In this 8-week master class in poetry, we will focus on ways in which the work of both canonical and contemporary poets can feed our creativity and help us hone revision strategies. By approaching William Shakespeare, Amy Lowell, Tim Seibles, A. E. Stallings, and others as colleagues, we not only learn from their discoveries but also become more confident of our own place in the long continuum of poetry.

Our focus will be on the tools of poetry: word choice, line, stanza, punctuation, imagery, character, sound, and syntax. Each session will include readings and conversation that focus on a specific craft element as well as a linked writing prompt and a revision workshop. Participants should be prepared to draft a new poem each week and to actively revise several of those drafts over the course of our 8 weeks together.