Writing Poetry: Foundational Concepts, Skills, and Practice

This course is a combination of readings in poetry and poetics, brief lectures, and open discussions focused on the interplay of image, metaphor, rhythm, emotions and ideas in the expressive form of writing called poetry. Students will learn to tap the imaginative sources that all creative writing springs from and flow those energies into poetic form. The instructor will provide examples to illustrate successful uses of key poetic concepts and help students explore, through a range of open-ended exercises, various approaches to expressing themselves fully and clearly. Students will also develop practical critiquing skills with the aim of helping themselves and their classmates write with greater subtlety and power.