Women in Poetry: Emily Dickinson

Reflective, pensive, and observant - these are words that describe American poet Emily Dickinson.  Let's learn from her thoughtful words and write some powerful poems of our own!

Learners will have a brief introduction about American poet Emily Dickinson's life and will then read two to three short poems by her ("Hope is the thing with feathers," "If I can stop one heart from breaking," and "There is no frigate like a book").  We will discuss the poem's meaning while addressing common literary devices used, such as imagery, symbols, alliteration, similes, metaphors, and rhyming.  This portion will be approximately the first 30 minutes of the class session.

The second half of this class will focus on beginning to write your own poem, using some of the literary devices discussed, and sharing what you have written so far.  This portion will be approximately 20 minutes in length.  

All learners will be encouraged to ask questions and to participate in sharing ideas, responses, and in writing.    

Learners do not need to have any background knowledge in poetry, but, if they do, that is terrific as this class will allow them the opportunity to apply what they already know and then go further.