Reading Poets, Writing Poems

Theodore Roethke wrote in his poem, “The Waking,”  “I learn by going where I have to go.”  As poets, in order to perfect our craft and become more accomplished writers, we need to go to the work of other poets. We need to study how poets we admire address themes and subjects important to us.  We need to examine their use of language, metaphor, and structure.  We need to ask why they have made the decisions they have about rhythm and music.  We will spend our time reading exceptional poems by a variety of poets, commentary they have offered on their own work and the work of other writers, and thus learning where to go with our own poems.  Assignments will be given every day and poems discussed in the following class sessions.