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Overview

Course Prescription

A critical engagement with poetry written in English by the peoples of Oceania (Polynesia, Melanesia, Micronesia). Pacific aesthetics and epistemologies evident in orature and art, in addition to post-colonial and women of colour feminist theories, will be used in the construction of culturally insightful frameworks to better appreciate this poetry that spans from the 1970s to the present day.

Course Overview

This course holds the poetry and scholarship of Pacific peoples at its centre. Students new to the area of Pacific Literature are welcome.  Anthologies of Māori and Pacific poetry will form a springboard from which to examine poet’s other works and collections.  Students will be encouraged to follow the line of poets who particularly appeal to them. 
This course will:

  • Identify key working metaphors in a select group of poets’ work and transform that metaphor into an aesthetic framework through which to read the work in order to reposition literary criticism from its Eurocentric bases and bias and address an Oceanic audience and readership.
  • Define and critically contextualize key terminology including: ‘Indigenous’, ‘Oceanic’, ‘Pacific’, ‘Pacific Feminist’, ‘trans-indigenous’,  ‘Rhetorical Sovereignty’, ‘Aesthetic Sovereignty’ , ‘Diaspora’, ‘Identity Politics’, ‘Pacific Epistemology’, ‘Literary Decolonisation’, ‘Bi-languaging’.
  • Build upon key postcolonial concepts covered in ENGLISH 204 (Pacific Literature) and compliment ENGLISH 702 (formerly ENGLISH 786 Postcolonial Literature).
  • Consider the politics of insider/outsider critical positioning.
  • Consider the role literature plays in reconfiguring the nature of cultural identities in the Pacific, especially literary challenges to colonial representations of identity in the Pacific.
  • Articulate the social, cultural, political and historical contexts of different genres within Pacific poetry and the central arguments surrounding its critical appreciation.
  • Close read a poem by identifying key literary and aesthetic techniques according to both indigenous and western literary traditions.
  • Practice the Samoan concept of ‘Teu le Va’ by ‘adorning the space’ between poetry and people and creating, then sharing, your own response to a poem.

Workload Expectations

This course is a standard 30 point course and students are expected to spend 20 hours per week involved in each 30 point course that they are enrolled in.

Each week for this course, you can expect 3 hours of mostly in-class, at least 2 on-line lectures, seminars, and exercises, 10 hours of reading and thinking about the content and 7 hours of work on assignments. Sometimes class will be in the form of a 3 hour Field Trip.

Course Prerequisites, Corequisites and Restrictions

Restriction

Locations and Semesters Offered

Location
City

Teaching and Learning

Campus Experience

Attendance is expected at scheduled activities including fields trips to enhance components of the course.
The course will include live online events including group discussions.
The activities for the course are scheduled as a standard block delivery.

This course is not available for delivery to students studying remotely outside NZ in 2024.

Teaching and Learning Methods

Our critical and creative response to Pacific Poetry practices a 'Led By Line' methodology (Tusitala Marsh) where we follow written lines (published poetry), spoken lines (performance poetry), and drawn lines (visual poetry) connected through the blood lines and land lines of poets who whakapapa to the Pacific and engage with the 'land' in some way, shape or form. As a Pasifika Artist-Academic I will facilitate both critical and creative engagement with selected poems in assessments that include close readings, creative responses via creative poetry exercises, mind-mapping, a presentation and an essay. Classes will offer a mixture of in-person conventional learning, around and off-campus field trips, and online sessions to facilitate peer review and feedback. 

Learning Resources

Taught courses use a learning and collaboration tool called Canvas to provide students with learning materials including reading lists and lecture recordings (where available). Please remember that the recording of any class on a personal device requires the permission of the instructor.

Additional Information on Learning Resources

A Talis reading list will contain select primary and most secondary readings. Files will contain links to relevant material. Mauri Ola: Contemporary Polynesian Poems in English is freely available through the University Library. Purchase of individual poetry collections by selected poets will be expected, depending on your own assignment requirements.

Copyright

The content and delivery of content in this course are protected by copyright. Material belonging to others may have been used in this course and copied by and solely for the educational purposes of the University under license.


You may copy the course content for the purposes of private study or research, but you may not upload onto any third-party site, make a further copy or sell, alter or further reproduce or distribute any part of the course content to another person.

Learning Continuity

In the event of an unexpected disruption, we undertake to maintain the continuity and standard of teaching and learning in all your courses throughout the year. If there are unexpected disruptions the University has contingency plans to ensure that access to your course continues and course assessment continues to meet the principles of the University’s assessment policy. Some adjustments may need to be made in emergencies. You will be kept fully informed by your course co-ordinator/director, and if disruption occurs you should refer to the university website for information about how to proceed.

Academic Integrity

The University of Auckland will not tolerate cheating, or assisting others to cheat, and views cheating in coursework as a serious academic offence. The work that a student submits for grading must be the student's own work, reflecting their learning. Where work from other sources is used, it must be properly acknowledged and referenced. This requirement also applies to sources on the internet. A student's assessed work may be reviewed for potential plagiarism or other forms of academic misconduct, using computerised detection mechanisms.

Similarly, research students must meet the University’s expectations of good research practice. This requires:

  • Honesty - in all aspects of research work
  • Accountability - in the conduct of research
  • Professional courtesy and fairness – in working with others
  • Good stewardship – on behalf of others
  • Transparency – of research process and presentation of results
  • Clarity - communication to be understandable, explainable and accessible

For more information on the University’s expectations of academic integrity, please see the Academic Conduct section of the University policy hub.

Disclaimer

Elements of this outline may be subject to change. The latest information about taught courses is made available to enrolled students in Canvas.

Students may be asked to submit assessments digitally. The University reserves the right to conduct scheduled tests and examinations online or through the use of computers or other electronic devices. Where tests or examinations are conducted online remote invigilation arrangements may be used. In exceptional circumstances changes to elements of this course may be necessary at short notice. Students enrolled in this course will be informed of any such changes and the reasons for them, as soon as possible, through Canvas.


Assessment and Learning Outcomes

Course Learning Outcomes

CLO #OutcomeProgramme Capability Link
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8

Assessments

Assessment TypeAssessment PercentageAssessment Classification

Assessment to CLO Mapping

Assessment Type12345678

Student Feedback, Support and Charter

Student Feedback

Feedback on taught courses is gathered from students at the end of each semester through a tool called SET or Qualtrics. The lecturers and course co-ordinators will consider all feedback and respond with summaries and actions. Your feedback helps teachers to improve the course and its delivery for future students. In addition, class Representatives in each class can take feedback to the department and faculty staff-student consultative committees.

Additional Information on Student Feedback

In response to feedback, the Presentation has been allocated higher marks to reflect the work, energy and commitment to process to do this piece of assessment well.   

Class representatives

Class representatives are students tasked with representing student issues to departments, faculties, and the wider university. If you have a complaint about this course, please contact your class rep who will know how to raise it in the right channels. See your departmental noticeboard for contact details for your class reps.

Tuākana

Tuākana is a multi-faceted programme for Māori and Pacific students providing topic specific tutorials, one-on-one sessions, test and exam preparation and more. Explore your options at Tuakana Learning Communities.

Inclusive Learning

All students are asked to discuss any impairment related requirements privately, face to face and/or in written form with the course coordinator, lecturer or tutor.

Student Disability Services also provides support for students with a wide range of impairments, both visible and invisible, to succeed and excel at the University. For more information and contact details, please visit the Student Disability Services’ website.

Wellbeing

We all go through tough times during the semester, or see our friends struggling. There is lots of help out there - please see the Support Services page for information on support services in the University and the wider community.

Special Circumstances

If your ability to complete assessed work is affected by illness or other personal circumstances outside of your control, contact a member of teaching staff as soon as possible before the assessment is due. If your personal circumstances significantly affect your performance, or preparation, for an exam or eligible written test, refer to the University’s aegrotat or compassionate consideration page. This should be done as soon as possible and no later than seven days after the affected test or exam date.

Student Charter and Responsibilities

The Student Charter assumes and acknowledges that students are active participants in the learning process and that they have responsibilities to the institution and the international community of scholars. The University expects that students will act at all times in a way that demonstrates respect for the rights of other students and staff so that the learning environment is both safe and productive. For further information visit Student Charter.

Student Academic Complaints and Disputes

Students with concerns about teaching including how a course is delivered, the resources provided, or supervision arrangements, have the right to express their concerns and seek resolution. The university encourages informal resolution where possible, as this is quicker and less stressful. For information on the informal and formal complaints processes, please refer to the Student Academic Complaints Statute in the Student Policies and Guidelines section of the Policy Hub.