Crafting the Miraculous: Using Image & Metaphor in Poetry - Remote!

Class Description

I dreamed a knife like a song you can’t whistle

— Frank Stanford

Images and metaphors are the meat and potatoes of poetry. As foundational elements, they can
both sharpen and cloud our understanding of poems. As writers, it’s important for us to be able
to distinguish between the two effects. While image and metaphor can be difficult to pin down
and discuss, we’ll focus on using them to strengthen and clarify meaning in your poems. We’ll
read work by an array of writers to uncover their implicit and explicit meanings. We’ll think
about how you can use images and metaphors as generative tools in your writing process. For
this course, you may bring in early drafts of poems for us to discuss, or we can talk about pieces
you’ll produce through in-class writing exercises. We’ll work together to shape your writing,
while thinking about opportunities for expansion and contraction. Our reading for this course
includes: Natalie Diaz, Ross Gay, Dean Young, Brenda Shaughnessy, T.S. Eliot, Rebecca
Lindenberg, and Frank Stanford.

Part of the Poetry Focus Series taught by Derek JG Williams! Check out these other classes in the series:

• Fingerprints and the Adaptability of Forms: Structure & Syntax in Poetry

• From Vision to Revision: Poetry Focus

This class will be hosted using live Zoom meetings! You will be able to participate in class via Zoom videoconference from wherever you’re most comfortable. All you’ll need is a laptop or a phone! About 15 minutes before your class is scheduled to begin, you'll receive an email from your instructor with a link to join the class meeting via Zoom–no need to download anything or sign up for Zoom in advance! If you have questions about remote learning, please feel free to reach out to [email protected] for more information.

For a glimpse at how remote learning works, look no further than the deep Zoom discussion of writing and literature below:

Scholarship Information

Thanks to the excellent literary citizenship of our donors, scholarships are available for all GrubStreet classes. To apply, click the gray "APPLY FOR SCHOLARSHIP" button. In order to be considered for a scholarship, you must complete your application at least one week before the start date of a class. Please await our scholarship committee's decision before registering for the class. We cannot hold spots in classes, so the sooner you apply, the better. Scholarships cannot be applied retroactively.

For more more detailed information about GrubStreet scholarships, including how to contribute to scholarship funds for other students, click here.