In Elements of Poetry, we'll consider how form guides the reader's experience of space and time. We'll start with the unit of the line—where and how it breaks, what its organizing principles are, and how the poetic line both contains a message and propels the reader forward into the text.

As we read and discuss C. D. Wright's verse narrative Deepstep Come Shining—a text deeply rooted in the southern United States—and Aditi Machado's Now—a text that inhabits the present moment in all its playful and challenging spontaneity and philosophy—we'll develop new poems of our own that embody our singular experiences of space and time.

This 4-week course will cover basic poetry terminology, with room for nuance for those of all levels to develop their understandings of enjambment, white space, and stanza formation. Our first two weeks will center on reading, conversing, and drafting. Then, we'll pivot to a dynamic workshop where participants can share their works-in-progress and receive feedback.