POET 45 — Poetry Workshop: The Rhythm Has Meaning
Quarter: Winter
Instructor(s): Jalen Eutsey
Date(s): Jan 22—Feb 26
Class Recording Available: Yes
Class Meeting Day: Wednesdays
Class Meeting Time: 6:00—7:00 pm (PT)
Tuition: $655
Refund Deadline: Jan 24
Unit(s): 1
Enrollment Limit: 18
Status: Registration opens Dec 2, 8:30 am (PT)
Genuine poetry can communicate before it is understood. —T.S. Eliot
In this course, we will strive to write poetry of the sort that Eliot describes—poems that speak to us on a deeper level before we fully grasp their meaning, revealing new layers with each reading. What is the rhythm of rage? What are the sonic qualities of desire? We’ll start with a focus on rhythm—both formal and free verse—and the sonic qualities of language, including rhyme, assonance, alliteration, and consonance. We’ll examine how fundamental elements of poetry, like imagery, diction, lineation, and sound, establish the tone and voice of a poem. We’ll seek to write poems that reward multiple rereadings by being attuned to the connotative possibilities of the aural elements of language. Our studies will include works by acclaimed poets such as Philip Larkin, John Ashbery, Li-Young Lee, Elizabeth Bishop, Terrance Hayes, Ross Gay, Dean Young, and Mary Ruefle. Each week, we’ll discuss what we’ve read, undertake prompt-based writing exercises, and submit poems for written feedback from both the instructor and your peers. You’ll leave this workshop with a portfolio of new work and a deeper understanding of poetic craft.
In this course, we will strive to write poetry of the sort that Eliot describes—poems that speak to us on a deeper level before we fully grasp their meaning, revealing new layers with each reading. What is the rhythm of rage? What are the sonic qualities of desire? We’ll start with a focus on rhythm—both formal and free verse—and the sonic qualities of language, including rhyme, assonance, alliteration, and consonance. We’ll examine how fundamental elements of poetry, like imagery, diction, lineation, and sound, establish the tone and voice of a poem. We’ll seek to write poems that reward multiple rereadings by being attuned to the connotative possibilities of the aural elements of language. Our studies will include works by acclaimed poets such as Philip Larkin, John Ashbery, Li-Young Lee, Elizabeth Bishop, Terrance Hayes, Ross Gay, Dean Young, and Mary Ruefle. Each week, we’ll discuss what we’ve read, undertake prompt-based writing exercises, and submit poems for written feedback from both the instructor and your peers. You’ll leave this workshop with a portfolio of new work and a deeper understanding of poetic craft.