Calling ALL Writers to Poetry Workshops

Second Saturdays of the month 9:00 - 12:00

Sarah Carson– Saturday, January 14, 2012

Metaphor: A Balancing Act

While most of us know that metaphor is central to the art of poetry, the task of coming up with a something that conveys a message clearly while maintaining the delicate balance between the accessible, meaningful, and fresh can be daunting and, sometimes, downright frustrating.  We will take a look at how this balance works using the work of some poets who’ve achieved this balance and get some practice ourselves.

Andrea Witzke Slot – Saturday, February 11, 2012

Imagery: “No Ideas But in Things”

In his poem “A Sort of Song,” William Carlos Williams famously declares that there are “no ideas but in things.” In this workshop, we will examine what Williams means by this—and look at how the technique of using “images” and various forms of "imagery" have underscored numerous poets’ work before and after Williams.  We will examine a variety of poems first in order to see how “things” often allow for a surprising exploration of “ideas” in a poem--including emotion, time, and place. We will put all of this into practice through a series of in-class exercises. 

 

Patrice Boyer Claeys – March 10, 2012

POETIC CHAKRAS:  IMAGE, DICTION AND RHETORIC

According to ancient Hindu texts, chakras are force centers that receive and transmit energy along the body’s midline (feet, genitals, belly, heart, etc.).  The 7 chakras govern human psychological properties (strength, sexuality, self-assertion, compassion, etc.).  As we move up the body, the ladder-like progression from root chakra to crown chakra takes us from instinct to intellect.  Tony Hoagland believes there are poetic chakras as well.  We draw out our poems from different centers of power within ourselves.  “As the chakras are located at specific places in the body, so certain poetic strengths might be aligned with specific poetic devices.”  He identifies 3 poetic chakras:  image, diction and rhetoric.  In this workshop we will examine these poetic chakras in the work of others and identify in our own work whether we write from the gut, the intellect or the will. 

Please bring 15 copies of your poem(s).
There will be ample time for individual critiques at each session.

Workshops take place at the Palatine Public Library, 700 N. North Court, Palatine, IL 60067

To download a PDF registration form to attend workshops,
CLICK HERE.

Responses to questionnaires indicated that participants want: short lectures; critiques of their poems; and short writing exercises so sessions will cover all three interests.