Poems have inspired readers and authors throughout history, from sestinas and sonnets to haikus and villanelles, and especially in the darkest times. “When there’s ambiguity when you’re seeking for meaning beyond this world—that pulls people to poetry,” said U.S. Poet Laureate Joy Harjo in an interview with Time. Writing poetry may be a form of reclamation, recollection, and survival in tough and uncertain times. In a world full of unanswerable questions, poetry is an answer.
Taking a poetry class or workshop may help you develop your voice, learn more about the discipline, and discover inspiration, whether you’re a poetry enthusiast, an aspiring writer, or a seasoned poet. Here’s a list of forthcoming online poetry workshops and programs for poets of all ages and backgrounds.
1. Courses by Lighthouse Writers Workshop
Lighthouse Poets, founded in 1997, offers a diverse range of creative and inexpensive poetry lessons for writers of all genres. For authors of all skills, ages, and origins, the service offers teaching, creative critique, community activities, and support. Younger poets can enroll in a range of seminars, including one on utilizing poetry as a form of activism, or a cross-genre writing studio in the afternoon. They can also enroll in programs oriented toward the growth of young authors, as well as academic writing classes. This course costs $50. If this course interests you, dive deep into it using the link given below.
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2. Courses by the Poetry Barn
The Contemporary Ode is an immersive, self-paced class taught by award-winning poet Stacey Balkum that reimagines the possibilities, shape, and force of the ode as a form. This extensive, autonomous study is divided into four parts and contains the work of literary visionaries such as Lucille Clifton, Angel Nafis, Kiki Petrosino, Marcus Wicker, Kevin Young, Sharon Olds, and others. Students will learn how to write modern odes by studying “the craft components that comprise a modern ode—especially those on unexpected or ordinary themes.”This course costs $99. If this course interests you, dive deep into it using the link given below.
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3. Courses by Catapult
A creative beginning course for poets who want to learn more about “the skill behind emotion.” On Catapult, the project Catching Feelings/Evoking Emotions seeks to “reverse engineer how poems employ literary elements to provoke emotions and duplicate similar approaches in our own work.” In addition to creating new works, students will read existing poets’ work alongside that of their peers. “Each student will make a portfolio of 8 to 10 poems in progress and a toolbox of literary methods to take with them” by the end of the programme.This course costs $395. If this course interests you, dive deep into it using the link given below.
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4. Courses by The Loft Literary Center
“What the Prose Poem Can Do,” is one of the Loft’s offerings. It’s a four-hour lesson delivered through Zoom. Students will look at prose poetry that avoids standard conventions like rhyme and meter. They’ll look at narrative and descriptive literary styles. The class is $70, with Loft members paying $63. Chelsea DesAutels is the instructor for this course. She has a great deal of experience and has been published in a variety of places. This session meets for two hours each day for five days in the early morning. The training costs $175, or $157.50 if you’re a Loft member. If this course interests you, dive deep into it using the link given below.
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5. Poetry Courses by MasterClass
Consider enrolling in former US Poet Laureate Billy Collins’ MasterClass on Reading and Writing Poetry if you’re ready to take your writing to a whole new dimension. This self-guided class, which includes 20 video lessons and a close look at the form, generative exercises, innovative techniques, and discussions with Marie Howe and others, takes a deep dive into the potential and power of poetry—for readers and writers—and includes a close look at the form, “how to embrace the freedom of poetry to embark on explorations of the subject,” generative exercises, innovative techniques, and discussions with Marie Howe and others. This course costs $180. If this course interests you, dive deep into it using the link given below.
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6. Courses by Brooklyn Poets
Candace Williams’ Poets in Space programme with Brooklyn Poets, taught by award-winning poet and 2018 National Poetry Series Finalist Candace Williams, is a six-week workshop in which students will utilise “strategic absence” to “create auditory, intellectual, and visual space” in their poems.
Students will examine the work of poets such as Morgan Parker, Melvin Dixon, Hanif Abdurraqib, and Wendy Xu, among others, in addition to analysing “historical and contemporary poetry patterns, from the ghazal and sonnet to the prose poem and erasure poem.” Students will also get the opportunity to compose five poems while learning new ideas and approaches to their craft. This course costs $345. If this course interests you, dive deep into it using the link given below.
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7. Poetry I: Introduction to Making Poems by Skillshare
Cameron Conaway, will be the teacher. He’s earned NPR’s Book of the Year award, and his work has appeared in Newsweek, ESPN, NPR, and Forbes, to name a few publications. This is an excellent place to start.This course comes free if you have a Skillshare membership. If this course interests you, dive deep into it using the link given below.
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8. How to Make Words More Artful & Lyrical by Skillshare
A music critic and writerHanif Abdurraqib, who writes on a range of issues in a number of genres, will be your instructor. The use of poetic language, lyric essays, narrative poetry, closure, and a live reading of your poems are just a few of the modules covered in this 45-minute video class. There’s also a lively discussion board where you can post your poetry and receive immediate criticism from other students.This course is free if you have a Skillshare membership. If this course interests you, dive deep into it using the link given below.
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9. Publish Your Own Poetry Chapbook by Udemy
Amy Lynn Hess, an associate professor of English and a recognised poet, will be your lecturer for this course. She also operates her own poetry publishing firm and is an author of English textbooks. So, if you want to learn from an industry professional, this is a terrific place to begin. Preproduction, production, and postproduction work on the poetry collection to be released are some of the modules covered in this 1.5-hour video course.This course costs $18.99. If this course interests you, dive deep into it using the link given below.
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10. How To Make A Poem by Future Learn
As part of the Manchester Metropolitan University’s collaboration initiative with Future Learn, you will be taught by educators from Manchester Metropolitan University rather than a single instructor. Discovering poetry, locating a poem, making poetry, the line, the stanza, editing, and workshops are covered in this 3-week course.This course is free for Futurelearn members. If this course interests you, dive deep into it using the link given below.
