Poetry of Faith

The tradition of Christian poetry in English is one of the oldest and richest in Western literature, spanning approximately 1,500 years from the Anglo-Saxon period to the present. We will explore this literary inheritance in two distinct parts:

1. Poems of Pilgrimage (Weeks 1-3): long-form poems that explore spiritual life as a journey or quest
2. Devotional Verse (Weeks 4-5): shorter poems that speak to or about God

Students may take the entire course or opt to take either part as a standalone class. Through close reading and discussion, students will not only learn about specific poets and poems but how to read and appreciate poetry. No prior experience with poetry or literary study is assumed.