Like the practice of writing poetry, the practice of revising poetry is a way of understanding one’s writing life as an ongoing discipline.

By consistently engaging in the work of reading and writing, one can not only continually develop skills to communicate and make meaning, but also be shaped as a person—interrogating one’s ways of seeing and understanding the world.

The Practice of Revising Poetry will encourage students to return to works-in-progress in ways that focus on poetry's ability to stretch and challenge us as people and to dig deeper into the things we think and are trying to articulate.

Through focused reading and revision exercises, students will work to open new doors into their work and scavenge for possibilities.

Each week, students will engage in asynchronous guided discussion and exercises.

At the end of each week, students will have an opportunity to share their work with their instructor and peers in an asynchronous discussion for encouraging feedback and insight into where they might continue to develop the work.

COURSE TEXTS:

We will read excerpts from The Poet's Companion by Kim Addonizio and Dorianne Laux and The Art of Revising Poetry, among others. All readings are provided by the course instructor.

COURSE OUTLINE:

Week 1: Introduction to revision as part of a poetry practice.

Week 2: How to dig deeper into what a poem is trying to say.

Week 3: Using form and style to create meaning.

Week 4: How do you know the poem is done?

COURSE TAKEAWAYS:

• A sense of revision as an on-going part of a writing practice.
• Strategies for revising whole poems, fragments, lines and words.
• Insight into three works-in-progress from their instructor and peers

TESTIMONIALS: 

"I loved Sarah Carson's Revising Poetry workshop, especially her detailed suggestions and the practice we got in all the various ways one can revise a poem. It was also illuminating to see how other people did the exercises to revise their work. I feel like I have a real toolbox now." -former student

"I loved 'The Practice of Revising Poetry' workshop with Sarah Carson! Each week, I found myself diving deeper into my work, uncovering layers I hadn’t noticed before. Sarah’s insightful feedback and the encouraging environment made all the difference. The readings and exercises were perfectly curated to push us further. This workshop has genuinely transformed my approach to poetry." -former student

"Sarah Carson’s revision workshop was so good. The structured approach to revision, combined with the thought-provoking readings, helped me see my poems in a new light. The weekly discussions and feedback sessions were incredibly supportive and inspiring. I feel more confident and skilled in my ability to revise and refine my poetry." -former student

"Participating in 'The Practice of Revising Poetry' with Sarah Carson was an enriching experience. Sarah’s expertise and the collaborative atmosphere allowed me to explore new possibilities in my writing. Each week's focus, from digging deeper into themes to experimenting with form, was enlightening. I now view revision as a crucial and exciting part of my poetry practice. Highly recommended!" -former student

ONLINE COURSE STRUCTURE:

This class is entirely asynchronous which means you complete the weekly assignments on your own schedule. There are no set meeting times in order to allow for greater participation; your cohort will consist of writers from across different time zones, which allows for a wonderful diversity of voices.

Along with your weekly deadlines there is plenty of interaction with Sarah and your peers within Wet Ink, our dedicated online classroom. Craft materials, lectures, reading assignments, and writing prompts are all available through the online classroom. Students also post work and provide and receive feedback within the online classroom environment.

You can get the work done as you see fit week-to-week, so it is perfect for any schedule. There are discussion questions each week inspired by the assigned readings and topics in the lecture notes. Students are encouraged to take these wherever is most compelling and/or useful for them. Sarah engages with these discussions throughout the week and you will receive feedback from all assigned writing activities.

HOW DOES WET INK WORK?

Wet Ink was built and designed specifically for online writing classes. Wet Ink is private, easy to use, and very interactive. You can learn more about the Wet Ink platform by Watching a Class Demo.

• Instructor: Sarah Carson
  

• Starts Monday, February 3rd, 2025
  

• Course is fully ONLINE; students can work according to their own schedule within weekly deadlines. Once you have enrolled the instructor will send you a link to our online classroom, provided via Wet Ink.