The Poetry of Play

As Diane Ackerman says, “The spirit of deep play is spontaneity, discovery, and being open to new challenges.” Playing with meaning, sound, punctuation, titles, cliches, and absurdities can provide both blissful relaxation and help sharpen poetic craft. In this class, we’ll enjoy a rollicking good time by responding to poetry’s call to do just that. Students will read a wide variety of playful poetry, then experiment with in-class writing prompts designed to awaken freedom and enjoyment.