Class

Poetic Forms Toolkit: A Class for Writers of Color and Indigenous Writers

The blank page can seem daunting when writing a poem. To remedy the enormity of endless possibilities, certain poetic formal constraints or parameters can be employed to the poet’s advantage to spark creative inspiration or provide the poem additional layers of meaning. Former U.S. Poet Laureate Ted Kooser writes in The Poetry Home Repair Manual: “A poem is a machine of language designed to accomplish something…every word must be selected for its appropriateness to the task at hand, just as each part of a machine must contribute to its effectiveness. Each choice the poet makes must bring the poem a little closer to its potential.”

In this 4-hour survey class, with a 30-minute lunch break, we will study the nuts and bolts of how to write a number of traditional and modern poetic forms like the abecedarian, acrostic, cento, contrapuntal, elegy, erasure, ghazal, ode, pantoum, prose poem, sestina, sonnet, and villanelle. We will also learn invented contemporary forms like Terrance Hayes’s golden shovel, torrin a. greathouse’s burning haibun, and Jericho Brown’s duplex. We will then break these forms to create our own through generative experimentation. By the end of the session, you will have over a dozen forms in your poetry toolkit. If possible, please bring your laptop to review digital class materials, which will be sent in advance of the class meeting.

This class is part of a series of classes that cover the issues and traditions of writers of color and Indigenous writers and is intended for writers of color and Indigenous writers to work on their craft in a space that centers them and their work. We ask all participants to be cognizant of that core value. Minnesota human rights laws prevent the exclusion of anyone based on their identity. But if you are not a writer of color or Indigenous writer, please be mindful of the space and energy you take up in a class intended to uplift traditionally marginalized and silenced communities. Anyone being disruptive may be asked to leave.

The class is offered on a pay what you can basis with the suggested fee of $40 ($36 for Loft friends). Students may select the "pay what you can" option and enter any amount, including $0.

This class takes place in-person, at the Loft at Open Book; we encourage participants to be fully vaccinated and masked in the interest of everyone’s safety. Please see the Loft’s website for the most up to date information about the Loft’s COVID policies.