MODULE 1 - Introduction and a brief history of poetry. This first module asks you to look at various poets, and to explore why they particularly appeal to you as a writer and poet.

MODULE 2 - Finding the right words & listening to the 'sound' of your words. The learning objectives of this module are: 1) To give an overview of the different aspects of the language of poetry including rhyme and rhythm, imagery and sounds, and how the language of poetry works, and its effects on anyone engaging with it, and 2) To understand the importance of finding the right words, and to listen to your words within the context of your poem.

MODULE 3 - Understanding form & the relationship between form and structure. The learning objectives of this module are: 1) To understand the differences between narrative, descriptive and lyrical poetry and their sub-forms including the Idyll, Ballad, Epic, Ode, Sonnet and Villanelle, and to understand the relationship between form and structure, and 2) To give an overview of a poem's structural devices including Verse Line and Length, Caesura, Enjambment and the Stanza.

MODULE 4 - Understanding figurative language and imagery. The learning objectives of this module are:

1) To understand what is meant by Figurative Language and Imagery, and the differences between a metaphor and a simile, and 2) To briefly look at other types of imagery including: Personification, Synecdoche, Metonymy, Idioms and Chiasmus.

MODULE 5 - Additional language devices that enhance the rhythm and mood of a poem. The learning objectives of this module are: 1) To understand other common devices used to enhance the rhythm of a poem including: anaphora, epistrophe, mesodiplosis, antistasis and symploce, as well as parallel structure, assonance and consonance, and 2) To understand common devices that enhance the mood of a poem, including: alliteration, onomatopoeia and hyperbole.

MODULE 6 - Metre and rhythm; the heart and heartbeat of every piece of poetry. The learning objectives of this module are: 1)  To understand the differences between metre and rhythm, and how they are used in poetry, including the four most commonly used metrical feet: anapest, dactyl, iamb and trochee, and 2) To briefly explore irregularities in rhythm including blank verse and free verse, and how to use scansion as a way of defining rhythm and metre in your own poetry.

MODULE 7 - The rise and fall, and rise again of rhyme. The learning objectives of this module are: 1) To understand rhymes and how they are created, and the different types of rhyme including End Rhyme, Internal Rhyme, Feminine Rhyme, Masculine Rhyme, Monorhyme, Half Rhyme and Identical Rhyme, and 2) To briefly explore the use of rhyme scheme in the construction and composition of a poem.

MODULE 8 - Finding your voice & making your poetry your own. The learning objectives of this module are: 1) To understand the importance of finding and defining your unique voice as a poet, and 2) To understand the importance of sharing your work with people whose opinions and experiences you value.

MODULE 9 - Improving your poetry, thinking and living as a poet. The learning objectives of this module are: 1)  To understand that there is no such thing as a perfect piece of work, and that there are always ways of improving as a poet, and 2) To understand the importance of using correct punctuation, spelling and grammar when submitting work to publishers.

MODULE 10 - Publishing your work. The learning objectives of this module are: 1) To understand the process of submitting your work to publishers., 2) To understand the process of compiling your own collection of poetry and 3) To understand the differences between commercial publishers and self-publishing.

At the end of the course you will receive a certificate of completion. Also, a selection of your work from the course will be published online, as well as in an anthology of poetry just featuring students and poetry from our course.

The price for the course will be £75.00 (GBP) or $100.00 (USD) - which can be paid over three monthly instalments - which covers our time in reading through and assessing each of your modules. Nothing is automated or assessed by AI, everything is one-to-one and completely personal. Further details about each module will be online shortly. To express an interest in this course please complete the form below and we'll keep you fully updated with its release.