Poetry I: Introduction to Making Poems

This class is not about theory or the history of poetry; it’s about how you can start writing quality poems in as short a time as possible.

Cameron Conaway, award-winning poet and journalist, breaks down the myths surrounding what poetry is, who can make it, and how it’s made. He guides us through “the butterfly method,” his own unique process for how to make a poem. This process is at the heart of how he wrote all of his books, including Malaria, Poems, which was one of only four poetry collections named to NPR’s Best Books of 2014 list.

If you’ve wanted to write poetry but felt intimidated or confused, this class is for you. By the end of the class you will have written five poems, all linked by a particular theme you care deeply about, and you’ll be well on your way to putting your first book together.

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Connect with Cameron on LinkedIn and on YouTube where he creates videos on the importance of feedback, like this one:

• What is feedback?

• Introduction
• Project Overview
• What is Poetry?
• Finding Your Theme
• Finding Your Thread
• Small Noticings
• The Literary Toolbox - Part 1
• The Literary Toolbox - Part 2
• Begin Your Poem
• Final Thoughts