Class Description
This seminar focuses on an aspect of poetry that may seem simple, but is not: Which words should go in each individual line of a poem? Since the ascendance of free verse, line breaks are arguably the single defining characteristic of poetry, but the decision to break a line in one place rather than another can seem arcane and mysterious. Using close readings of poems, Catherine Wagner’s principles of the “Six S’s,” and exercises, we will demystify the process of making—and breaking—lines of poetry. Poets can bring one or two of their own poems for workshopping of the lineation. They will also leave with a nuanced understanding of the many factors involved in line breaks, as well as a couple of prompts with which to begin writing new poems.
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.