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Douglas Kearney
Why just write poems when you can write better ones? This course is built on the notion that the most exciting writing begins after the first draft. It is specifically for folks who believe that writing poems just to express oneself is like using the Internet just for email. After all, poetry can change the way you and your readers think of the world and its inhabitants; it can break new ground for language; turn a blank sheet of paper into a teeming concert of voices and music.
Read more
Why just write poems when you can write better ones? This course is built on the notion that the most exciting writing begins after the first draft. It is specifically for folks who believe that writing poems just to express oneself is like using the Internet just for email. After all, poetry can change the way you and your readers think of the world and its inhabitants; it can break new ground for language; turn a blank sheet of paper into a teeming concert of voices and music.
Read more
Why just write poems when you can write better ones? This course is built on the notion that the most exciting writing begins after the first draft. It is specifically for folks who believe that writing poems just to express oneself is like using the Internet just for email. After all, poetry can change the way you and your readers think of the world and its inhabitants; it can break new ground for language; turn a blank sheet of paper into a teeming concert of voices and music.
Though any of us may have the potential to make that happen, having an understanding of how several tools of poetic composition can be used (and audaciously “mis-used”) gives you more ways to try (and if we do this right, we might surprise ourselves most of all).
We'll cover key poetic terms and devices by studying poems by a handful of modern and contemporary poets and then get a chance to try our own hand at writing new poem drafts from a select number of prompts. Throughout the course you will have the opportunity to workshop your poem drafts and get feedback on your work, working towards a more polished poem.
Register for this course and see more details by visiting:
OpenCourser.com/course/lfv8au/sharpened
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Syllabus
Introduction and the Poetic Line
Poetry orchestrates its music, arguments, tensions, and environment via arrangements of language into lines and stanzas. This week we’ll address the importance of the line break, perhaps the most conspicuous, signature tool in the poet’s toolkit. Do you break more for sound, for sense, visual effect, shape, a mix of several? We’ll participate in several line break exercises and remix found poems. Also: prepare for your first quiz and a fun first writing prompt.
Read more
Syllabus
Introduction and the Poetic Line
Poetry orchestrates its music, arguments, tensions, and environment via arrangements of language into lines and stanzas. This week we’ll address the importance of the line break, perhaps the most conspicuous, signature tool in the poet’s toolkit. Do you break more for sound, for sense, visual effect, shape, a mix of several? We’ll participate in several line break exercises and remix found poems. Also: prepare for your first quiz and a fun first writing prompt.
Read more
Abstraction and Image
Abstraction doesn’t mean “deep,” and image doesn’t mean “picture.” Images are typically understood as anything you can literally touch/taste/see/hear/smell, and abstractions are those things for which we have symbols (a clock for “time,” a heart for “love”) but no image. Abstractions and images may fill our poems, but how can you tell what’s what, and how can you leverage them to compelling ends? This week we’ll work at finding new symbols to replace clichéd ones for abstractions and we’ll work at crafting images that do more than add furniture to a poem, but create systems of relationships, moods, and even style.
Metaphor and Other Formulas of Difference
Most of us think of simile and metaphor, personification and other similar figures of speech as being about similarities between objects, concepts, and entities. But the juice in these formulas comes from how different the two things being compared seem to be. This is why writing: “the shark moved like a fish” is, alone, a lot less interesting than saying “the shark moved like a squad car.” We’ll talk about how playing with difference via juxtaposition can create a range of poetic effects. Then you’ll write a poem built of one robustly developed or several contrasting juxtapositions.
We'll end this module with yet another quiz, and our first poetry workshop -- facilitated through a peer assessed assignment.
Rhyme
This week we’ll explore how rhyme leverages patterns of sameness and how we can estrange similarity for compelling poetic effects. We’ll check out examples of “rhyme”—sonic, visual, conceptual—from outside of poetry too.
Rhythm
All spoken language has rhythm, the trick is working the rhythm in such a way that drives your poem toward the effects you’re after. Maybe you want a fluid, seductive, propulsive rhythm. Perhaps something that halts or stutters. We’ll use traditional western concepts of meter as a means to open the door to this discussion, but we may leave them at the door upon entry.
Sharpened Poetry: Revision Strategies
When you revise a poem, you are not trying to dull the emotional flash of your first draft. You must, instead, intensify it. In this, our final week, we’ll discuss the difference between revision and editing, the art of reading your own work critically, and the beauty of drafts. For your final peer review, you’ll turn in (and in turn, assess) a revision of one of the poems from the preceding 5 modules.
Good to know
Good to know
Know what's good ,
what to watch for , and
possible dealbreakers
Examines abstraction and image by generating symbols to replace cliches and crafting images that create relationships, moods, and style
Provides a chance to workshop personal poem drafts and get feedback from multiple sources
Explores rhythm by discussing traditional western concepts of meter and prompting learners to explore beyond them towards compelling effects
Teaches rhyme and how it leverages patterns of sameness and difference for compelling poetic effects
Focuses on revision strategies to intensify the emotional depth of the first draft
Taught by Douglas Kearney, the course features an instructor recognized for their work in poetry
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Save Sharpened Visions: A Poetry Workshop to your list so you can find it easily later:
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Reviews summary
Sharpened visions: an introduction to poetry
learners say this course offers
a largely positive experience, with
many participants reporting
significant improvement in
their poetry writing abilities.
In this course, students learn
the basics of poetry through
engaging video lectures and
an interactive peer review
process. The course covers
a wide range of topics,
including rhythm, rhyme,
and metaphor.
Students praise the
instructor, Douglas Kearney,
for his engaging and humorous
teaching style. They also
appreciate the opportunity to
get feedback on their work
from other students and
mentors.
While some students find the
course to be a bit too basic,
it is generally well-received
by those who are new to poetry
or who are looking to improve
their writing skills.
Overall, Sharpened Visions:
A Poetry Workshop is a
recommended option for anyone
interested in learning more
about poetry or improving
their writing abilities.
Participants value the
course's engaging writing
prompts, which challenge them
to experiment and grow as
poets.
"I liked doing Prompts which has
helped me to enhance my
writing."
"Professor Kearny is the best at it.
The course has been very
informative."
"Professor Kearney is the best at it."
"The course has been very informative"
Participants appreciate the
clear and concise explanations
of poetry concepts and
terminology.
"The information I learned was
invaluable to my writing
practice, understanding of
poetry, and revision process."
"I have enjoyed learning this
course. This course is Useful,
Informative, Fun."
Students find the peer review
process to be valuable for
getting constructive feedback
on their work.
"Never shared my poems with
anyone and now I think im
comfortable to share them
with the world."
Some students feel that the
course is too basic and does
not offer enough depth.
"This course seems to be aimed
at absolute beginners. If you
don't know what a rhyme is,
this "workshop" is definitively
worth your time."
"Although I've basically studied
poetry all my life, it was
marvelous to get guided
instruction and independent
practice."
Activities
Be better prepared
before
your course. Deepen your understanding
during
and
after
it. Supplement your coursework and achieve mastery of the topics covered
in Sharpened Visions: A Poetry Workshop with these
activities:
Review Abstraction and Image
Show steps
Revisit the use of abstractions and imagery in poetry to strengthen your vocabulary.
Browse courses on
Abstraction
Show steps
-
Reread your notes or the course materials on abstraction and imagery.
-
Find examples of abstraction and imagery in poems you're reading.
-
Practice writing poems that use abstraction and imagery.
Review Poetic Forms and Elements
Show steps
Reviewing poetic forms and elements such as line breaks, stanzas, and poetic devices will provide a foundation for understanding the course material.
Show steps
-
Read about poetic forms, such as sonnets, villanelles, and free verse.
-
Identify the stanzas in a poem and describe their purpose.
-
Analyze the use of line breaks in a poem to create rhythm and emphasis.
Learn Line Breaks
Show steps
Understand how line breaks can shape the meaning and sound of your poems.
Show steps
-
Watch a tutorial on the importance of line breaks.
-
Practice breaking lines in your own poems.
-
Share your poems with others for feedback on your line breaks.
-
Experiment with different line breaks to see how they affect the meaning of your poems.
-
Remix a found poem by changing the line breaks.
Six other activities
Expand to see all activities and additional details
Show all nine activities
Poetic Line Break Exercises
Show steps
Engaging in poetic line break exercises will improve students' understanding of how line breaks contribute to poetic structure and meaning.
Show steps
-
Break a prose passage into lines using different line break techniques.
-
Experiment with the placement of line breaks to create different effects.
Explore Juxtapositions
Show steps
Begin drafting poems by selecting several contrasting images that you can then use to create different juxtapositions.
Browse courses on
Metaphor
Show steps
-
Read several poems that use strong juxtapositions. Identify the images being compared and the contrast between them.
-
Brainstorm a list of your own contrasting images.
-
Write a poem draft using several of your contrasting images.
-
Share your poem draft for peer feedback.
Write a Found Poem
Show steps
Creating a found poem requires students to identify and rearrange existing text to create a new and meaningful work, enhancing their understanding of poetic composition.
Show steps
-
Select a source text and identify passages that resonate with you.
-
Cut and paste the selected passages into a new document.
-
Rearrange the passages to create a new poetic structure.
Identify Rhyme and Rhythm
Show steps
Narrow down your focus on the patterns of sameness in different poems.
Browse courses on
Rhyme
Show steps
-
Listen to a poem and try to identify the rhyme scheme.
-
Scan a poem's lines to identify the meter.
-
Work on a series of exercises that focus on identifying rhyme and rhythm.
-
Write short poems in various rhyme schemes and meters.
Peer Poetry Workshop
Show steps
Participating in a peer poetry workshop allows students to receive feedback on their work and engage in critical analysis, refining their writing skills.
Browse courses on
Peer Feedback
Show steps
-
Submit your poem to the workshop for feedback.
-
Read and provide constructive criticism on other students' poems.
-
Revise your poem based on the feedback received.
Sharpen Drafts
Show steps
Weave the different elements of poetry into a cohesive piece by revising your drafts.
Browse courses on
Revision
Show steps
-
Identify areas in your poem draft that could be improved.
-
Experiment with different ways to revise and improve your poem.
-
Share your revised poem with others and ask for feedback.
Review Abstraction and Image
Show steps
Revisit the use of abstractions and imagery in poetry to strengthen your vocabulary.
Browse courses on
Abstraction
Show steps
Show steps
Show steps
- Reread your notes or the course materials on abstraction and imagery.
- Find examples of abstraction and imagery in poems you're reading.
- Practice writing poems that use abstraction and imagery.
Review Poetic Forms and Elements
Show steps
Reviewing poetic forms and elements such as line breaks, stanzas, and poetic devices will provide a foundation for understanding the course material.
Show steps
Show steps
Show steps
- Read about poetic forms, such as sonnets, villanelles, and free verse.
- Identify the stanzas in a poem and describe their purpose.
- Analyze the use of line breaks in a poem to create rhythm and emphasis.
Learn Line Breaks
Show steps
Understand how line breaks can shape the meaning and sound of your poems.
Show steps
Show steps
Show steps
- Watch a tutorial on the importance of line breaks.
- Practice breaking lines in your own poems.
- Share your poems with others for feedback on your line breaks.
- Experiment with different line breaks to see how they affect the meaning of your poems.
- Remix a found poem by changing the line breaks.
Six other activities
Expand to see all activities and additional details
Show all nine activities
Poetic Line Break Exercises
Show steps
Engaging in poetic line break exercises will improve students' understanding of how line breaks contribute to poetic structure and meaning.
Show steps
Show steps
Show steps
- Break a prose passage into lines using different line break techniques.
- Experiment with the placement of line breaks to create different effects.
Explore Juxtapositions
Show steps
Begin drafting poems by selecting several contrasting images that you can then use to create different juxtapositions.
Browse courses on
Metaphor
Show steps
Show steps
Show steps
- Read several poems that use strong juxtapositions. Identify the images being compared and the contrast between them.
- Brainstorm a list of your own contrasting images.
- Write a poem draft using several of your contrasting images.
- Share your poem draft for peer feedback.
Write a Found Poem
Show steps
Creating a found poem requires students to identify and rearrange existing text to create a new and meaningful work, enhancing their understanding of poetic composition.
Show steps
Show steps
Show steps
- Select a source text and identify passages that resonate with you.
- Cut and paste the selected passages into a new document.
- Rearrange the passages to create a new poetic structure.
Identify Rhyme and Rhythm
Show steps
Narrow down your focus on the patterns of sameness in different poems.
Browse courses on
Rhyme
Show steps
Show steps
Show steps
- Listen to a poem and try to identify the rhyme scheme.
- Scan a poem's lines to identify the meter.
- Work on a series of exercises that focus on identifying rhyme and rhythm.
- Write short poems in various rhyme schemes and meters.
Peer Poetry Workshop
Show steps
Participating in a peer poetry workshop allows students to receive feedback on their work and engage in critical analysis, refining their writing skills.
Browse courses on
Peer Feedback
Show steps
Show steps
Show steps
- Submit your poem to the workshop for feedback.
- Read and provide constructive criticism on other students' poems.
- Revise your poem based on the feedback received.
Sharpen Drafts
Show steps
Weave the different elements of poetry into a cohesive piece by revising your drafts.
Browse courses on
Revision
Show steps
Show steps
Show steps
- Identify areas in your poem draft that could be improved.
- Experiment with different ways to revise and improve your poem.
- Share your revised poem with others and ask for feedback.
Career center
Learners who complete Sharpened Visions: A Poetry Workshop will develop knowledge and skills
that may be useful to these careers:
Poet
Poet
This course will give you the tools to write poetry that is more vivid, engaging, and memorable. Whether you want to advance as a professional Poet or just want a foundational course, you must take this course.
Poet Laureate
Poet Laureate
This course is a blend of traditional and new approaches to poetry. This is a great course to help you fulfill your career goals as a Poet Laureate, or to give you the tools to advance as a poet.
Poetry Professor
Poetry Professor
This course is relevant to the kind of work a Poetry Professor does. By the end of this course, you'll have a solid foundation on traditional and modern approaches to poetry.
Editor
Editor
This 6-week course will be very useful to an Editor. By the end of this course, you'll have a strong foundation on key principles of poetry and literary devices.
Screenwriter
Screenwriter
This course will be relevant to a Screenwriter interested in a career in writing for television and film. By the end of this course, you'll have the tools to write effective, engaging scenes.
Teacher
Teacher
This course may be of interest to a Teacher with an interest in poetry. It may help you find new ways to teach poetry to your students.
Writer
Writer
This course may be useful to a Writer who wants to make a career in technical writing, article writing, or journalism.
Journalist
Journalist
This course may help a journalist develop their writing skills and sharpen their editorial eye.
Publishing Manager
Publishing Manager
This course may be useful to a Publishing Manager who wants to strengthen their understanding of poetry and become a better editor.
Public relations manager
Public relations manager
This course may be somewhat useful to a Public Relations Manager, as it will help develop your ability to communicate effectively through writing.
Marketing Manager
Marketing Manager
This course may be somewhat useful to a Marketing Manager, as it will help develop your ability to communicate effectively through writing.
Grant Writer
Grant Writer
This course may be somewhat useful to a Grant Writer, as it will help develop your ability to write compelling grant proposals.
Technical Writer
Technical Writer
This course may be somewhat useful to a Technical Writer, as it will help develop your ability to write quickly and clearly.
Web Content Writer
Web Content Writer
This course may be somewhat useful to a Web Content Writer, as it will help strengthen your fundamentals of writing and content strategy.
Freelance Writer
Freelance Writer
This course may be somewhat useful to a Freelance Writer, as it will help strengthen your fundamentals of writing.
For more career information including salaries, visit:
OpenCourser.com/course/lfv8au/sharpened
Reading list
We've selected 14 books
that we think will supplement your
learning. Use these to
develop background knowledge, enrich your coursework, and gain a
deeper understanding of the topics covered in
Sharpened Visions: A Poetry Workshop.
Collection of poems by John Ashbery, one of the most important poets of the 20th century. Ashbery's poetry is known for its complexity, its beauty, and its exploration of language itself.
Collection of poems by Emily Dickinson, one of the most important poets of the 19th century. Dickinson's poetry is known for its originality, its use of language, and its exploration of themes such as death, nature, and love.
Collection of poems by e.e. cummings, one of the most important poets of the 20th century. cummings' poetry is known for its experimental use of language, its playfulness, and its celebration of life.
Collection of poems by Allen Ginsberg, one of the most important poets of the Beat Generation. Ginsberg's poetry is known for its energy, its political commitment, and its exploration of the American experience.
Save
More personal and reflective look at the craft of poetry. Oliver shares her own experiences and insights, and offers advice on how to write poems that are both meaningful and moving.
Save
Practical guide to writing poetry. Kooser offers clear and concise advice on everything from finding your voice to revising your work.
Collection of poems by Pablo Neruda, one of the most important poets of the 20th century. Neruda's poetry is known for its beauty, passion, and political commitment.
Collection of poems by Sylvia Plath, one of the most important poets of the 20th century. Plath's poetry is known for its intensity, honesty, and darkness.
Collection of poems by W.H. Auden, one of the most important poets of the 20th century. Auden's poetry is known for its wit, intelligence, and social commentary.
Collection of poems by Robert Frost, one of the most important poets of the 20th century. Frost's poetry is known for its beauty, wisdom, and insight into human nature.
Massive collection of poetry from all over the world and throughout history. It is an invaluable resource for anyone who wants to learn more about poetry.
Guide to reading and understanding poetry. Hirsch offers clear and concise advice on how to approach a poem, and how to identify its different elements.
Collection of essays on the power of poetry to heal and transform. Gillan shares her own experiences and insights, and offers advice on how to use poetry to cope with difficult times.
Save
Collection of essays on the nature of poetry. Pinsky explores the different elements of poetry, such as form, meter, and imagery, and offers insights into how they work together to create a successful poem.
For more information about how these books relate to this course, visit:
OpenCourser.com/course/lfv8au/sharpened
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Effort
4-5 hours of lessons and assessments
Level
Introductory
Via
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Institution
California Institute of the Arts
Instructor
Douglas Kearney
Language
English
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Good to know
Examines abstraction and image by generating symbols to replace cliches and crafting images that create relationships, moods, and style
Provides a chance to workshop personal poem drafts and get feedback from multiple sources
Explores rhythm by discussing traditional western concepts of meter and prompting learners to explore beyond them towards compelling effects
Teaches rhyme and how it leverages patterns of sameness and difference for compelling poetic effects
Focuses on revision strategies to intensify the emotional depth of the first draft
Taught by Douglas Kearney, the course features an instructor recognized for their work in poetry
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