Have you ever been moved by a poem and wondered, how did the author do that? And how could I write something that could touch an audience in the same way?
In this course we will demystify poetry, looking at how poems are made. We will learn how to read and understand them, as well as write and edit our own.
Each day we will take an aspect of poetry, such as genre, rhyme or rhythm. First, we will look at it from a critical perspective, looking at how other poets have applied this aspect, and how that has shaped the meaning of the poem. Then, we will have a creative writing session and try out the techniques we've learnt about in practice.
By the end of the course you'll be confident in analysing and discussing poetry using a number of different frameworks. You'll also be able to write poetry of your own, considering a variety of different elements of poetry which will come together to make something that is uniquely yours.
This course is part of the Oxford University Summer School for Adults (OUSSA) programme.