creative poetry writing classes

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Online undergraduate-level course, creative writing: poetry.

Authored by Pat Pattison

Course Code: OLART-215

Next semester starts June 24 Enroll by 5 PM ET. Limited seats available.--> Enroll by 5 PM ET. Limited seats available.-->

3-credit tuition, non-credit tuition.

Creative Writing: Poetry is a course for writers—songwriters, poets, and anyone who wants to write more effectively. The course—authored by Pat Pattison, who developed the curriculum for the only songwriting major in the country at Berklee—will give you specific tools to help you craft and control your writing. You will be taken through a step-by-step process, each step handing you another tool to give what you say more power. You'll learn how to enhance your ideas through arranging lines into odd or even numbered line groups and creating either a feeling of tension or resolution with the composition itself, independent of the poem's meaning. You'll learn placement, timing, focus, and especially how to use rhythm in language expressively.

• Write clearly and strongly
• Precisely control form and composition
• Counter-point lines against phrases to create musical effects
• Use language rhythms to create tension and resolution
• Understand the relationship between poetry and music
• Deeply understand prosody, the fundamental principle underlying not only poetry, but art in general

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Lesson 1: Prose vs. Poetry

• Prose: Phrase Lengths
• Sentence Construction: Simple Sentences
• Compound Sentences
• Sentence Types
• Lines with Multiple Phrases
• Units of Composition

Lesson 2: Managing End-Stops 

• Creating Subordinate Clauses
• Stable and Unstable Groupings
• "Days" by Ralph Waldo Emerson
• Instability
• Student Poetry Examples
• Switching Line Order

Lesson 3: Managing Caesuras 

• Frontal, Medial, and Terminal Caesuras
• Creating Tension
• Emerson's Handling of Caesuras
• Creating Motion

Lesson 4: Managing Enjambment

• Moving from Light to Heavy
• Other Movement
• Managing Enjambment

Lesson 5: Writing in Iambic Pentameter

• Stressed and Unstressed Syllables
• Iambic Pentameter
• Blending Languages
• Why Pentameter?
• English Poetry
• Groove and Variation
• "Distractions" by Emma Joy Hanley
• "The Woman with Fire Engine Nails" by Caroline Harvey
• Learning your Craft

Lesson 6: Substituting in Iambic Pentameter

• Substituting in Iambic Pentameter
• Themes and Variations
• Creating Emotion
• "After Long Silence" by William Butler Yeats
• Substitutions in "After Long Silence"
• Going Against Expectations

Lesson 7: Writing in Blank Verse 

• Writing in Blank Verse
• "Birches" by Robert Frost
• "Ulysses" by Alfred, Lord Tennyson
• Compositional Tools
• "Spring" by Elisa Lomazzo
• "Christmas Cheer" by Ian Henchy

Lesson 8: Blank Verse Again 

• More on Blank Verse
• Blank Verse and Substitutions
• "A Wake" by Ryan Toll
• "Still" by Rachel Borovik

Lesson 9: Using Rhyme

• Using Rhyme
• Sound in Poetry
• Rhyme Schemes
• Perfect Rhyme
• Consonance Rhyme
• More on Consonance Rhyme
• Rhyme Schemes Revisited
• "Ode to the West Wind" by Percy Bysshe Shelley

Lesson 10: English (or Shakespearean) Sonnet

• English or Shakespearean Sonnet
• "When I Have Fears" by John Keats

Lesson 11: English (or Shakespearean) Sonnet Continued

• Modern Sonnets
• "Putting in the Seed" by Robert Frost
• "Baby Running Barefoot" by D. H. Lawrence

Lesson 12: Italian (or Pertrarchian) Sonnet        

• The Italian (or Petrarchian) Sonnet
• The First Eight Lines
• "In Memoriam"
• The Italian Sonnet Road Map
• "Mezzo Cammin" 
• "Grief"
• "Design"
• The ccdeed sestet
• e. e. cummings
• e. e. cummings Variation

Requirements

Prerequisites and course-specific requirements .

Prerequisite Courses, Knowledge, and/or Skills All students enrolled in this course must know English well enough to:

• Easily understand recorded videos and written class lessons
• Participate successfully in written and oral class discussions
• Read, write, and study without being hindered by language problems
• Possess intermediate or advanced grammar skills related to punctuation and verb conjugation Though the course uses a rudimentary musical vocabulary, no musical training is required.

Textbook(s)

• No textbooks required

Student Deals After enrolling, be sure to check out our Student Deals page for various offers on software, hardware, and more. Please contact [email protected] with any questions.

General Course Requirements

Below are the minimum requirements to access the course environment and participate in Live Classes. Please make sure to also check the Prerequisites and Course-Specific Requirements section above, and ensure your computer meets or exceeds the minimum system requirements for all software needed for your course. 

• macOS High Sierra 10.13 or later
• Windows 10 or later
• Latest version of Google Chrome
• Zoom meeting software
• Speakers or headphones
• External or internal microphone
• Broadband Internet connection

Instructors

Pat Pattison is a professor at Berklee College of Music, where he teaches lyric writing and poetry. In addition to his four books, Songwriting Without Boundaries  (Penguin/Random House), Writing Better Lyrics, 2nd Edition (Penguin/Random House), The Essential Guide to Lyric Form and Structure (Hal Leonard), and The Essential Guide to Rhyming (Hal Leonard), Pat has developed several online courses for Berklee Online. He has written more than 50 articles for various blogs and magazines, including American Songwriter , and has chapters in both The Poetics of American Song Lyrics (University Press of Mississippi) and The Handbook on Creative Writing (Edinburgh University Press).

Eric Leva is a songwriter, singer, producer, and classically trained pianist from Massachusetts. Leva has studied at the New England Conservatory of Music and Berklee College of Music. Following his studies, Leva spent time in New York City to hone his craft and develop his writing. A songwriting award from the ASCAP Foundation eventually sparked a move to Los Angeles to pursue more collaborations. His recent releases include Kesha, DNCE, Wes Period, and Rozzi.

Sarah Anne Stinnett is a multi-disciplinary artist and educator. Since 2017 she has served as Teaching Assistant for Harvard Extension and Harvard Summer Schools in the subjects of speech, communication, and social media. At Lesley University she is Teaching Assistant for Musical Theater Writing and instructs curriculum in collaboration, voice, and performance. Her core tenets in teaching are as in life: employ unparalleled curiosity, to do is to discover, and a life of learning and imagination is impelled by the study of the masters before.

What's Next?

When taken for credit, Creative Writing: Poetry can be applied towards the completion of these related programs:

Related Certificate Programs

• General Music Studies Professional Certificate
• General Music Studies Advanced Professional Certificate

Related Degree Majors

• Bachelor's Degree in Music Production
• Bachelor's Degree in Music Business
• Bachelor's Degree in Music Composition for Film, TV, and Games
• Bachelor's Degree in Electronic Music Production and Sound Design
• Bachelor's Degree in Interdisciplinary Music Studies (Create Your Own Major)
• Bachelor's Degree in Songwriting
• Bachelor's Degree in Guitar Performance
• (Pre-Degree) Undeclared Option
• Bachelor's Degree in Songwriting and Producing Music

Related Music Career Roles

Employers look for skills learned in this course, when hiring for the following music career roles:

Music Journalist

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72 Best Poetry Creative Writing Classes in 2024

Showing 72 courses that match your search.

The Poetry of Play

Writers.com

In this class, we’ll enjoy a rollicking good time by responding to poetry’s call to do just that. Students will read a wide variety of playful poetry, then experiment with in-class writing prompts designed to awaken freedom and enjoyment.

Website: https://writers.com/course/the-poetry-of-play

Categories: Poetry

Start date:

January, 2025

Prerequisites: No prerequisites

The Spirituality of Poetry

In this course, you’ll explore many poets whose work radiate with broad definitions of spirituality. Our weekly readings are designed to help center and balance you, as well as help you explore your own beliefs and approaches to a spiritual life.

Website: https://writers.com/course/the-spirituality-of-poetry

October, 2024

Revolutionary Poetics

Because poetry, by definition, is political, even the choice to write apolitical poetry is a political one. In this workshop, we will develop our writing craft while engaging in revolutionary political education, specifically as it relates to the Black Power and Black Arts Movements.

Website: https://grubstreet.org/workshop/revolutionary-poetics-su24

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Teen Summer: August Week of Creative Writing

Whether you’re working towards a novel or writing short stories, poetry, plays or genre-fluid experiments, this is an opportunity to improve your skills and learn about different literary techniques to help your big ideas come to life.

Website: https://grubstreet.org/workshop/teen-summer-august-week-o...

August, 2024

Online Advanced Poetry (Bellamy)

The Writers Studio

Students at this level are writing poetry with an increased focus on creating an individual voice and an emotional atmosphere. Exercises using free verse and traditional, received forms (i.e. sonnet, villanelle, sestina, and pantoum) as well as meter and syllabics are suggested in order to strengthen a student’s technical skills.

Website: https://courses.writerstudio.com/courses/online-advanced-...

Teen Summer: Food for Thought & Character Development

Through craft lessons and writing prompts, students will have fun fleshing out their character and story ideas using food as inspiration and leave with delicious new drafts.

Website: https://grubstreet.org/workshop/teen-summer-food-for-thou...

Explorations of Asian American Poetry

We will study the craft in poems by Jennifer Chang, Victoria Chang, Franny Choi, Li-Young Lee, Ocean Vuong and others. Our aim will be to learn from their work, as well as generate the beginnings of our own poems.

Website: https://grubstreet.org/seminar/explorations-of-asian-amer...

Prerequisites: Students must have begun at least 3 chapters of a full-length memoir or 3 personal essays.

Jumpstart Your Writing

Through a series of engaging writing exercises, we will mine our experiences and imagination for material and bring what we find to life on the page, constructing characters and settings, shaping vivid dialogue, creating imagery, and exploring the nuances of voice.

Website: https://grubstreet.org/workshop/jumpstart-your-writing-su...

Prerequisites: For writers age 13 - 18 ONLY.

Poetry Revision Workshop

This online class is meant for poets who have written a few drafts of poems and want a supportive environment and concrete set of tools to polish them. In this class, we will focus on sharpening your editing and revision skills.

Website: https://grubstreet.org/seminar/poetry-revision-workshop-u...

Over-50 Memoir Workshop (McElwain)

This six-week online workshop is open to all writers over the age of 50 who are interested in writing their memoir. Each week we’ll do close readings of memoirs written by writers over 50, spanning a wide range of narrators and narrative approaches.

Website: https://courses.writerstudio.com/courses/online-over-50-m...

Poetic Memoir

The Writer's Center

Poems can capture the most meaningful moments of your life and evoke their essence in a reader. In this course you’ll begin to learn how to focus on such moments and present them so they illustrate you in your life and imply its arc.

Website: https://writer.org/event/poetic-memoir/

Marketing Your Poetry

With small presses a popular choice for publishing, more writers are looking for ways to market their books when their publishers don’t have the resources. This workshop will show you easy hacks for promoting your book.

Website: https://writer.org/event/marketing-your-poetry/

How to choose a poetry writing class

Looking to build your writing skillset, learn more about your genre, or finally finish that poem you’ve been working on? You’re in the right place. That’s why we built this directory of the best writing courses.

However, creative writing classes aren’t one size fit all. If you’re planning to join a poetry writing class in particular, you’ll want to make sure that it matches what you’re seeking to learn about poetry writing.

So make sure to consider the following questions when you’re researching poetry writing courses:

• Who is the instructor? How many years of experience do they have in poetry writing?
• Is there something in particular you’d like to learn about poetry writing? Does this course include it?
• How long is the course, and where is it taught?
• How much does the poetry writing course cost? Does it fit into your budget?

More poetry writing resources

Whether you’re a new or established author, there are always evergreen resources out there to how to get a headstart on poetry writing. 

Free online materials

• How to Write a Poem (blog post)
• How to Publish a Poem (blog post)
• Places to Submit Your Poetry (blog post)
• 72 Top Poetry Book Publishers (resource)
• 13 Top Poetry Literary Agents (resource)

Recommended books

• For writers in the UK:  Writers' & Artists' Yearbook  
• For writers in the US:  Writer’s Market 2020

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Poetry Courses

• (610) 449-3773 | [email protected]

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We Are All Storytellers

Fun, structured writing workshops in person, via zoom, and online. private editing and coaching services., in the writing workshops, beginners, avid writers, and published authors:.

• Devote time to writing
• Overcome writer’s block
• Receive helpful feedback
• Join the writers’ community

Write fiction, poetry, nonfiction, memoirs, essays, plays, and screenplays.

Writing can seem like a lonely pursuit. It’s easier to stay motivated when someone else is excited to receive your writing. This program gives you the accountability we all need. Write to a prompt you receive via email for fifteen minutes and return your writing to your partner. You and your partner provide each other with basic, encouraging feedback. The Daily Writers can be taken by itself and also complements any other creative writing workshops.

The Tuesday Night Writing Workshop

This is a fun, structured environment designed to help you tame your inner critic and develop your unique voice. Write during the workshop. If you choose, submit up to 5,000 words for constructive discussion. Designed for writers of all levels who write in any form or genre.

Sessions last 7-8 nights and alternate between in-person (Flourtown, PA) and Zoom workshops. The winter session is usually held via Zoom, but other sessions are often held in person.

All-Writing Workshops

The all-writing workshops are a great way to get a feel for what it’s like to take the Tuesday Night Writing Workshop without making as much of a commitment. You can sign up for one meeting or all that are scheduled. It’s called an all-writing workshop because there is no reading or discussing manuscripts–it’s all writing all the time! This workshop is for writers of all levels of experience who write any genre or form.

Write With Rachel

Sunday afternoons 2-4:30, Thursday evenings from 7-9:30, and some years Tuesday evenings, too.

Rachel Kobin is the founder of The Philadelphia Writers’ Workshop.

Write With Danette

From September to May, choose 1 or more Wednesday nights of all writing via Zoom with author Danette Laver. 7-9:30 p.m.

Danette Laver has been a writer in The Tuesday Night Writing Workshop for years and recently released her first novel, which Rachel Kobin edited.

The Manuscript Workshop

The Manuscript Workshop, which meets via video conference and in person on three Thursday evenings each month from September through early June, is designed to support writers who have made significant progress toward completing a full-length book.

Currently seeking participants for fall 2024.

Editing and Coaching for Writers

Working one-on-one with Rachel Kobin, the Founder and Director of The Philadelphia Writers’ Workshop can be the best way to forward your project.

Private coaching nurtures you through the highs and lows of creative productivity.

Private editing guides you through the phases of preparing your project for publication.

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The Writers Studio

The Original School of Creative Writing and Thinking, est. 1987

The Writers Studio New York

IN-PERSON CLASSES

NYC Level 1, 2, and Advanced Poetry classes will be held in person at the Village Community School at 272 West 10th Street in the West Village. Proof of vaccination and masks are required to attend in-person classes.

VIRTUAL CLASSES

For those NYC Level 1 students who prefer a virtual class, there will be a Thursday class held via Google Meet. NYC Level 3/4 and NYC Memoir classes will continue to meet at their scheduled times via Google Meet.

Any NYC classes that meet remotely are open to students from outside of the New York City area.

The Writers Studio, founded in 1987 by Pulitzer Prize-winning poet Philip Schultz, offers ongoing writing workshops — both on site and online — designed to help students discover and nurture their own voices. We welcome students at all stages, from those who have only dreamed of writing fiction or poetry to those with MFAs hungry for additional serious, ongoing instruction. Students provide the desire to write and the willingness to learn, and we provide the structure, the technical know-how, the professional feedback and the friendly community to enable them to reach their full potential.

Our in-person New York City classes take place in an informal classroom setting in lower Manhattan. We understand how vulnerable students can feel sharing their words with a room full of strangers, so we take care to make everyone feel at home. In just a couple of weeks, a remarkable degree of solidarity and trust tend to develop in each workshop.

In Level 1, the emphasis is on building a solid foundation in craft as students do exercises designed to introduce them to a wide array of new narrative approaches. We also teach students to give constructive, supportive feedback. We work to assure that critiques build on each other, so that students never leave the class with a head full of conflicting reactions and suggestions. As students move up through the levels, the basic structure of the workshops remains the same, but the level of sophistication grows across the board. Assignments become more challenging to meet the increasing skill and understanding of the students. In the upper levels students are generally working on longer pieces, but they continue to do exercises, always honing their skills and deepening their understanding.

All students new to The Writers Studio in New York City start at Level 1. Since we approach teaching with our own method and vocabulary, even experienced writers with publications and/or MFAs will find plenty that is new and challenging in Level 1.

We also encourage our New York City students to take advantage of our other local events: the Craft Class and our ongoing reading series. Each year we showcase the work of favorite literary journals, new and established published authors, and the work of our own students and teachers. Students invite their families and friends to these events, which helps us introduce The Writers Studio to the larger community.

For more information, please call us at (212) 255-7075 or visit us on Facebook .

Available NYC Courses

The writers studio, online and local communities.

New to The Writers Studio? Start here .

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Hudson river towns, craft class, tutorial program, all memoir courses.

For all writers.

If you love to read or write, there’s a place for you at hugo house..

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Hugo House is a nonprofit literary arts organization that aims to make writing accessible. Everyone has a story to tell. Whether you’re a new writer wanting to learn, an experienced author seeking a supportive environment to share your work, or a reader looking for new books to love—at Hugo House, you’ll find ways to explore your creativity, whatever your interest or budget.

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Whether you’re struggling to write your first poem or have a few novels under your belt, Hugo House offers classes, workshops, and other programs to help you achieve your writing goals. Our classes are taught by published writers who are also stellar teachers. Our students come from a variety of backgrounds and life experiences. What they all have in common: a love of words.

This Actually Happened: Writing Real Life (Sliding Scale Tuition)

Instructor: Alli Parrett. Explore elements of craft that translate real life moments into captivating stories on the page, examining excerpts from Brandon Taylor's Real Life and more.

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• Magazine Submission Review
• Ready to submit your poems to magazines, journals or websites? Get feedback on a selection of four to six of them to check you're on the right track.
• Pamphlet Review
• Designed for poets preparing a pamphlet for possible publication, this report will offer constructive feedback on a group of up to twenty poems.
• Collection Review
• Put your poems through their paces with an in-depth evaluation of your entire collection.
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Poetry Writing Courses

Whether you're just starting out or preparing your first collection, our poetry writing courses offer the technical knowledge, the practical support and the creative encouragement you'll need. With courses available online and in London, take the next step on your writing journey at the home of British poetry.

Our poetry writing courses: an overview

From a one-day workshop for those starting out to an advanced six-month course for those hoping to publish a first collection, we offer a full range of courses for aspiring poets at every step of the journey

Some of our poetry writing courses are selective, meaning you’ll need to apply.

Our online poetry writing courses are held live via Zoom, so that you can join from wherever you are in the world.

Who are these courses for?

Aspiring poets.

Always wanted to write poetry but don't know where to start? Some of our poetry courses are suitable for complete beginners and offer an introduction to the craft as well as feedback on your writing.

Poets developing their craft

Broaden your techniques, deepen your knowledge and meet a close-knit group of likeminded writers. Some of our intermediate courses are also suitable for writers moving over from another genre.

Poets ready to take the next step

If you've been writing poetry for a while and are hoping to begin publishing your work, our advanced courses are uniquely placed to help you achieve those goals.

• Level Starting out Improving Advanced
• Location Online London Newcastle
• Length 1-5 days 12 weeks 6 month +
• Featured Featured Upcoming Lowest Price A-Z Z-A

Our advanced courses in fiction and poetry offer the next step for the committed writer – serious writing time, industry advice and expert guidance, along with a close-knit group of fellow writers to keep you on track.

Poetry Writing Courses ( 7 )

Start to Write Poetry

What do these levels mean?

Richard Scott

Saturday 25 May 2024

Last few places available

Victoria Adukwei Bulley

Saturday 29 Jun 2024

Places available

Saturday 31 Aug 2024

Writing Poems

Pippa Little, John Challis

Monday 23 Sep 2024

Richard Scott, Rachel Long

Thursday 26 Sep 2024

Saturday 28 Sep 2024

Saturday 30 Nov 2024

Poetry Tutors

Our poetry tutors are all published poets, from Faber and beyond, as well as being experienced teachers.

Daljit Nagra

Daljit Nagra has published four poetry collections with Faber & Faber. He has won the Forward Prize for Best Individual Poem...

Maurice Riordan

Maurice Riordan was born in Co. Cork. His first book, A Word from the Loki (1995), was nominated for the T. S. Eliot Prize...

Rachael Allen

Rachael Allen’s first collection of poems, KINGDOMLAND , is published by Faber & Faber. She is the co-author of a number of collaborative...

Richard Scott was born in London in 1981. His pamphlet Wound (Rialto) won the Michael Marks Poetry Award 2016 and his poem...

This course has genuinely helped shape my perspective, given me a lot of insight into what goes into writing poetry, and just the process of writing in general.

Beyond amazing. The quality of the teaching was outstanding.

Poetry Salon

Daljit and Rachael were both wonderful. Nicely complementary, too, with Rachael offering a slightly more academic angle, and Daljit more practical, though both fully rounded! Mostly, I loved the fact that they were so open and warm and genuinely seemed delighted to engage with the group and our work.

Advanced Poetry (Online)

Richard was excellent. He was engaging, knowledgeable, clearly passionate about poetry, and had an excellent presentation style. Even online, everything worked really smoothly and all the tasks were interesting.

Start to Write Poetry (Online)

The tutors were both wonderful, knowledgeable and encouraging. I liked that they had different styles and were at different points in their careers.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can i bring poems i've already written to these courses.

Yes, on some of them – although on others (including our one-day Start to Write Poetry course), you’ll only be able to get feedback on the work you do in response to the exercises set in class. Get in touch if you have specific requirements – it might be that a manuscript assessment will work best for you if you have a body of existing work you’d like feedback on.

Is it possible to teach poetry?

There isn’t a single ‘right way’ of writing a poem. But neither is there a single ‘right way’ of making a chair – it doesn’t mean that craft isn’t involved. By exploring different forms, fostering creative community and developing editorial instincts we’ll progress your poetry – without being proscriptive.

Can't find the right course?

Get comprehensive editorial feedback on your manuscript from our experienced readers – whether it’s still a work-in-progress or you’re preparing to submit to literary agents.

We offer a range of mentoring options if you’d prefer to work one-on-one with an established writer to help you shape your project and realise your writing ambitions.

Browse the Reading Room

From author interviews and writing tips to creative writing exercises and reading lists, we've got everything you need to get started – and to keep going.

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The Whitsun Weddings

A centenary edition of Philip Larkin’s much-loved first collection.

Founded in 1929 in London, Faber is one of the world's great publishing houses. Our list of authors includes thirteen Nobel Laureates and six Booker Prize-winners.

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Course Level Guide

There’s something for everyone at the Faber Academy, whether you’re a complete beginner or a seasoned writer or somewhere in between. To help you select the right course for you, this guide breaks down what the different levels mean.

These courses are ideal for those who are curious about writing and have little to no prior experience in the field. There are no pre-requisite for these courses – all we ask is that you come with an open mind and a keenness to learn. That’s not to say they aren’t suitable for someone with more experience, though – if you’re looking to refresh your skills or experiment with a new area of writing, you’re also welcome to enrol.

These courses are ideal for those who have some experience in writing – as a hobby, or perhaps through academic or professional work – and are looking for challenging courses to hone their skills further. These courses are also a good next step if you’ve already taken a beginners’ class but don’t feel ready to commit to an advanced course yet.

These courses are ideal for seasoned writers who are serious about getting published. Entry to most of these courses is on an application basis and writers will usually be asked to submit samples of their work-in-progress or a past project.

Literary Arts

The Multnomah Arts enter offers a variety of writing classes for adults and youth year-round. Our program consists of a variety of genres and topics, allowing students to build skills as they create a body of work. Students take one-day workshops or ten-week classes to explore their written voice. Quarterly public readings of student and faculty work bring our community together to celebrate the written word.

Literary Arts Coordinator: Patrick Browne

Core Writing Classes

MEMOIR Anyone can write a memoir. We all have stories-young and old, rich and poor, famous and not so. Participants will use prompts and other exercises to trigger and unlock their memories in order to zero in on those moments that are both rich and significant. Draw inspiration and craft secrets from other authors and address and put aside the inner critic, so that you may engage your creative process in a safe and encouraging environment.

FICTION Do you have a story to tell? Have you dreamt up characters who you want to know more about? Do you want to use your imagination to create fictional worlds? Whether you have great ideas for stories but no idea how to start, or drafts of stories that don’t feel quite finished, this class is for you. Together we’ll explore how character, language, and narrative structure work in each other’s writing as well as in published works.

CREATIVE NONFICTION The blank page’s potential can intimidate some writers into silence. Bring an empty notebook and be guided through the writing process from its messiest beginnings to a completed story. This genre includes memoir, essay, narrative journalism, interviews, and all other true stories.

POETRY Poetry as a means of expression, exploration, and experience is available to everyone. Take time in class to write poems in response to prompts, prompts, and more prompts, leaning into your imagination and following the impulses of your right brain. Read and respond to one another’s work in this supportive setting, suggesting and sharing revisions.

Past Offerings

The Writer Within

Writing Our Lives as Story

Reading & Writing About Oregon

Poetry Collage

So, You Want to Write a Novel

Writing the Ten-Minute Play

Revision: Getting Beyond I Like It

Writing Your Spiritual Autobiography

Writing Through Loss

Reading & Writing About Nature

Getting Your Work Out There

Being Your Own Publisher

Writing Characters into life

Interviewing for Personal Histories

Writing from Art

Reading Your Work Out Loud

WRITING CLASSES FOR YOUTH

Writing Creative Stories

Writing Poetry

Young Artists Book Camp

Literary Arts Post

The Literary Arts Post was a collaboration with artists: Jerry Harris, woodwork; Greg Wilbur, metalworks; Christine Colasurdo, calligraphy; Nicole Rawlins, copper etching; and Tracy Wolf-Paquin, glass. Poet Kim Stafford contributed the inscription. Thanks to everyone, including the Multnomah Arts Center Association, for this wonderful addition to our community. Visit the Literary Arts Pole monthly to be inspired by new works from MAC faculty, students, and community members.

Explore summer courses and register.

Offered in collaboration with the School of the Arts, the Writing Department at Columbia University offers summer workshops and craft seminars in fiction, nonfiction, and poetry designed by acclaimed writers and editors. Hone your craft in courses that cater to a wide variety of writing styles, from comedy writing to travel writing, children's books, YA, art writing, and everything in between. Students can apply to take individual courses listed below as a Visiting Student or as a part of the Arts in Summer program .

For questions about specific courses, contact the department.

FICTION WORKSHOP WRIT1001S001 3 pts

The Fiction Writing Workshop is designed for students who have little or no experience writing imaginative prose. Students are introduced to a range of craft concerns through exercises and discussions, and eventually produce their own writing for the critical analysis of the class. Outside readings supplement and inform the exercises and longer written projects. Enrollment limited to 15.

Course Number

Summer 2024, times/location, section/call number, fiction workshop writ1001s002 3 pts, nonfiction writing workshop writ1101s002 3 pts.

The Nonfiction Writing Workshop is designed for students new to the practice of such genres as reportage, criticism, biography and memoir. Various techniques are explored through exercises and other assignments. Critique of student work is supplemented by outside readings.

POETRY WRITING WORKSHOP WRIT1201S001 3 pts

The Poetry Writing Workshop is designed for all students with a serious interest in poetry writing, from those who lack significant workshop experience or training in the craft of poetry to seasoned workshop participants looking for new challenges and perspectives on their work. Students will be assigned writing exercises emphasizing such aspects of verse composition as the poetic line, the image, rhyme and other sound devices, verse forms, repetition, collage, and others. Students will also read an variety of exemplary work in verse, submit brief critical analyses of poems, and critique each others original work.

POETRY WRITING WORKSHOP WRIT1201S002 3 pts

Writing about art writ3215w001 3 pts.

Prerequisites: No prerequisites. Department approval NOT required. 

This course will introduce students to writing about visual art. We will take our models from art history and contemporary art discourse, and students will be prompted to write with and about current art exhibitions and events throughout the city. The modes of art writing we will encounter include: the practice of ekphrasis (poems which describe or derive their inspiration from a work of art); writers such as John Ashbery, Gary Indiana, Eileen Myles, and others who for periods of their life held positions as art critics while composing poetry and works of fiction; writers such as Etel Adnan, Susan Howe, and Renee Gladman who have produced literature and works of art in equal measure. We will also look at artists who have written essays and poetry throughout their careers such as Robert Smithson, Glenn Ligon, Gregg Bordowitz, Moyra Davey, and Hannah Black, and consider both the visual qualities of writing and the ways that visual artists have used writing in their work. Lastly, we will consider what it means to write through a “milieu” of visual artists, such as those associated with the New York School and Moscow Conceptualism. Throughout the course students will produce original works and complete a final writing project that enriches, complicates, and departs from their own interests and preoccupations.

WRITING CHILDREN'S BOOKS WRIT4313S001 3 pts

Travel writing writ4320s001 3 pts, writing the young adult novel writ4323s001 3 pts.

The Young Adult (YA) publishing boom has changed the way we read—and write—coming-of-age stories. This course will introduce students to the elements that shape YA novels, and explore the fiction writing techniques needed for long projects, including narrative arcs, character construction, worldbuilding, and scene work. We’ll study work from a wide range of YA genres and authors, including Angie Thomas, Elana K. Arnold, Leigh Bardugo, Jason Reynolds, A.S. King, Elizabeth Acevedo, and more.

Students will begin to write and outline their own YA novel, and a variety of in-class writing exercises will support the development of each project. All students will workshop their own writing and respond to the work of others. By the end of class, students will have a portfolio of materials to draw from, and a richer understanding of the YA landscape and its possibilities.

HOW TO WRITE FUNNY WRIT4810S001 3 pts

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The Home of Creative Writing

Festival of writing.

Arvon is a charity that runs creative writing courses, events and retreats both in-person and online. Our courses are tutored by leading authors and include a powerful mix of workshops and individual tutorials, with time and space to write, free from distractions of everyday life. Grants and concessions are available to help with course fees.

ARVON COURSES & RETREATS

Starting to Write , Theatre

Online Writing Day: Write a Short Play in a Day

From idea to script

Masterclass: The Poetry of Care

How to write a poem when you've got 100 more important things to do (and how it can help)

Fiction , Poetry , Short Story , Other

Online Writing Week: Starting to Write

Honing your working class voice

Fiction , Starting to Write

How I Write: Isabel Waidner

Q&A and Reading

Masterclass: Poetic Metaphor

Nailing the mechanics of metaphor

Hebden Bridge Town Hall

Arvon Writing Festival: Lemn Sissay

Let the light pour in

Fiction , Poetry , Screenwriting , Other

Arvon Writing Festival: Henry Normal

Everything and more

Fiction , Poetry , Non-Fiction

Festival of Writing Day

“Every time I’ve taught at Arvon - going back over fifteen years now - I’ve seen how much difference just a handful of days can make in the life of writers. There’s a perfect mix of tutorials, writing time, socializing, and discussion - all those elements come together to create an atmosphere in which writing projects move in that longed-for but often unattainable direction: forward.”

— Kamila Shamsie

ARVON AT HOME

Our online programme of courses, events and writing support

Virtual versions of our famous Writing Weeks, plus Masterclasses, free How I Write events, Online Writing Weekends, Writing Days and more . . . all accessible from the comfort of your sofa.

SUPPORT ARVON NORTH

Arvon North is an ambitious capital project to adapt Lumb Bank into a beacon of creativity for the North

Help us transform Lumb Bank into an engine-house for creative writing development in the North of England, connecting the rich literary collateral of the region with a community of writers locally, regionally, nationally and globally.

CLOCKHOUSE WRITERS' RETREAT

Give your writing the time and space it deserves with Arvon’s dedicated Writers Retreat at The Clockhouse

The Clockhouse is specifically designed for writers on retreat. It has four apartments for writers, each with bedroom, study-lounge and bathroom. All food is provided for you, so you can spend your time as you please.

DONATE TO ARVON

Do you believe that everyone should have the opportunity to unlock their creative potential?

Arvon is a charity that believes everyone deserves the freedom to imagine, write and explore ideas regardless of their age or financial background.

OUR SCHOOLS & GROUPS WORK

We offer residential weeks for schools, young people and adult groups.

Our weeks for schools and groups follow the same pattern as our adult course programme – led by two professional writers, with tutorials, group workshops, and time and space to write.

ARVON BLOGS

My Arvon Week: Jessica Eve Watkins

15 Apr 2024 / My Arvon Week

A preview of Jessica Eve Watkin’s experience on a week-long writing retreat at Arvon’s writing house, The Hurst. “ ‘The…

SI Leeds Literary Prize 2024

07 Mar 2024 / General

A writing prize that helps discover exciting new talent from underrepresented groups will be accepting entries again next month. The SI…

Arvon and Creative Minds Calderdale to Develop Writing for Change Project

28 Feb 2024 / News

Arvon and Creative Minds Charity, hosted by South West Yorkshire Partnership NHS Foundation Trust, are embarking on an exciting project aimed…

My Arvon Journey: Gráinne O’Hare

27 Feb 2024 / My Arvon Journey

When I logged on to my first online Arvon workshop, it was autumn 2022 and already chilly at my writing desk;…

JOIN OUR MAILING LIST

Want to know what's coming up in the next week? Arvon’s newsletter is the best way to avoid missing out on anything - from new and upcoming courses, to Arvon giveaways and writing and self-development opportunities.

FIND A COURSE OR RETREAT

• Inua Ellams' Spring Season
• Residential Writing Week
• Online Writing Week
• Masterclass
• Masterclass Recording
• How I Write
• Online Five Week Course
• Residential Tutored Retreat
• Online Writing Day
• Residential Retreat
• Children and Young People's Events
• Non-Fiction
• Starting to Write
• Children & YA
• Screenwriting
• Short Story
• Totleigh Barton

Privacy Overview

Poetry Is For Everyone: Students Display Their Creative Writing at Rogers Free Library

As part of their Creative Writing Studio class, RWU students from diverse academic disciplines are sharing their poems with the public through the end of May.

BRISTOL, R.I. – A dozen Creative Writing majors and minors are currently displaying their poetry at the Rogers Free Library in downtown Bristol, R.I., in what they are calling a “Wandering Magazine,” an installation that is open to the public.

The project began after Ann Kathrin Weldy, Adult Programming & Outreach Coordinator at the library, asked Renee Soto, Associate Professor of Creative Writing at RWU, if her students wanted to share their work with the library for National Poetry Month in April. Soto said she brought the idea to the students in her Poetry Studio course and a dozen volunteered to participate. The installation was originally scheduled to run until the end of April, but it proved so popular, library staff are keeping it up through the end of May.

“Projects such as this enrich the library and the community in myriad ways. I’m impressed by the creative spirit of the poetry students, and it’s valuable for them to have a platform where their work can be discovered and seen. It’s a real joy to witness patrons and passersby stop to read their words and be inspired,” Weldy said. “We always look forward to collaborating with the amazing students and faculty of Roger Williams University. The university is a treasure in Bristol.”

As part of the installation, each student submitted one poem that they were proud of, which library staff hung on the walls in the foyer entryway and throughout the building for library patrons to read as they browse for books. Soto explained that there were no restrictions on the content or style of the poetry submissions, leaving the choice entirely up to the students. Though some of the students may have been inspired by prompts given in class, it was ultimately their decision which poem they wanted to submit, leading to a diverse array of work.

“The Creative Writing Studio classes are exciting because they are spaces where students emphasize making their own work, and that’s the most important thing for them as artists,” said Soto. “The focus is on developing, reviewing, revising, and – in many ways – recreating work so that it’s ready for an audience. This is perfect because this (installation) at Rogers Free Library is a publication they can put on their résumés.”

Soto noted that she was surprised by how many students in her class weren’t Creative Writing or English Literature majors; some are studying Criminal Justice, Forensic Science, History, and Psychology. “They are just taking it for fun,” she said. “Poetry really is for everyone. It’s incredible.”

Sophomore Lourdes Rodriguez, a Computer Science major with a minor in Creative Writing from Woonsocket, R.I., shared that the inspiration for her poem, “Parasol,” came from a moment in class when her professor said the word during a lecture. “It was so weird to me because Spanish is my first language. He said it, and I was sitting in class and my mind was just blown. From there, my brain was like, ‘wait, I gotta write, I gotta write.’” Rodriguez said that her poems are typically more emotional, but for this project she wanted to challenge herself to write something out of her comfort zone. That challenge produced a poem that was more whimsical and playful in nature. It is also her first poem – of many, Rodriguez hopes – to include Spanish words and phrases. “I'm just really proud of this piece,” she said.

When Rodriguez started at RWU, she first majored in Journalism but then switched to Computer Science. Not wanting to let go of writing, she said she decided to incorporate her passion into a minor. Now deciding whether to go into coding for mobile apps or software development, she knows that writing will always be part of her life. “It would be great to get published in the future or even just keep writing my poems and short stories for myself,” she said.

For sophomore A. Lee, an English Literature and Creative Writing double major from Acton, Mass., the inspiration for their poem came from a prompt that Soto brought to the class, which they tweaked to suit their needs, they said. Their poem, titled “An Assortment of Nonsensical Meeting Places,” was inspired by their time at summer camp growing up but more specifically by the memories they share with their partner. “We have a lot of really fun, really strange memories that I wanted to capture,” said Lee. Snapshots include a moment where Lee got a nosebleed while hiking the Appalachian Mountains, in which the only solution was to shove tampons up their nose, as well as a six-day biking trip. “It's a nostalgia-heavy piece, where I am sort of reflecting on all the fun times we had together,” they said.

For both Lee and Rodriguez, this is the first time either of them has shared their writing in such a public format. The Wandering Magazine helped boost Lee’s confidence as a writer, they said, sharing that they would love to publish a collection of their own work one day.

“It’s nerve-wracking, but it means a lot,” Rodriguez said.

• Feinstein School of Humanities, Art and Education
• School of Engineering, Computing, & Construction Management

Tuesday, May 21 @ 8:00 am EDT - 5:00 pm EDT

• Open to Adults
• Summer 2024
• Weekday All Day

Members save on classes!

Apply for Tuition Assistance here

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Adult Creative Writing Summer Camp – July Edition

Join us Monday July 22 for a lively Creative Writing Camp for Adults  

Summer isn’t over yet, so let’s celebrate the summer season.  

Think, Speak, Dance and Sing: Poetry and Prose with a Heartbeat!  

A day full of Poetry and Pose that celebrates life – loud and proud!  

Special Guests will perform while you learn.  

Synnika Lofton and Greg Lee

Synnika Alek-Chizoba Lofton is an award-winning poet, educator, author, and recording artist. He has written more than 30 collections of poetry, three novels, and one work of nonfiction; he has also recorded hundreds of singles, EPs, and albums of spoken word poetry. Lofton earned a B.A. with a concentration in creative writing and an MFA in creative writing, both from Goddard College. Having taught at Renaissance Academy, Chesapeake Bay Academy, Norfolk State University, and Virginia Wesleyan University, Synnika currently teaches poetry workshops and performs in a variety of venues.

iamsynnika.com

Greg Lee is a drummer and master percussionist who lives in Hampton Roads. Growing up in an artistically diverse household in New York, he was exposed to musical genres that ranged from classical and rock to jazz and R&B, but it was Latin rhythms that spoke to him the deepest. Although he played piano, sax, and guitar earlier in life, he found his passion at age 32 when he began drumming. Greg went to the Governor’s School for the Arts in Norfolk.

Muse Teachers Regina Ann Faith, Michael Khandelwal, Jocelyn Heath, Kelsey Holden-Northerner, James “Teech” Wilson  

presenting:  

Breakout sessions like: “Poetry on the Go: The Power of Haiku”, “Writing Stories with Song Lyrics”, “Picture This: Using Photos for Generative Practice”, “Vibe and Write”, “Writing for Performance.”  

And Much More!  

Please note: This class or event is in-person and will be held at our center.

Teacher: Jocelyn Heath

Teacher: James "Teech" Wilson

Classes That Might Interest You

Start Writing, Keep Writing… Write Now!

Creative Writing Camp for Adults – June Edition

The Online Poetry Workshop

Portland Community College | Portland, Oregon

Class schedule, wr242 creative writing (poetry).

Campus contacts

Focuses on the writing and submitting of poetry for class discussion and analysis in a workshop setting. Introduces the techniques, structures, and styles of established poets. Prerequisites: (WR 115 and RD 115) or IRW 115 or equivalent placement. Audit available. (See course content and outcomes .)

Class schedule definitions

• In-person: classes take place at specific times and locations. Attendance in person is required.
• Online: classes do not have meeting times. Regular online interaction is required and there are weekly assignments.
• Remote: classes take place at specific times online. Students must be logged in during class meeting times.
• In-person and remote: classes meet both in-person and remotely. Attendance at both is required.
• In-person and online: classes meet in-person with additional online activities required.
• Remote and online: classes meet remotely with additional online activities required.

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Teaching Contemporary Poetry: Professional Development Intensive for High School English Teachers

Featuring celebrated poets and educators Willie Perdomo, Yesenia Montilla, and Laura Da’

Join a national community of educators seeking valuable tools and resources for opening doors to poetry in the classroom.

This three-session, virtual intensive course offers high-school English teachers the opportunity to:

• Learn directly from celebrated contemporary poets
• Participate in a generative poetry writing workshop
• Develop fresh lesson plans utilizing resources from the Academy of American Poets’ extensive digital archive, including poems, audio recordings, essays and photographs.

All sessions will be facilitated by poet, educator and scholar Erika Luckert.

Session 1: Reading Contemporary Poetry, with visiting poet Willie Perdomo

Tue, Aug 6, 2024, 10am-12:30pm EDT Participants practice ways of reading and engaging with a poem, with an emphasis on creative response, pleasure, and play. Teachers will gain confidence in their own skills as readers of poetry and learn strategies for engaging their students in reading poetry.

Session 2: Reading to Write: Poetry Workshop, with visiting poet Yesenia Montilla  

Wed, Aug 7, 2024, 10am-12:30pm EDT Participants practice writing their own poems, inspired by the work of the visiting poets. This generative workshop will focus on creating and sharing work, rather than critique. Teachers will gain experience in writing their own poetry and develop strategies for using contemporary poetry to prompt student writing.

Session 3: Designing Poetic Lesson Plans, with visiting poet Laura Da’

Thu, Aug 8, 2024, 10am-12:30pm EDT Drawing on the previous two sessions, participants discuss ways of teaching contemporary poetry in their own curricular context. Teachers will have time to draft and share lesson plans to use in their classrooms this fall.

$75 for all three sessions. Use code TEACHER when you register by June 15 to receive 20% off tuition. Registration deadline: July 23. Thanks to the generous support of Hawthornden Foundation, we will award up to seven scholarships. To apply for a scholarship, please send up to two paragraphs describing your financial need and why you hope to attend to  [email protected]  by June 15 at 5 p.m. EDT.

Erika Luckert

Erika Luckert is a poet, educator, and scholar originally from Edmonton, Canada. She earned an MFA in poetry from Columbia University and a PhD in composition and rhetoric from the University of Nebraska–Lincoln.

Registered attendees get access to live session links, recordings of past sessions, and all seminar materials.

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Summer 2024 Session I ICC Course--Intro to Poetry

Take intro to poetry summer session i.

The Department of Literatures in English will offer an online section of ENGL 11300 Introduction to Poetry during summer session I. The course can count within the ICC "Themes and Perspectives" category as either a Humanities course or as a Creative Arts course. It is also themed both within "Identities" and "Inquiry, Imagination, and Innovation."  The class begins on Tuesday, May 28, and continues through Tuesday, July 2. The course instructor is Dan Breen. The course will convey four credits, and run as a mixture of synchronous and asynchronous class meetings. The goal of the class is to explore the ways in which lyric poetry produces its effects, how it works, and what capacities it might possess as measured against other forms of writing (such as narrative). We will also concentrate on developing fluency in poetic language. Poetry possesses a remarkable capacity to compress patterns of thought and intensify emotions in order to articulate experiences that other forms of writing struggle to express. This peculiar expressiveness of poetry results in part from the different and often complex registers of language within which poems construct comparisons, work out problems, and think through questions. Please contact Dan Breen via email ( [email protected] ) with any further questions about the course.  Class begins next week!

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Young and Teen Writers Workshops

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The Young and Teen Writers Workshops have served the community for over 38 years. Take a journey into the world of creative writing.

About the Workshops

Our program is one of the oldest workshops for young writers in the nation and remains one of the most affordable options for academic programs. We offer generous need-based financial aid packages.

Students will work on their craft and meet and learn from professional authors and artists. We offer two workshops:

• The Young Writers Workshop accepts applications from creative writers entering 5th through 8th grades. The 2024 YWW will meet on weekday afternoons, July 8-19.
• The Teen Writers Workshop accepts applications from creative writers entering 9th grade through rising college freshmen. The 2024 TWW will meet on weekday afternoons, July 22-August 2.

Past Guest Authors

The very first Young Writers Workshop guest author was the great Clyde Edgerton in 1986!

Our 2023 guest artists include returning authors Frances O’Roark Dowell and David Carter.

In recent years, YWW has featured NC Poet Laureate Jaki Shelton Green, award-winning songwriter JR Richards; novelists Miriam Polli, Nahid Rachlin, Ben Shaberman, David Carter, Sean DeLauder, Kyle Winkler; poets Dorianne Laux and Al Maginnes; nonfiction author Cat Warren, and voice-over artist Graham Mack.

Previous guests through the years have included Jhon Sanchez (fiction), Eric Roe (fiction writer), Stephanie Van Hassel (poet), Chris Tonelli (poet), Bianca Diaz (poet), Ravi Tewari (poet), Alice Osborn (poet), Ian Finley, (drama), Ed Mooney, Jr. (fiction), Eric Gregory (fiction), Kayla Rutledge (fiction), Sarah Grunder Ruiz (fiction), David Tully (YA novelist), Cari Corbett (comics), Jeremy Whitley (comics), Megan Roberts (fiction), among so many others.

Dr. William K. Lawrence [email protected]