And now it’s time for the third of our three invented forms, created by my mid-week masochists: the Shardling. As I mentioned in the post about E Whetu, all my students for this course really seemed to enjoy forms that make use of a line or lines from another poet. My role was to steer …
Introducing … E Whetu
Time to dangle another invented form in front of you. For reasons that made sense when I started, and felt like an advanced degree in self-flagellation as the weeks wore on, I ran three separate groups for my Rhyme & Reasons class. The Belissima was the product of cheese before bedtime my Saturday group, and …
Introducing … the Belissima
Just finished teaching a series of classes looking at formal poetry. It’s been quite a lot of fun, even if I did manage to cock up the handouts. Repeatedly. (Sigh!) Oh well, doing everything online meant I could just make my (multiple) corrections to the master document and flick a new pdf to everyone right …
Two classes for Spring 2012
With blossoms bursting out all over my plum trees and daffodils peeking up through the peastraw, it's time to pimp the Spring Poetry Classes. Two shorter classes this time round. First, a three week Formal Poetry class. We’ll be having a shameless wallow in the points and pleasures of historical forms, such as (but not …
Sonnets for SIWA – the results
Well it's all done and dusted now. Results have been handed out, winners cheered and others given their "short, helpful comments" from the judge. Who were the winners? (Drumroll please) 1st: Elizabeth Robertson, "My father is never lonely", Runner-up: Shirley Eng, "A Bicycle sonnet", Commended: Janice Healey, "Water! Right!", and Mary Fitzgerald, "Post Spring Song". …