The Department of English hopes to revive the spirit of a folk literature class popular with Cornell students in the 1940s and '50s with a new course this fall -- English 2750: Poetry and Song, taught by professor of English Roger Gilbert.

American Folk Literature, taught by professor Harold Thompson and known colloquially on campus as "Romp-n-Stomp," introduced mid-century students to literature and culture through folklore, audio recordings and live in-class performances of ballads, spirituals and other folk songs. The course attracted more than 150 students each semester and featured live performances by well-known folk artists of the time.

"Romp-n-Stomp" alumni include folk musician Peter Yarrow '59 (of Peter, Paul and Mary fame), who was a teaching assistant for the class during its last semester in 1959. Yarrow returned to Cornell for his 50th class reunion in 2009 and joined several other alumni of Thompson's course on stage in Bailey Hall for "Romping-n-Stomping: A Revival," sharing songs and stories from the class.

With a nod to Thompson's class, Gilbert's four-credit Poetry and Song course will have students explore literature through verse and music. Throughout the semester, they will read the work of poets including William Blake, Walt Whitman and Langston Hughes, and will listen to music ranging from murder ballads to hip-hop.

The course will largely focus on the intricacies of language and verse form that make for a great lyric, whether by Bob Dylan, Dolly Parton or Stephen Sondheim. The core purpose of the course, Gilbert said, is "to explore, without presupposition, the similarities and differences between poems and song lyrics and to put them next to each other in different ways."

Some class periods may include live performances, he said. Students can expect to hear National Book Award nominee and Cornell professor Lyrae Van Clief-Stefanon perform her poetry and traditional songs accompanied by local musicians.

The course is open to Cornell students at all levels. For more information, see the Department of English fall 2010 course guide, available at http://www.arts.cornell.edu/english/courses/, or contact Gilbert at rsg2@cornell.edu.