Short courses

Summary

‘Poetry is the heart and the brain divided by the lungs’ to quote Scottish poet Tom Leonard. It combines feeling, form and breathe to conjure images, voices, observations and ideas that linger long after the poem ends. But in the midst of intense inspiration, how do you find the right words, in the right order? What are the forms and methods you can use? Amid so many forms, traditions and techniques, how can you start to make poetry your own way? 

Whether you are a newcomer to poetry or an aspiring poet looking for more inspiration, join this practical and supportive course to learn the fundamental building blocks of the craft of poetry. From exploring the basics of rhythm, rhyme, imagery and structure, to demystifying forms such as sonnets, odes and ballads, or learning new ways to compose a poem, this course helps demystify poetry and encourages you to write your own.  

Over a series of talks, close-readings and approachable writing exercises, our expert tutor will explain: 

• The key structural elements to help you appreciate how a poem works 

• The key techniques, forms and compositional methods used to write poems 

• how to try these ideas and techniques out in your own writing, share what you’ve written and improve with mutual feedback  

You will also have the chance to discuss and reflect on what you learn with other students and the tutor in seminars 

Choose this course if you want to learn: 

• more about how to read a poem and understand how it creates certain effects 

• how to channel observation, experience and feelings into poems in imaginative new ways using prompts that kickstart or reenergise your writing 

• how to share your work and improve with mutual feedback, then edit and refine your work  

• (for those who submit for assessment) how to improve with written feedback and how to reflect on your writing process.