This module is structured in two hour weekly workshops. This module will familiarise students with the basic elements of form and structure and the elements of what makes a well crafted and constructed poem. It will provide an introductory overview and practical guide to poetry for students and allow them to reflect on a variety of poetic practices. The practice-led workshops will supply in-depth practical help with students own poetry and explore the theoretical aspects of poetry through discussion through peer groups with particular attention to craft. Students will learn a number of writing techniques and be encouraged to use them in writing imaginatively. They will be given opportunities to practise traditional as well as more experimental forms of poetry.

Portfolio to a total of 1500 words

This will include two pieces of assessment: a critical response to a work of poetry and an original piece of creative writing in each of the poetic forms studied in the module. The overall word length will be of a maximum of 1,500 words. [Learning Outcomes 1, 2, 3 and 4]

Hughes, Ted: Poetry in the Making (Faber and Faber, 2008)
Lennard, John: Poetry Handbook (Oxford University Press, 2006)
Whitworth, John: Writing Poetry (A & C Black Publishers, 2006)

Library
Internet
The Blackboard virtual learning environment will be available (where relevant) to support this module. Details will be supplied in the module handbook.

One of the principles underlying this module is the belief that the practice of writing can be assisted by knowledge and understanding of literature, so, the process of critical analysis in other lecture and seminar programmes will compliment a student's writing, reading and evaluation of their work in the workshop sessions. Essential to the text-based workshops classes, for example, will be some consideration of literary form and style, the study of some cutting edge contemporary poets such as Sean O'Brien and Carol Ann Duffy.