Online Poetry Writing Camp

June 3 – July 25, 2025

Course Description

This 7-week virtual summer camp enables adults and advanced high school students to train their poetic ears while experimenting with rhyme and rhythm. Students will write poems in a variety of styles and will practice techniques for memorizing and reciting the poems they enjoy. They’ll also learn about the “business” side of poetry, how the poetry market works, and how to submit poems for publication.

Class Format: Live classes will take place over Zoom for one hour per week. Students will need working mics, since we’ll often read or recite poems aloud.

Class Times: Tuesdays, 4:00-5:00 PM Eastern Time

Class Dates: June 3 – July 25

Text: Poetry and Humanity, 2nd edition (Michael Clay Thompson Language Arts)

Homework: Weekly light reading, poem memorization, and/or poem writing.

Prerequisites: A solid foundation in English mechanics.

Other requirements: Students will need to create a membership account at Scholars Online to register for the course.

Create an Account and Register

Syllabus

Week	Topic	Homework
June 3	Introductions, the “sounds” of poetry, and tips for efficient memorization	Memorize a short poem & prep a very laid-back recitation for class
June 10	Poem recitations: Alliteration, consonance, assonance, and rhymes	Alliteration exercise
June 17	Rhyming ballads	First poem assignment: Write a ballad
June 24	Rhythm and meter	Diagnostic exercise
June 30	Rhythm, meter, and an overview of poetic forms	Memorize a second poem and prep a very laid-back recitation for class
July 1	Sonnets	Second poem assignment: Write a sonnet
July 8	Blank verse	Third poem: Write a poem in any form of your choosing
July 15	Publishing poetry: Audiences and markets	Research your potential audience(s) and choose a journal to submit to.
July 22	Last Class: Final poem revisions due by Friday the 25th	Turn in a revised poem as if it were a submission to a real journal. Congrats on making progress in your poetic career!