Class Description
Are there any “rules” left in poetry? If poets don’t use traditional rhyme, meter, stanzas, or literary devices anymore, what’s left in a poet’s toolbox? We’ll look at ways to use simple, loose forms like couplets, tercets, the Beats’ American sentence, as well as Wanda Coleman’s American sonnet to showcase what the poem wants to say in straightforward, vernacular fashion. And we’ll look at ways to bring musicality and rhythm back into poetry without formal constraints, consulting strong models from poets like Terrance Hayes and Sandra Beasley. Expect to discover new freedom within limits, writing several new poems or recasting previous ones with added energy and insights.
For new and experienced poets.
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 detailed information about GrubStreet scholarships, including how to contribute to scholarship funds for other students, click here.
This class will take place using Zoom videoconferencing. After registering, a yellow Resources tab will appear in this section containing a link to join class. Please note that you will need to be logged into view the Resources tab.
Zoom Participation:
In our experience, the intimate nature of a writing workshop benefits from on-camera participation. Students are of course welcome to turn their camera off whenever they need to, but it is a community norm for cameras to be on most of the time. You can learn more about using Zoom here.
Zoom Accessibility:
You can enable closed captioning at any time during the meeting by clicking the CC button at the bottom of the screen. If you'd like to access the transcript after class, please make sure to let your instructor ahead of time that you'd like a copy.