Class

The Language of Loss: A Poetry, Grief, and Healing Workshop

Grief resists ordinary language. It arrives in fragments, in silence, in the body — and it asks something of us that everyday speech cannot quite deliver. Poetry can.

In this four-hour online workshop, we use poetry as a portal into our own experience of loss — and of what follows it: the persistence of memory, the courage to want and risk again, and the slow return to a life fully lived. We will read and discuss selected poems by Emily Dickinson, Edna St. Vincent Millay, Jane Kenyon, Linda Pastan, James Wright, Lucille Clifton, Li-Young Lee, W. S. Merwin, and Marie Howe. Class time will be divided between close reading and discussion, guided writing exercises, and brief sharing of student work. There is no workshopping in the traditional sense — students will not receive written feedback on their drafts. Instead, participants are invited to share what they've written aloud, and responses from the group will focus on what moved or resonated, not critique.

No prior writing experience is required — only the willingness to show up and write honestly. Students should come prepared to write. All readings will be provided digitally in advance; there are no required books to purchase.

This workshop is open to writers at every level and to anyone navigating grief, loss, or life's harder passages.

In this class, students will:

-use poetry as a portal into their own experience of grief, loss, and memory
-practice writing as a form of reflection, healing, and discovery
-encounter poets who have navigated loss with honesty and craft

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

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.