Poet's Corner-One on One Poetry Mentor & Word Coach
This class is perfect for anyone who wants to take their poetry or lyric skills to the next level. As a private tutor, I will provide skill exercises, model texts and performances, as well as individualized feedback.
Sturdevant's Scholars
Average rating:
5.0
Number of reviews:(13)
Rising Star
What's included
Meets on Demand
schedule meetings as needed55 mins
per sessionTeacher support
Mastery Evaluation
1 hour per week. Learners will receive writing prompts as well as speaking exercises.Assessment
Learners will receive formal, written feedback each week.Class Experience
US Grade 6 - 9
Intermediate Level
As a certified English teacher, poet and word coach, I can help you improve your writing craft and develop your voice through one-on-one guidance. I can help you identify your strengths and weaknesses, and provide feedback on your writing. I can also help you explore new styles and forms of poetry, and introduce you to new techniques. Lessons in this course will follow a "model: create" format. Each lesson will feature an icebreaker, model poetry style and poem, as well as a prompt that will challenge you to "create" an original poem in the lesson style. You will receive individualized instruction as you move through each step of the writing process (brainstorming, drafting, revising, editing, and publishing).
Learning Goals
Learners will learn to “see like writers” and experiment with figurative language to describe their observations and reactions.Learners will learn to deliberately craft their language, selecting words and rhythms that enhance the intended meaning or effect of a text.
Other Details
Parental Guidance
In this class we will use model poems presented in text and video format. As this course is individualized, a written class description will be provided prior to each class meeting in the form of a PDF of lesson slides.
Syllabus
Lesson 1-Sestina
This French verse form is made up of six six-line stanzas, called sestets, and a three-line envoi. There's no rhyme or consistent metric pattern, but the use of multiple sestets is a defining feature.
Sestina By Algernon Charles Swinburne
I saw my soul at rest upon a day
As a bird sleeping in the nest of night,
Among soft leaves that give the starlight way
To touch its wings but not its eyes with light;
So that it knew as one in visions may,
And knew not as men waking, of delight.
This was the measure of my soul's delight;
It had no power of joy to fly by day,
Nor part in the large lordship of the light;
But in a secret moon-beholden way
Had all its will of dreams and pleasant night,
And all the love and life that sleepers may.
But such life's triumph as men waking may
It might not have to feed its faint delight
Between the stars by night and sun by day,
Shut up with green leaves and a little light;
Because its way was as a lost star's way,
A world's not wholly known of day or night.
All loves and dreams and sounds and gleams of night
Made it all music that such minstrels may,
And all they had they gave it of delight;
But in the full face of the fire of day
What place shall be for any starry light,
What part of heaven in all the wide sun's way?
Yet the soul woke not, sleeping by the way,
Watched as a nursling of the large-eyed night,
And sought no strength nor knowledge of the day,
Nor closer touch conclusive of delight,
Nor mightier joy nor truer than dreamers may,
Nor more of song than they, nor more of light.
For who sleeps once and sees the secret light
Whereby sleep shows the soul a fairer way
Between the rise and rest of day and night,
Shall care no more to fare as all men may,
But be his place of pain or of delight,
There shall he dwell, beholding night as day.
Song, have thy day and take thy fill of light
Before the night be fallen across thy way;
Sing while he may, man hath no long delight.
Lesson 2- Epic Poems
Ancient Greek and Roman epic poems didn't rhyme, but epic poems written during the Middle Ages and later often did.
Excerpt from "The Odyssey": The Sirens
Odysseus, bravest of heroes, Draw near to us, on our green island, Odysseus, we’ll teach you wisdom, We’ll give you love, sweeter than honey. The songs we sing, soothe away sorrow, And in our arms, you will be happy. Odysseus, bravest of heroes, The songs we sing, will bring you peace.
Lesson 3-Blank Verse
This poetry is written in a precise meter, usually iambic pentameter, but without rhyme. It's similar to Shakespearean sonnets and plays, and reflects a movement that prioritizes rhythm over rhyme.
Iambic Pentameter in Sonnets in The Tragedy of Romeo and Juliet
Prologue
Two households, both alike in dignity, A
In fair Verona, where we lay our scene, B
From ancient grudge break to new mutiny, A
Where civil blood makes civil hands unclean. B
From forth the fatal loins of these two foes C
A pair of star-crossed lovers take their life; D
Whose misadventured piteous overthrows C
Doth with their death bury their parents' strife. D
The fearful passage of their death-mark'd love, E
And the continuance of their parents' rage, F
Which, but their children's end, naught could remove, E
Is now the two hours' traffic of our stage; F
The which if you with patient ears attend, G
What here shall miss, our toil shall strive to mend. G
Lesson 4- Free Verse
This poetry doesn't use a strict meter or rhyme scheme, so lines can be any length and follow the rhythm of natural speech. Poets can still use alliteration, rhythms, and other techniques to create their desired effect.
Theme in Yellow
Carl Sandburg
1878 –1967
I spot the hills
With yellow balls in autumn.
I light the prairie cornfields
Orange and tawny gold clusters
And I am called pumpkins.
On the last of October
When dusk is fallen
Children join hands
And circle round me
Singing ghost songs
And love to the harvest moon;
I am a jack-o'-lantern
With terrible teeth
And the children know
I am fooling.
External Resources
In addition to the Outschool classroom, this class uses:
Sources
We will use poems that are in the public domain. We will use spoken word example from @ButtonPoetry and other spoken word channels on YouTube.
Joined May, 2024
5.0
13reviews
Rising Star
Teacher expertise and credentials
North Carolina Teaching Certificate in English/Language Arts
Bachelor's Degree in Education from East Carolina University
I am a certified Middle School English Teacher and lifelong poet. Reviews
Live 1-on-1 Lessons
$28
per sessionMeets on demand
55 min
Completed by 4 learners
Live video meetings
Ages: 11-14
