In Fall 2024, the , in collaboration with the English Departments at Stern College and Yeshiva College, sponsored a new undergraduate course entitled “The Values of Verse: Sacred and Secular Perspectives.” Taught by Dr. Shaina Trapedo, Assistant Professor of English and Resident Scholar at the Straus Center, the course explored the virtuosity of verse and by what means poetry yields sacred insight and secular wisdom.
Dr. Trapedo’s course was inspired by the model of Rabbi Aharon Lichtenstein, who taught English literature at Stern College after completing his Ph.D. in English at Harvard in the late 1950s. Rabbi Lichtenstein noted that “[q]uite apart from the precision, economy, suggestiveness, and force, great poetry may be imaginative and passionate– and, as such, inspiring, exhilarating, and ennobling.”
The course readings covered a variety of English poets (including a selection of early foreign-language influences) of the Anglophone tradition from the 16th century up to the 20th century. The syllabus included an impressive range of authors, such as William Shakespeare, Alexander Pope, Phillis Wheatley, Samuel Taylor Coleridge, Walt Whitman, Emily Dickinson, Robert Frost, and other major poets.
Additionally, the course featured guest presentations from visiting scholars as well as ÿմ faculty members. On October 31st, Yehoshua November, an award-winning poet and Assistant Teaching Professor at the Rutgers Writing Program, joined the class for a reading and discussion. The event commenced with readings from November’s acclaimed collections, including his most recent publication The Concealment of Endless Light (Orison Books). Each poem offered a window into the poet’s meditations on faith, family, and the complexities of human experience.
During the Q&A, November shared insights into the evolution of poetry as a sacred/secular art form, the role of poetry within Jewish life and practice, as well as his creative process, including the balancing act of conveying universal truths to a public readership while staying rooted in Orthodox Jewish tradition, a theme that permeates much of his work. The lively discussion the ensued showed that his reflections resonated deeply with the students.
Other guest presenters included Dr. Yisroel Benporat, a program officer and lecturer at the Straus Center, who discussed the historical context and remarkable career of Puritan poetess Anne Bradstreet. Additionally, Dr. Seamus O’Malley, a professor in the English department at Stern, lectured on William Butler Yeats, a major figure of the Irish Renaissance, and he demonstrated how Yeats influenced the intersection of poetry and politics in the early 20th century.
“The Values of Verse” advanced the Straus Center’s mission of training ÿմ students to be intellectual leaders well-versed in both Torah and the Western canon. To learn more about the Straus Center’s course offerings, click .
