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Foundations of Poetry

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Thursdays, 4 weeks
Feb 6
-
Feb 27
6:00 - 8:00 PM CT
INSTRUCTOR:
Christian Detisch
LOCATION:
Online via Zoom
$
207
FOR MEMBERS
$
243
FOR non-MEMBERS
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Use code EARLYBIRD at checkout for 10% off through November 10! (Members, check your email for your special member early-bird discount code.)

This workshop is designed for those who are just beginning to write poetry or have some experience but seek more guidance and feedback. We'll dive into the formal aspects of poetry—such as lines, enjambments, stanzas, meter, and rhyme—while also exploring free verse conventions. You'll gain a deeper understanding of the basics of the writing process, especially revision, with a focus on how to begin, develop, and refine your poems. By studying the evolution of poetic forms and examining the work of established poets, you’ll see how history shapes current practice. There will also be opportunities to experiment with these forms through original compositions, showcasing the rewards and challenges of working with various techniques. While we may not finish every poem we start, this course is all about laying a strong foundation and pursuing the art of poetry with earnestness and passion.

In-Class Writing Lift: Light

Homework: Required

Workshopping Drafts: Intensive

Christian Detisch is a writer whose poems, essays, and criticism have appeared or are forthcoming in The Rumpus, 32 Poems, Image, Blackbird and elsewhere. He received his MFA in poetry from Virginia Commonwealth University and his M.Div from the Institute of Sacred Music at Yale Divinity School. He works as a chaplain in Asheville, North Carolina.

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