Class

Introduction to Poetry–A Little Class on Form

No experience with poetic forms? No problem! In the spirit of Robert Hass's "A Little Book on Form," this is a class about the formal imagination in poetry. Over the course of this online workshop, we'll explore a variety of different poetic forms and discuss strategies in approaching them, i.e. when to use which form for what effect.

Imagine this class as a sampler plate: rather than focusing on any one form, we'll range from abecedarians to aubades, ghazals to golden shovels, broadening our own range as writers and readers. Each week we'll examine a form and read examples by writers such as Patricia Smith, Natalie Diaz, Tracy K. Smith, Taylor Byas, Terrance Hayes, and more. Every class ends with a writing prompt to get you going on your own poem, which we'll workshop together as a class the following week.

While this class is inspired by "A Little Book on Form," all reading will be provided to students. This class is designed both for those who are newer to poetry as well as more experienced poets who want to brush up on their craft.

All Classes listed on the Loft website take place in Central Time.

Instructions for Accessing This Online Class

In order to access live class meetings, you must have the Zoom application downloaded to your computer. You will also need a WiFi/Internet connection throughout the duration of your scheduled meeting and a computer with audio and video capability. The information to join your Zoom classroom will be provided in your confirmation email upon registration. Please check spam folders if you do not see this email upon registration. For more information on how to use Zoom, please see our training manual here.

Some classes use a supplemental Google Classroom page. Should your teaching artist use Google Classroom, you will be invited to join the classroom via email at least 24 hours in advance of your class (check spam folders if you are not seeing this invitation). Please note that Google Classroom requires a Gmail address to access the Classroom. If you do not have a Gmail account, the email invitation will be sent to the email address we have on file and will prompt you to create a free account or enter an existing account to join the classroom. If we are unable to send an email invitation to your non-gmail account, you will be contacted by a staff member to provide a Gmail address. If you do not have a Gmail account, you can create a free account here. Should you have concerns about this, please contact a Loft staff member at [email protected] or 612-379-8999. For more information on how to use Google Classroom, please see our training manual here.