The Craft of Poetry: Writing the World in Verse

Poetry is the art of emotion. But there’s more to poetry than just writing what comes to mind. Truly great poetry is written by poets who have an intimate knowledge of form and technique.

In this course, you’ll join acclaimed poet and teacher Lauren Brazeal Garza in a deep-dive exploration of the methods and tools master poets use to write the kind of compelling poetry that readers remember. You’ll discover how metaphor, imagery, and sensory details can help you communicate truths about yourself, your relationships, and the world around you in your poems. As you learn, you’ll examine work by famous poets like Carolyn Forché, Ada Limón, and Robert Hayden to understand their approaches to the craft.

Each week will feature discussion of specific techniques used in famous poems that you can adapt to power your own poetry. After you’ve analyzed these techniques, you’ll practice what you’ve learned by writing short poems based on prompts designed to encourage new approaches to your writing. Then, you’ll workshop your poems in a supportive and friendly environment to maximize their effectiveness.

During the week you’ll meet with Lauren and your peers live via Zoom calls to discuss your reading and writing, ask questions, and optionally read your poetry aloud to share the impact of your words.

Plus, each week you’ll receive detailed, supportive feedback from Lauren herself on your poetry, to ensure you’re applying these lessons in a way that will change your writing forever.

Poets of all skill levels are welcomed. New and intermediate poets will learn the techniques and tools that masters use to craft powerful poetry, while more advanced poets will enjoy a refreshing exploration of contemporary poetry and a supportive and fruitful workshop environment that will energize their writing.

Some of Lauren’s career highlights

What you’ll learn

After you finish this class, you’ll:

• Receive detailed and supportive feedback on your poetry from Lauren and your peers.

• Understand and practice a variety of techniques used by master poets, including the use of extended metaphor, vivid imagery, and sensory details to communicate emotion.

• Write three new poems that exercise the techniques and methods famous poets use in their poetry.

• Enhance your poetry toolbox with techniques for working with metaphor, imagery, line breaks, stanza separations, sound, and sensory details.

• Leave as a better reader and writer of poetry, with the ability to understand how great poets use a variety of techniques to create lasting literature.

Class outline

• Week One: Using imagery to build a vivid world; how to heightening emotion and create tension in a poem

• Week Two: How to use extended metaphors; anchoring readers with simile

• Week Three: Using sensory details to build a mood and set the tone; making verbal music with sonics in poetry

Student praise for Lauren Brazeal Garza

I love love loved this course! It was super fun and I had a great time. I especially appreciated how much freedom we were given for the writing prompts, and the structure of the workshop and peer comments were so effective and helpful.

—David R.

This was one of the most charming and well-put-together courses I've had the pleasure of taking. Discussions were open and full of ideas coupled with informative lectures. If you participated in class, the rewards were clear and obvious. Ms. Brazeal Garza was an excellent teacher for this subject and genuinely had me interested in new topics.”

—Tiffany W.

Lauren is phenomenal! She is extremely passionate, kind, and smart. She has the student's best interests at heart and makes great points on how to improve our writing. One of the best writing instructors I've had. I hope more writers take her classes in the future. She is also very organized and is an overall great teacher

—Megan K.

This was most definitely one of my favorites from this year. The course was extremely flexible, and I found substantial value from the course material

—Mark L.

Zoom schedule

Along with these Zoom calls, you’ll also spend time taking in lectures and chatting on Scribophile over the course of the class. All Zoom calls are recorded, so if you miss one you can review it later.

• Friday May 19, 2023 5:30pm US Central time — 1 hour

• Friday May 26, 2023 5:30pm US Central time — 1 hour

• Friday June 2, 2023 5:30pm US Central time — 1 hour

How this class works

This class is conducted entirely online, on Scribophile and via Zoom videoconference. Participate from anywhere in the world!

You’ll join the instructor and your fellow students in a private group hosted on Scribophile. Take in reading and assignments at your own speed, and discuss them with the instructor and your classmates in the online class discussion forum.

You’ll also participate in Zoom videoconferences with the instructor and your classmates so you can get live lessons and insights, and ask questions in a friendly and welcoming atmosphere. Videoconferences will be recorded, so you can review them later if you missed them.

Questions about this class?

We’re happy to answer any questions you might have!

• Check out our Writing Class FAQ for answers to some common questions.

• Contact us and a real person will get back to you ASAP.

• If you’d like to talk to the instructor directly, you can send them a message through their Scribophile profile page.

About Lauren Brazeal Garza

Lauren Brazeal Garza received her MFA in poetry from Bennington College, and is completing her PhD in literature from UT Dallas, where she teaches creative writing. She is the author of the full-length collection Gutter (YesYes Books, 2018), a memoir-in-verse about her homelessness as a teenager. She has also published the poetry chapbooks, Zoo for Well-Groomed Eaters (Dancing Girl, 2016) and Exuviae (Horse Less Press, 2016). Her most recent short collection, Santa Muerte, Santa Muerte: I Was Here, Release Me (Tram Editions, 2023), features a series of fictional interviews with ghosts and other supernatural entities. Her poetry, lyric essays, and fiction have appeared in Poetry Northwest, Waxwing, and Verse Daily, among many other journals.