! They will be so much more helpful than we will be. It may be the case that they don't think you shold reapply to UVA (3 degrees from the same place can look weird to job comittees, unless yr Hahvahd), so keep that in mind when looking around.

[rhetoricus aesalon]

First of all, welcome! I wish you the best of luck with app season next year.

 

I went to what I consider to be a top tier public university and had professors that made me change my mind from wanting to go to law school (thank god I decided not to do that) to wanting to pursue further education in literature.

 

So, I hope I'm not being nosy because you sound like you've had lots of time to think about these choices, but are your professors the only ones to have talked you out of law school? I just wonder because I've had the experience of seeing some people talked out of what some professors might call "less noble" professions because of a gifted student who they want to support onto grad school. Your experience (almost certainly) is different, but I just wanted to say that if I could go back, I'd tell those people to make sure they know what they're getting into. It's your life, after all, and it's almost guaranteed that a life in the humanities will be more unpredictable than a life in law.

[emily.rose]

Ah I see how that sounds now that I read it again. I mean that I had such passionate and helpful professors that made me love what I was learning in their classes. I also worked for six months in a law office and it made me fairly homicidal...just not what I expected. I was writing my honors thesis at the same time I was working there and even though both were particularly grueling, I got so much more out of writing the thesis.

[hj2012]

Welcome! UVA is my alma mater too! (Wahoowa!)

 

Are you planning on taking the lit GREs as well? I ended up not taking them, which automatically crossed some schools (like UVA) immediately off my list.

 

If you're looking at MA programs, I've only heard good things about Georgetown's English MA program -- though I don't know about their strengths in 20th-c American poetry.

[emily.rose]

Wahoowa!! I was trying really hard to avoid the lit GREs, but Boston University is one of my choices and they require it. I'm pretty nervous about it!

 

Georgetown is a great school, but I'm up in the DC area right now and it's not really my cup of tea. I'm looking for something on the east coast, but more like northeast or southeast. Too many good schools! I'm hoping to find a couple to apply to that are a bit less competitive. 

[echo449]

Unless you are worried about money or really doubtful that you could do well, take the lit gre. It doesn't make sense to shut yourself out of so many programs at this stage. It's the shittiest test ever devised by man but I'm sure that you will be alright if you study for it. 

[rhetoricus aesalon]

Ah I see how that sounds now that I read it again. I mean that I had such passionate and helpful professors that made me love what I was learning in their classes. I also worked for six months in a law office and it made me fairly homicidal...just not what I expected. I was writing my honors thesis at the same time I was working there and even though both were particularly grueling, I got so much more out of writing the thesis.

 

Not that it's any of my business, but that is by far a better situation to be in than the one I referenced. I wish you the best of luck with applications!