Description
This course offers an introduction to the reading and writing of poetry through sustained creative practice and critical engagement. Students will study poems from a wide range of authors, traditions, and styles, while composing and revising original work of their own. Class time will combine seminar-style discussions of published poems, writing exercises, and structured workshops where students respond to one another’s work.
Over the course of the semester, students will build a portfolio of revised poems and write a reflective essay that discusses their process and aesthetic choices. Readings include texts by contemporary poets as well as selections from poetics and craft essays.
The course fosters collaborative learning, creative risk-taking, and a deeper understanding of how poetic form shapes meaning.
By emphasizing both individual voice and shared literary tradition, this course helps students develop skills in precision, empathy, and interpretation—capacities that are vi