Young Adult Writers Program (YAWP): The Politics of the Poetic Form

Class Description

By now, you may have read a sonnet. But there are so many different poetic forms that have such strict requirements: the ghazal, the villanelle, the sestina, and so on. Historically, these poetic forms have been dominated by male voices. Recently, though, poets have returned to these forms in order to politicize them, break their rigid rules open, and reclaim space in the history of poetry. In this class, we will look at examples of ways in which contemporary poets are reclaiming these forms and how their use of them becomes an act of political resistance.

Takeaways
At the end of this class, you'll have a working knowledge of a variety of poetic forms and their many variations. You'll have a rough draft of at least one poem and a batch of examples you can look at while trying to figure out the next way you're going to manipulate an established form.

Who Should Register?

For high school writers age 13 - 18 ONLY. Writing notebooks will be available, but feel free to bring your own.

*If you are registering on behalf of your teen, add their email information in the “For a Friend or Child?” field on the right-hand side of the screen before you check out. This will send them a direct link and reminder to create their own profile with GrubStreet.

(After adding the class to your cart, click "Checkout" and click “Add” next to “For a Friend or Child?” on the right-hand side to fill in their email. This is an easy way of linking the class to your child and encourages them to create their own account.)

Parents/guardians must also complete this permission form online if your teen is under 18. **Note: unlike previous forms, you only need to fill this out ONE TIME, not for every class. If you cannot remember whether you have already filled it out, please email [email protected] and we will check for you!