Why Study Poetry?



Overview

Have you ever wondered why people study poetry? Have you ever read a poem and thought, 'Is there a way I should be reading this?' Have you ever been intimidated by poetry? If the answer is 'yes' to any of these questions, then this course is for you.

In this lively and engaging course we will bust the myths surrounding poetry, asking questions like 'Is this the right way to read?', 'What is this poem really about?', and 'What does poetry have to do with me?' All views are welcome, and no questions are unwelcome. This 5-week course will enable you to explore some of the questions around, and barriers to, studying poetry - and will hopefully whet your appetite for more!

Aside from the preparatory reading, all course materials will be produced by the tutor for discussion in the class and beyond.

Programme details

Course starts: 21 Apr 2026

Week 1: Poetry and form - (why) does form matter?

Week 2: Poetry and genre - (why) does genre matter?

Week 3: Poetry and the academy - (why) does difficulty matter?

Week 4: Contemporary trends in poetry 1 - performance poetry

Week 5: Contemporary trends in poetry 2 - poetry and wellbeing.

Certification

Digital badge

Upon successful completion of this course, you will be issued with an official digital badge from the Department for Continuing Education, University of Oxford. After the course, you will receive an email with a link and instructions on how to download your digital badge. You will be able to add your badge to your email signature and share it on social media if you choose to do so. In order to be issued with your badge, you will need to have attended at least 80% of the course.

Fees

Description Costs
Course fee £180.00

Funding

If you are in receipt of a UK state benefit, you are a full-time student in the UK or a student on a low income, you may be eligible for a reduction of 50% of tuition fees. Please see the below link for full details:

Concessionary fees for short courses

Tutor

Prof Tara Stubbs

Professor Tara Stubbs is a Professor of Modern and Contemporary Literature at OUDCE, and a Fellow of Kellogg College Oxford. Her first book was American Literature and Irish Culture, 1910–1955 (2013), which was re-issued in paperback in 2017. Her interests include American and Irish literature, modernism and poetry, and she has published widely in these fields. In 2017 she co-edited the essay collection Navigating the Transnational in Modern American Literature and Culture (2017), and her second monograph, published by Palgrave Macmillan in 2020, was The Modern Irish Sonnet: Revision and Rebellion. She is now working on a project on poetry and the reading public, and is the host of the 'Demystifying Poetry' podcast.

Course aims

  • to familiarise or re-familiarise students with poetry, so that they can appreciate its aesthetic and formal qualities while considering its wider uses and functions
  • to bust the myths around poetry, particularly in terms of poetry and difficulty and the idea that there is one 'right' way to read a poem (there isn't).

Course objectives:

  • By the end of this course, you will be able to approach reading poetry with confidence, and to close read a range of poems in some detail. You will hopefully have learned to enjoy reading and studying poetry.

Teaching methods

Each week, the tutor will introduce the topic of the week through some brief quotations, before introducing two or three poems to discuss in relation to that topic. 

In weeks 2–5, students will be encouraged to prepare short 5-minute presentations on one of the set topics - these are not compulsory. Group discussion and pair work will be central to the learning process.

Learning outcomes

By the end of the course, students will be able to:

  • approach a new poem with confidence and care
  • understand the formal and generic qualities of a range of poems
  • speak with confidence and pleasure about the poetry they're reading.

Assessment methods

This course is non-accredited, so there are no assessments.

Application

Please use the 'Book now' button on this page. Alternatively, please complete an Enrolment form for short courses | Oxford University Department for Continuing Education

Level and demands

The Department's Weekly Classes are taught at first year undergraduate level.

Terms & conditions for applicants and students

Information on financial support