This course focuses on the formal dynamics of poetry across a wide range of readings drawn from modern and contemporary poets. You will be introduced to diverse writing techniques, experiments and methodologies, including short forms, prose poems, the poetic sequence, serial poems, found poems, sound poems and visual poems. Through seminars, practical exercises and workshops you will be encouraged to make and situate your portfolio of original poems in relation to recent poetry and poetics.

1 x 2hr workshop per week over ten weeks as scheduled on MyCampus.

This is one of the Honours options in English Literature and may not run every year. The options that are running this session are available on MyCampus.

ENGLIT4081 Creative Writing Poetry

ENGLIT4079 and ENGLIT4119 Creative Writing Fiction

ENGLIT4080 and ENGLIT4120 Creative Writing Hybrid Forms

The standard assessments for this course are: 

■ Portfolio of creative writing (4000 words / 280 lines of poetry): 90%  

■ Workshop contribution: 10% 

If required, for instance where a disability prevents a student from undertaking a specific method of assessment, the following alternatives are available: 

■ There are no alternatives to the Portfolio of creative writing, but flexible deadlines can be offered as reasonable adjustment (Students should follow the usual process for extensions). 

■ Written self-evaluation reflecting on contribution or written response to material in advance of workshop as alternative to contribution.

Further reasonable adjustments may be provided where necessary. Students are encouraged to consult with the course convenor.  

This course will provide the opportunity to:

■ understand the formal qualities of poetry

■ study contemporary poetry at introductory level

■ experiment with a range of diverse forms

■ develop an assured and imaginative understanding of making poetry

■ acquire the analytical and linguistic tools for assessment and criticism.

By the end of this course students will be able to:

■ articulate a sophisticated knowledge of some poetic forms and apply these in their own poetry

■ evaluate experiments in discourse, imagery, rhythm, form and voice in modern and contemporary poetry

■ appraise the linguistic and formal elements of poetry and apply these in their own writing

■ assess their own creative process while putting it in a larger and relevant context of creative practice

■ reflect constructively on the work of self and others in a workshop context.