Ways into poetry: a gentle pace

About this course

Participants explore several ways to shape a poem, including core forms, structural choices, lineation and rhyme. The course also examines techniques such as metaphor and simile, with opportunities to apply them in original writing, including specific forms such as haiku. Teaching combines tutor instruction, text analysis, individual and paired activities, group work and workshop discussion. Learners write, read and edit poems during the course, with written work discussed constructively by the tutor and group.

What you'll learn

• Create vivid images in poetry
• Apply lineation and rhyme to poems
• Recognise and use metaphor and simile
• Write poems in specific forms, including haiku
• Edit poetry and identify key elements of a poem

Is this course right for you?

The course is intended for absolute beginners in poetry, including people trying the genre for the first time or sharing their writing in a group for the first time. Participation includes individual, paired and group work, as well as discussing written work in a workshop setting.

• Written work is discussed openly and constructively with the tutor and other learners
• Homework may be set between sessions to support continued writing practice

Before you go

• Bring pen and paper.
• Reading and writing exercises may be set for completion at home.