Poetry in Depth (Years 10-13)

A 6-week program for older students that offers insight into some of the more complex movements of poetry (such as objectivism and ekphrasis) and received forms (such as sonnets and villanelles), as well as a specific look into different types of rhyme & how to structure a poem.

Course Structure

Week 1 - Defining Poetry

What on earth is poetry, and what is its purpose? Students are given some poets’ definitions of their craft, and are encouraged try their hand at writing their own.

Week 2 - The Object Poem

Using riddles, students will explore the potential to turn household objects into mysterious items and abstract descriptions.

Week 3 - Forms of Modern Poetry

Looking at four specific forms - sonnets, villanelles, sestinas and syllabics - students will study the structure of each form and how to make it their own.

Week 4 - Confessional Poetry and the Persona

Influenced by the confessional movement, students will explore the landscape of their own minds and experiment with expressing how they feel.

Week 5 - Developing Rhyme and Reason

‘Does a poem have to rhyme?’ ‘No, of course not!’ but - like music - rhyme can elevate the rhythm of a piece of writing, make it more memorable, and uncover unintentional themes & meanings.

Week 6 - Ekphrastic Poetry and Mixing Mediums

Some of the most revered works of visual art have been inspiration for famous poems through the device of ekphrasis, and here we invite students write a response to other kinds of media.