Online Poetry Course for the Loft

I'll be teaching my 8-week poetry course, entirely online, through the Loft Literary Center again this summer. The course is focused on persona poetry, and it starts June 15. Registration is still open here!

From the course catalog: The aim of this class is to tap into the multitude of voices each of us contains. In class, students will explore their own varied experiences by writing in the voices of others, from mythical and historical figures to celebrities and alter egos. Perfect for beginners and experienced poets alike, the focus of this class is inspiration.

Learning from published examples of persona poems, along with weekly craft notes, students will write a poem each week, responding to prompts from the teaching artist. Prompts and exercises will ask students to write poems in the voices of characters (real or imagined) of their choosing within specific categories. In addition to responding to these prompts, students will learn and exercise basic poetic techniques throughout the course. They will receive basic notes and feedback on their poems, specifically on the use of imagery, simile, metaphor, and musical language.