The Making of a Poem
by Mark Strand and Eavan Boland · Strand & Boland
Norton anthology organized by poetic form: villanelle, sestina, sonnet, ballad, elegy, ode and others. Each section gives a short history of the form, its structural rules, and example poems, so readers can recognize and write in fixed forms.
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Poetry Off the Shelf
Producer Helena de Groot talks to poets about language, dreams, love and loss, identity, connection, anger, discomfort, the creative process, the state of the world and the world of the soul. Hard conversations are welcomed—laughter is, too.
Modern & Contemporary American Poetry
ModPo is a FREE (no fee, no charge) fast-paced introduction to modern and contemporary U.S. poetry, with an emphasis on experimental verse, from Emily Dickinson and Walt Whitman to the present. Participants (who need no prior experience with poetry) will learn how to read poems that are supposedly "difficult." We encounter and discuss the poems one at a time. It's much easier than it seems! Join us and try it! ModPo is open all year, so you can enroll now, or any time, and join us. Each year we host a lively, interactive 10-week session, in which we move together through the ten-week syllabus. The next live 10-week session of ModPo will begin on August 31, 2025, and will conclude on November 10, 2025. Al Filreis will be in touch with you by email before the September 1 start of the course with all the information you'll need to participate. If you have questions, you can email the ModPo team any time at modpo@writing.upenn.edu. Much more information about ModPo can be found at modpo.org. During the 10 weeks of the course, you will be guided through poems, video discussions of each poem, and community discussions of each poem. And (unique among open online courses) we offer weekly, interactive live webcasts. Our famed TAs also offer office hours throughout the week. We help arrange meet-ups and in-site study groups. If you are curious about the ModPo team, type "ModPo YouTube introduction" into Google or your favorite search engine, and watch the 20-minute introductory video. You will get an overview of the course and will meet the brilliant TAs, who will be encountering the poems with you all the way to the end. If you use Facebook, join the always-thriving ModPo group: from inside Facebook, search for "Modern & Contemporary American Poetry" and then request to be added as a member. If you have any questions about ModPo, you can post a question to the FB group and you'll receive an almost instant reply. Much more information about ModPo can be found at modpo.org . ModPo is hosted by—and is housed at—the Kelly Writers House at 3805 Locust Walk on the campus of the University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia USA. All ModPo'ers are welcome to visit the Writers House when they are in our area. Our discussions are filmed there. Our live webcasts take place in the famed "Arts Cafe" of the House. To find out what's going on at the Writers House any time, just dial 215-746-POEM.
poets.org
Poets.org is the official site of the Academy of American Poets. It features a large collection of poems and poet bios, plus audio readings, essays, and classroom resources for readers and educators.
poetryarchive.org
Poetry Archive is an online library featuring an extensive audio collection of poets reading their own poems, with accompanying text, biographies, and learning resources. You can search and browse poets and poems by profile, era, or theme to study and enjoy poetry.
Poetry Foundation Glossary
Roughly 250 entries covering literary devices, poetic forms and movements, each defined concisely and many linking to fuller pages with example poems and essays. Lets a reader check unfamiliar critical vocabulary against actual poems rather than abstract definitions.
Poetry: What is Poetry?
Explore poetry with Patrick Crotty! This course unlocks the secrets of poetry: its forms, language, and enduring appeal.