Form and the Lyric Poem: Masterclass with David Baker (via Zoom)

But what do we mean when we talk about form? Is any poem not in form? Any three people will likely hold three different notions about these questions.  Is it measurement, is it rhyme scheme, is it something else entirely? I’ll identify and analyze five separate types of poetic form for the first hour of this course, and for the second hour I’ll discuss four fundamental means of measurement. We’ll look at lots of poems—new and old—and I’ll provide many reading suggestions and writing prompts.

NB: This class will be taught on Zoom and will be capped at 15 students. Registrants will receive the Zoom link to the email address they use to register. It will arrive immediately after registration so please check your spam folder if you do not receive it. It will also be sent the day before class as a reminder. Please review the course policies page before registering for any classes. Please email ask@writerscenter.org with any questions.

The scholarship application for the Altman Person of Color Scholarships, Limp Wrist LGBTQIA+ Scholarships, and the Need-Based Scholarships will be available on May 1 and will be due on May 15 for all summer and fall classes.

David Baker is a poet, educator, editor, and literary critic.  He was born in 1954 in Bangor, Maine, grew up in Jefferson City, Missouri, and since 1983 has lived in central Ohio.  He received his B.S.E. and M.A. degrees in English from the University of Central Missouri and his Ph.D. in English from the University of Utah, where he also served from 1980-83 as Editor and Poetry Editor of Quarterly West.  Since 1984 Baker has taught at Denison University, in Granville, Ohio, where he is currently Professor of English and holds the Thomas B. Fordham Chair of Creative Writing.  Baker also serves frequently on the faculty of the MFA program for writers at Warren Wilson College and is Poetry Editor of The Kenyon Review.