Southern Utah University

Course Syllabus

Southern Utah University
Southern Utah University
Summer Semester 2026

ST: Latin American Poetry (Online)

SPAN 4610-30I

Course: SPAN 4610-30I
Credits: 3
Term: Summer Semester 2026
Department: FLPH
CRN: 21127

Course Description

This course offers an intensive introduction to Latin American poetry from the late 19th century to the present. Students will engage in close reading, literary analysis, and contextual exploration of poetic texts spanning different movements, themes, and voices. We will study canonical and lesser-known poets, paying special attention to topics such as love, death, resistance, and identity. In addition to literary content, this course emphasizes the development of advanced Spanish language skills, with a focus on academic writing, interpretive vocabulary, and textual analysis. (As Needed) [Graded (Standard Letter)] Prerequisite(s): SPAN 3210 and SPAN 3300 - Prerequisite Min. Grade: C- Repeatable for Add’l Credit? Yes - Total Credits: 6 Registration Restriction(s): None

Required Texts

• Dictionaries (hard-copy or electronic). Recommended: www.wordreference.com  and www.rae.es 
• Internet access
• A microphone and a webcam (for recordings)
• All readings will be provided as PDFs or links. Students are encouraged to maintain a personal notebook or digital document for notes, glossaries, and reflections.

Learning Outcomes

By the end of the course, successful students will be able to:
• Analyze and interpret poetry in Spanish using appropriate literary terminology.
• Identify key Latin American poetic movements and their historical/cultural context.
• Recognize and explain common poetic devices (e.g., metaphor, anaphora, personification).
• Improve their academic Spanish through discussion, writing, and vocabulary-building.
• Create original analyses that connect poems across authors, styles, and themes.
In addition, this course meets the following SUU Learning Outcomes:
• Knowledge of Human Cultures
• Intellectual and Practical Skills (Communication, Critical Thinking, Analysis, Creative thinking, Teamwork, Information literacy, Digital literacy)

Course Requirements

 EXPECTATIONS
•  Consistent weekly participation (reading, forum posts, activities).
•  Completion of reading assignments before engaging with activities.
•  Work must be original.
•  Careful attention to Spanish language accuracy, structure, and vocabulary.
•  Timely submission of all assignments.

COURSE COMPONENTS EXPLAINED

Tareas: Varied assignments based on your weekly readings. Some will focus solely on interpretation and close reading while others will ask for a more creative approach. Combination of written and oral assignments.

Reflexiones personales: Short oral responses reflecting on your experience with the poems assigned during that week. 

Foros de discusión: Discussion type assignments where you will answer questions and engage in the class take of those questions. 

Proyecto final: The creation of a personal poetry anthology based on the material read in class. This assignment seeks to combine your interpretive and analytical skills with your creative ones by putting together a short anthology and explaining its approach and perspective (more information on Canvas). 

Course Outline

Weeks
1 ¿Qué es la poesía? Arte poética Introductory readings and discussions. Selection of poems about poetry. 
• ¿Qué es la poesía? Voces latinoamericanas en diálogo
2 Modernismo Latinoamericano Rubén Darío, José Martí, Delmira Agustini, Amado Nervo, etc.
• La muerte en los poemas modernistas
3 Latin American Vanguardismo Vicente Huidobro, César Vallejo, Oliverio Girondo, Pablo Neruda, Alfonsina Storni, etc.
• ¿Qué puede (o debe) ser un poema? 
4 Negrismo, negritud y afrodescendencia poética Nicolás Guillén, Luis Palés Matos, Victoria Santa Cruz, etc. 
• Voz y ritmo afro en la poesía: Identidad, cuerpo y memoria
5 Poetry and Political Commitment Pablo Neruda, Roque Dalton, Ernesto Cardenal, Mario Benedetti, Nicanor Parra, Eduardo Galeano, Sor Juana Inés de la Cruz, Alfonsina Storni, etc.
• Versos poderosos 
• Collage digital: Poemas en imágenes
6 Love and Heartbreak in Latin American Poetry: El amor, ese misterio Jaime Sabines, Mario Benedetti, Julio Cortázar, Piedad Bonett, Julio Cortázar, Pablo Neruda, Idea Villariño, etc. 
• El lenguaje del amor: descifrando figuras literarias 
7 Final Project Antología poética

Instructor's policies on late assignments and/or makeup work

Late assignments will be accepted with a penalty of 5% per day students are late. 

Attendance Policy

The modality of the class is online-asynchronous so attendance is not required.

ADA Statement

Students with medical, psychological, learning, or other disabilities desiring academic adjustments, accommodations, or auxiliary aids will need to contact the Disability Resource Center, located in Room 206F of the Sharwan Smith Center or by phone at (435) 865-8042. The Disability Resource Center determines eligibility for and authorizes the provision of services.

If your instructor requires attendance, you may need to seek an ADA accommodation to request an exception to this attendance policy. Please contact the Disability Resource Center to determine what, if any, ADA accommodations are reasonable and appropriate.

Academic Credit

According to the federal definition of a Carnegie credit hour: A credit hour of work is the equivalent of approximately 60 minutes of class time or independent study work. A minimum of 45 hours of work by each student is required for each unit of credit. Credit is earned only when course requirements are met. One (1) credit hour is equivalent to 15 contact hours of lecture, discussion, testing, evaluation, or seminar, as well as 30 hours of student homework. An equivalent amount of work is expected for laboratory work, internships, practica, studio, and other academic work leading to the awarding of credit hours. Credit granted for individual courses, labs, or studio classes ranges from 0.5 to 15 credit hours per semester.

Academic Freedom

SUU is operated for the common good of the greater community it serves. The common good depends upon the free search for truth and its free exposition. Academic Freedom is the right of faculty to study, discuss, investigate, teach, and publish. Academic Freedom is essential to these purposes and applies to both teaching and research.

Academic Freedom in the realm of teaching is fundamental for the protection of the rights of the faculty member and of you, the student, with respect to the free pursuit of learning and discovery. Faculty members possess the right to full freedom in the classroom in discussing their subjects. They may present any controversial material relevant to their courses and their intended learning outcomes, but they shall take care not to introduce into their teaching controversial materials which have no relation to the subject being taught or the intended learning outcomes for the course.

As such, students enrolled in any course at SUU may encounter topics, perspectives, and ideas that are unfamiliar or controversial, with the educational intent of providing a meaningful learning environment that fosters your growth and development. These parameters related to Academic Freedom are included in SUU Policy 6.6.

Academic Misconduct

Scholastic honesty is expected of all students. Dishonesty will not be tolerated and will be prosecuted to the fullest extent (see SUU Policy 6.33). You are expected to have read and understood the current SUU student conduct code (SUU Policy 11.2) regarding student responsibilities and rights, the intellectual property policy (SUU Policy 5.52), information about procedures, and what constitutes acceptable behavior.

Please Note: The use of websites or services that sell essays is a violation of these policies; likewise, the use of websites or services that provide answers to assignments, quizzes, or tests is also a violation of these policies. Regarding the use of Generative Artificial Intelligence (AI), you should check with your individual course instructor.

Emergency Management Statement

In case of an emergency, the University's Emergency Notification System (ENS) will be activated. Students are encouraged to maintain updated contact information using the link on the homepage of the mySUU portal. In addition, students are encouraged to familiarize themselves with the Emergency Response Protocols posted in each classroom. Detailed information about the University's emergency management plan can be found at https://www.suu.edu/emergency.

HEOA Compliance Statement

For a full set of Higher Education Opportunity Act (HEOA) compliance statements, please visit https://www.suu.edu/heoa. The sharing of copyrighted material through peer-to-peer (P2P) file sharing, except as provided under U.S. copyright law, is prohibited by law; additional information can be found at https://my.suu.edu/help/article/1096/heoa-compliance-plan.

You are also expected to comply with policies regarding intellectual property (SUU Policy 5.52) and copyright (SUU Policy 5.54).

Mandatory Reporting

University policy (SUU Policy 5.60) requires instructors to report disclosures received from students that indicate they have been subjected to sexual misconduct/harassment. The University defines sexual harassment consistent with Federal Regulations (34 C.F.R. Part 106, Subpart D) to include quid pro quo, hostile environment harassment, sexual assault, dating violence, domestic violence, and stalking. When students communicate this information to an instructor in-person, by email, or within writing assignments, the instructor will report that to the Title IX Coordinator to ensure students receive support from the Title IX Office. A reporting form is available at https://cm.maxient.com/reportingform.php?SouthernUtahUniv

Non-Discrimination Statement

SUU is committed to fostering an inclusive community of lifelong learners and believes our university's encompassing of different views, beliefs, and identities makes us stronger, more innovative, and better prepared for the global society.

SUU does not discriminate on the basis of race, religion, color, national origin, citizenship, sex (including sex discrimination and sexual harassment), sexual orientation, gender identity, age, ancestry, disability status, pregnancy, pregnancy-related conditions, genetic information, military status, veteran status, or other bases protected by applicable law in employment, treatment, admission, access to educational programs and activities, or other University benefits or services.

SUU strives to cultivate a campus environment that encourages freedom of expression from diverse viewpoints. We encourage all to dialogue within a spirit of respect, civility, and decency.

For additional information on non-discrimination, please see SUU Policy 5.27 and/or visit https://www.suu.edu/nondiscrimination.

Pregnancy

Students who are or become pregnant during this course may receive reasonable modifications to facilitate continued access and participation in the course. Pregnancy and related conditions are broadly defined to include pregnancy, childbirth, termination of pregnancy, lactation, related medical conditions, and recovery. To obtain reasonable modifications, please make a request to title9@suu.edu. To learn more visit: https://www.suu.edu/titleix/pregnancy.html.

Disclaimer Statement

Information contained in this syllabus, other than the grading, late assignments, makeup work, and attendance policies, may be subject to change with advance notice, as deemed appropriate by the instructor.