Writing poetry from visual art

What is the course about?

Poetry and art have a longstanding relationship, from Romanticism to the New York School. Learn to read and write poetry in response to paintings, sculpture and other forms of visual art.

This is a live online course. You will need:
- Internet connection. The classes work best with Chrome.
- A computer with microphone and camera is best (e.g. a PC/laptop/iMac/MacBook), or a tablet/iPad/smart phone/iPhone if you don't have a computer.
- Earphones/headphones/speakers.
We will contact you with joining instructions before your course starts.

What will we cover?

- Group reading and discussion of famous poems linked to artworks.
- The intersections between art and poetry.
- Write poetry using visual art as a jumping-off point.

What will I achieve?
By the end of this course you should be able to...

- Draw on visual art to develop your poetry practice.
- Better understand the meeting points between poetry and visual forms, such as painting and sculpture.

What level is the course and do I need any particular skills?

This is an intermediate course and suitable for those with some prior experience in writing poetry.

How will I be taught, and will there be any work outside the class?

You will be taught using a mix of individual, group work, tutor presentation and in-class writing exercises.


All writing courses at City Lit will involve an element of workshop. This means that students will produce work which will be discussed in an open and constructive environment with the tutor and other students. The college operates a policy of constructive criticism, and all feedback on another student’s work by the tutor and other students should be delivered in that spirit.

For classes longer than one day regular reading and writing exercises will be set for completion at home to set deadlines.

City Lit Writing endeavours to create a safe and welcoming space for all and we strongly support the use of content notes in our classes. This means that learners are encouraged to make their tutor and classmates aware in advance if any writing they wish to share contains material that may be deemed sensitive. If you are unsure about what might constitute sensitive content, please ask your tutor for further clarification and read our expectations for participating in writing courses at City Lit.

Are there any other costs? Is there anything I need to bring?

Pen and paper.

When I've finished, what course can I do next?

City Lit offers a range of poetry courses. New poets may want to take our introductory 'Ways into poetry' course, while experiences writers may want to consider our 'Advanced poetry workshop'.

All students are invited to join us at Late Lines, our regular performance night for City Lit writers. Students are also encouraged to submit their work to Between the Lines, our annual anthology of creative writing. For the latest news, courses and events, stay in touch with the Department on Facebook and Twitter.