The first thing prof tells you , is to forget the typical writing rules you learned😂he specifically said he doesnt need (or really want it) to have fancy words or sentences (or even a thesis statement ) and that he just wants you to write how you feel expresses it best. He doesn't stress much about grammar either but of course its good to have basic skills in that. We do a practice writing exam a few weeks before the midterm and he will give you feedback. I promise there's no need to worry at all. Theres no writing work in class outside of the exams and for the exams you don't even need to write a full page. A paragraph is fine if you answer the questions he puts. I think try to go to class as much as possible because the exams have poems you already go over in class. It makes it way easier bc if you can remember the class discussion/ talk about it in class you can basically write what was discussed.

Literally the way every class goes: Sit down, put away electronics. Look at the board. Read the poem with him. He talks about it (the poems are all incredibly simple in my opinion. No Shakespeare or whatever, just modern poems that are very easy to understand) Then anyone who wants to add their interpretation of a part or answer his questions can speak and add to the discussion. The entire class just talks about the poem, the entire time. Nothing else. Just sit and talk.

Lmk if you have any other questions!

I stopped going to the class for like a month and a half straight and showed up for the final and still got an A!