About this course: Why just write poems when you can write better ones? This course is built on the notion that the most exciting writing begins after the first draft. It is specifically for folks who believe that writing poems just to express oneself is like using the Internet just for email. After all, poetry can change the way you and your readers think of the world and its inhabitants; it can break new ground for language; turn a blank sheet of paper into a teeming concert of voices and music. Though any of us may have the potential to make that happen, having an understanding of how several tools of poetic composition can be used (and audaciously “mis-used”) gives you more ways to try (and if we do this right, we might surprise ourselves most of all). We'll cover key poetic terms and devices by studying poems by a handful of modern and contemporary poets and then get a chance to try our own hand at writing new poem drafts from a select number of prompts. Throughout the course you will have the opportunity to workshop your poem drafts and get feedback on your work, working towards a more polished poem.
Taught by: Douglas Kearney, Faculty, MFA in Writing Program
Critical Studies
| Commitment | 4-5 hours of lessons and assessments |
| Language | English |
| How To Pass | Pass all graded assignments to complete the course. |
| User Ratings |
Each course is like an interactive textbook, featuring pre-recorded videos, quizzes and projects.
Connect with thousands of other learners and debate ideas, discuss course material, and get help mastering concepts.
Earn official recognition for your work, and share your success with friends, colleagues, and employers.
I looked for an online poetry class and found this one. I have no literature education past one year of college, and was looking for something to stretch my mind since I am retired now. I found the instructor, Dou.glas Kearney, to be very engaging and thorough in his explanations. The c ourse was well-structured for a beginner or for someone wanting to tune up their skills in poetry. Each lesson builds on the previous one and gives specific suggestions for each step as you go from idea to style to meter and rhyme to your final project. As I write more poems I refer back to what I learned to help me do better.
The mentors were also very helpful. I appreciated the hands-on suggestions they made throughout, leading me to write poetry more skilfully. The revision critiques I had to do also contributed to my success as I was exposed to different styles and skill levels, and many of the criticisms I received helped me revise my own work.
Excellent course, especially for those in the beginning stages of their poetry writing. Engaging lectures and fun activities.
Learning a lot of things relevant for this course; I think the peer graded workshop is very helpful too.
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KA
This course has some very interesting exercises and plenty of information I did not know. The instructor is highly entertaining too. The people here are very nice and talented. The mentors are really good. More than anything it primes the pump.