Reading and Writing Workshop
Understanding Poetry
Session 1: What is Poetry?
Objective: Introduce poetry as a literary form distinct from prose.
Discussion Topics:
"Hope is the Thing with Feathers" by Emily Dickinson
https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/12242
(Dickinson's poetry begins at "Poems by Emily Dickinson Series One")
Writing Activity:
Write a short poem using metaphor to describe an abstract idea (like hope, fear, or joy). Reflect on how line breaks and imagery affect meaning.
Session 2: Poetry vs. Prose – A Narrative Poem
Objective: Explore how narrative poetry tells a story differently from prose.
Reading:
Retell a short scene from the poem in prose, then rewrite it as a poem using poetic devices.
Session 3: A Brief History of Poetry
Objective: Understand the development of poetry across cultures and time periods.
Reading:
Write your own quatrain inspired by The Rubaiyat. Try to express a timeless idea in just four lines
Session 1: What is Poetry?
Objective: Introduce poetry as a literary form distinct from prose.
Discussion Topics:
- What makes poetry different from prose?
- Elements of poetry: rhythm, sound, lineation, figurative language, imagery.
- Excerpt from "A Defence of Poesie" by Sir Philip Sidney
https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/1962
"Hope is the Thing with Feathers" by Emily Dickinson
https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/12242
(Dickinson's poetry begins at "Poems by Emily Dickinson Series One")
Writing Activity:
Write a short poem using metaphor to describe an abstract idea (like hope, fear, or joy). Reflect on how line breaks and imagery affect meaning.
Session 2: Poetry vs. Prose – A Narrative Poem
Objective: Explore how narrative poetry tells a story differently from prose.
Reading:
- The Rime of the Ancient Mariner by Samuel Taylor Coleridge
https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/1608
- Compare a paragraph of prose summary with a stanza from the poem.
- How does form influence tone, pacing, and engagement?
Retell a short scene from the poem in prose, then rewrite it as a poem using poetic devices.
Session 3: A Brief History of Poetry
Objective: Understand the development of poetry across cultures and time periods.
Reading:
- Selections from The Iliad by Homer (translated by Samuel Butler)
https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/6130 - Excerpt from The Rubaiyat of Omar Khayyam (translated by Edward FitzGerald)
https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/246
- Compare the style, themes, and structure of ancient Greek epic and Persian quatrains.
- How have poetic purposes and audiences shifted over time?
Write your own quatrain inspired by The Rubaiyat. Try to express a timeless idea in just four lines