Poetic Mind Tip #5: Take Local Poetry Classes

Learn from others. Identify poets in your town offering classes. These may be available through a college, community center, or out of a private home. 

You'll be prompted through creative exercises. This poem, "Halfway," emerged from a class offered by Sacramento's Susan Kelly-DeWitt. Susan encourages creative leaps in writing and revision. She had us pass our poems through an online translation program that placed the poem in Russian, then back into English. 

In "Halfway," I had started with the word "noon." The translation led to the notion of a midpoint, which opened the poem to new possibilities. 

It's never too late to start writing poems. Teachers welcome new and seasoned writers. When thinking about how a poem happens, all experiences contribute to the discussion. SIgn-up for a class. Create. Support your local teaching artists.