IMF 51732 Poetry: Poetic Repeating Forms W

Instructor

Anothai Kaewkaen

Class Type

Workshop & Craft

Course Description

Many Happy Returns: Focus on Repeating Forms

Refrains and other repeated elements, including rhyme, hail from poetry's origins in oral traditions with the need for mnemonic devices and a close association with song and ritual. How do we make such repeated elements work for us as contemporary writers? This course will focus on a number of repeating forms, including the villanelle, the ballade, and the sestina. By examining traditional and contemporary takes on these "happy returns" and composing original poems by their example, we will seek to harness the power of repetition for our own work.