Courses

For many poets, the only rule is that a poem must have line breaks. But are line breaks really a foundational element of the poem? What work do they do on the page? In this course, we will focus on line breaks as an active craft choice, one that can shape meaning or shift a reader’s attention. Each week, we will study a different kind of line break, examining how poets such as Jorie Graham, Jake Skeets, and Solmaz Sharif use lineation to shape rhythm, emphasis, and surprise, then experimenting with that approach in our own writing. The goal is not to impose strict rules, but to give you tools you can use freely. Students will write one new poem each week, workshopping three of these poems throughout the course, giving everyone the opportunity to receive focused feedback while also learning through close attention to others’ work.