Sonnets and Other Forms

While meter and rhyme are the building blocks of poetry, this class will explore how to go beyond the basics of counting syllables. For instance, how does a sonnet build a theme and use a "turn" in the final lines? In forms like the quatern and triolet, how does one choose a repeating line that sounds natural in different sections of the poem? In forms like the rondeau that limit rhyming groups to only two, how does one make sure not to run out of rhyming words? How does a poet make sure to stick to the prescribed form of each form? How does a writer adhere to the strict requirements of a form while still sounding natural?
The class will discuss these general tips for writing form poetry while you have a chance to experiment with different forms and receive detailed individual feedback on your work. It will use famous poems as models of these forms whenever possible.

Week One will focus on the history of formal/structured poetry. We will also discuss how famous poems illustrate how a poet chooses a form well-suited to his or her topic.
Week Two will highlight the sonnet. We will discuss the traditional English sonnet and use some of its most famous examples as a model of how students can compose their own sonnet.
Week Three will focus on variations of the sonnet so that students can learn to appreciate sonnets of different types and also compose sonnets of different types.
In Week Four we will work with a few other forms of structured formal poetry, such as the rondeau, villanelle and pantoum. Students will choose one form to write in after we look at famous examples. As with all forms, we will discuss how to map out forms to make composing easier and how to make any form sound natural.



Instructor: Brooke Baldwin

About The Instructor: Brooke Baldwin received her education from Smith and her M.A. from Yale, she focused on essay writing. Her master's degree is in American Studies, which includes American literature. While a graduate student, she served as a teaching assistant in several writing-intensive sections of American Studies classes. For over twenty years she taught writing at the middle and high school level.

As a grad student, she had several articles published in academic journals. She has published articles and pamphlets about the anti-apartheid movement. She joined Fan Story as adewpearl in August, 2008 and became the site's second ranked poet that year. In 2009 she became poet of the year.