The Poet's Inspiration; St. Olaf / Interim Course Design

Prompt: During Interim, St. Olaf students pursue a single course, often of an interdisciplinary nature. If you could design your own Interim course today, what would it be? (250-500 words)

Please give any suggestions! Especially about grammar and if there is anything I could add to make it more complete

The Poet's Inspiration
What better way to appreciate the words of William Wordsworth, Samuel Taylor Coleridge, and Robert Southey than to be in the same setting as when they wrote them? For this particular Interim course, students at St. Olaf would have the opportunity to travel to the renowned and breathtaking Lake District of England while studying the works of the "Lake Poets" along with the history of the three most distinguished poets among them. This would provide a distinct advantage for the students as they could catch a glimpse of the literal point of view for each poet, and then how the surroundings might have affected their poetry. This class would of course be for those who enjoy poetry, as it would be the central focus of the course. The syllabus would include a variety of each of the three's poems, as well as some of their most famous. From what I have ascertained about the January term at St. Olaf, I gathered that it is an opportunity for students to take classes they would not normally have the chance to due to major requirements, and a chance for those same people to study abroad if they cannot for a whole semester. This course allows students to travel to a new and exciting place, while studying a unique subject. As a hopeful History major, I would enjoy learning about the poets' lives while at the same time taking a step out of history and into English. In addition, studying abroad allows students to experience what they are learning outside of the classroom.

I rarely say this, but...

My initial sense is that this is GOOD.

My main complaint is that the last sentence just kinda hangs there. Without having read this TOO closely, I sensed that you either stated or implied that stuff earlier. If you didn't, then you need to tell me WHY studying abroad would enhance the learning experience.

MORE INFO:
---The first sentence is grammatically flawed---a setting is not a time ("the setting WHEN...").
---The word "particular" is redundant. Omit it.
---"Catch a glimpse" is a cliche. Rephrase that in YOUR words.

more to come...

This is oddly phrased. I'm not sure I could attempt to correct it without changing the meaning, but try reading it shortened to see if it seems odd: "What better way to appreciate the words of Wordsworth and Coleridge than to be in the same setting as when they wrote them?" Is it just me?


Again, the phrasing is confusing. They have the chance to travel to the district while studying. Also, mixing "the works" of the poets with the poets themselves gets confusing.


This is a little unnecessary, as it's a poetry course


not sure you've established that you are focusing on the 3 poets. You mention them initially, but I forgot those names by the time you start referring to "the poets" and "the three"


you need a subject, but also this is a little unnecessary


don't need both

You definitely have created a great course, but you speak about it with a certain rigidity that makes it a little impersonal. Sure, this would be a great opportunity, but why would you create it and why would you enjoy it?

Thanks for reading mine!

Well I thought I had more to say, but it won't let me until you respond (?)

I'm not gonna go through this whole thing again just to get an "access denied" message.

Suffice it to say that although I still like your subject matter, there are a couple moments of weirdness in terms of phrasing.

Your word economy could use a little work, too.

Shorten this one...A LOT:

. From what I have ascertained about the January term at St. Olaf, I gathered that it is an opportunity for students to take classes they would not normally have the chance to due to major requirements, and a chance for those same people to study abroad if they cannot for a whole semester.

Thank you! I know I have more to work on (and that last sentence definitely bothered me too)

This is the second edit: (I stand by my opening sentence)

What better way to appreciate the words of the Lake Poets than to be in the same setting as when they penned them? For this particular Interim course, students at St. Olaf would have the extraordinary opportunity to travel to the renowned and breathtaking Lake District of England while studying the works of the Lake Poets. Along with the analysis of their poetry, students would be informed of the history of the three most distinguished Lake Poets: William Wordsworth, Samuel Taylor Coleridge, and Robert Southey. This course would provide a distinct advantage for the students as they could catch a glimpse of the literal point of view of each poet, which could then aid in their analysis of how the surroundings might have affected the poetry. It is designed of course for those who enjoy poetry, as that would be the central focus of the course, however, there would also be an additional minor focus in history since I believe background information is essential for any in-depth study. The syllabus would include a variety of Wordsworth, Coleridge, and Southey poems, as well as some of the most famous poems written about the Lake District. From what I have ascertained about the January term at St. Olaf, I gathered that it is an opportunity for students to take classes they would not normally have the chance to, mostly due to their major requirements, and also a chance for students to study abroad at least once if their schedule will not allow for a whole semester. This course enables students to travel to a new and exciting place (as well as gorgeous), while studying a subject in a different way. Traveling across the Lake District would allow students to experience what they are studying in a setting much different than that of the classroom. As a hopeful History major, although I adore studying the wars of the American Revolution or the people of Ancient Greece, I also adore literature and poetry. With this course I could travel to a place I have so long read of, while doing what I love: reading and breathing in a beautiful setting.