ONLINE: Imagine a totally literal world, in which a cloud didn’t suggest a bird, a symphony didn’t conjure a storm and a love song didn’t contain the face of a beloved or the scene of a tryst. In this discussion-based course, we explore figurative language. This is the core of poetry: rich and imaginative figures of speech, including similes, metaphors, symbols and allusions. We look to poetry for references filled with rich associations and unusual images, not worn out expressions. Poetry grabs the reader with intrigue, uniqueness, freshness and detail. We will focus on different types of figuration, learning from examples and using prompts to generate the writing of new poems. In the final two weeks, students will be invited to draw on all these imagistic skills, presenting their own poems with abundant figures of speech. We will share our work in class discussions, in an atmosphere of curiosity and respect. | Facilitated discussion.
Max enrollment: 12.
