Poetry: Principles and Practice

Like most poetry workshops, this class will center on class discussion of student work. For each class, each student will bring copies of an original poem for each of the other students and for the instructor to be workshopped the following class. The author will read his or her poem aloud, and then remain silent as the class discusses the poem’s strengths and makes constructive suggestions for possible revision. The discussion will be mainly student-driven, moderated by the instructor. After discussion, students may return their copies of the poem to the author if they have written comments on it (as will the instructor). If students wish, they may give revised poems to the instructor for comment.
Also, part of each class will be devoted to exploring a particular element of craft—such as voice, metaphor, or poetic forms—through reading selections from other poets’ works. The instructor will suggest optional at-home writing exercises focusing on each element, which students may share at the following class.
I expect that students would already write—and read—poetry before beginning this course, but students need not have taken a poetry workshop before. The class is open to poets of all levels of experience.