An introduction to poetry
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- Start Date: 25 Oct 2025End Date: 25 Oct 2025Sat (Daytime): 10:30 - 16:30In PersonFull fee £69.00 Senior fee £55.00 Concession £45.00
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What is the course about?
This in-college literature course asks: What is a poem? What is poetry? How has poetry changed and developed over time? We will consider different poems from different moments in history, exploring how poets communicate and what tools they use to do so. In addition to questioning what poetry is, we will consider what it is for, filling our discussions with a range of examples of language at its most heightened and memorable. Poems by a selection of writers including Robert Frost, Charlotte Mew, T. S. Eliot, and Claudia Rankine will guide our discussions.
What will we cover?
A range of poetry from the last 400 years will be discussed, although the emphasis will be on modern poetry). You will explore some of the most exciting and original poems in English and discuss what has made them last.
What will I achieve?
By the end of this course you should be able to...
- Understand the range of techniques a poet might use to create meaning
- Discuss the role of rhyme and rhythm in poetry
- Read and discuss poetry with more confidence.
What level is the course and do I need any particular skills?
The level of the course is introductory. No previous knowledge or experience of literature is necessary. However, you will ideally have an enthusiasm for reading and discussing poetry in all its shapes and forms.
How will I be taught, and will there be any work outside the class?
The session is run in a seminar style with all students invited to read poems if they wish and take part in discussions led by the tutor. There will be a mix of tutor presentation, small group activities, and close reading and analysis.
Are there any other costs? Is there anything I need to bring?
The tutor will supply in-class materials comprising the poems under discussion and any additional reading. There are no other costs. Please bring along a pen and paper or a notebook.
When I've finished, what course can I do next?
Look for other Poetry courses on our website under History, Culture and Writing/Literature/Poetry at www.citylit.ac.uk.
Suzannah V. Evans is a poet based in Bristol. She is the author of Brightwork and Marine Objects / Some Language (Guillemot Press, 2021 and 2020), and the editor of All Keyboards are Legitimate: Versions of Jules Laforgue (Guillemot Press, 2023). A selection of her work appears in the anthology New Poetries VIII (Carcanet, 2021). Her poetry has been broadcast on BBC Radio, performed at international festivals, and awarded a Northern Writers’ Award and the Ivan Juritz Prize for Creative Experiment. She completed her PhD in modern poetry at Durham University.
Please note: We reserve the right to change our tutors from those advertised. This happens rarely, but if it does, we are unable to refund fees due to this. Our tutors may have different teaching styles; however we guarantee a consistent quality of teaching in all our courses.