Taking the Temperature: Thermostatic Control in Our Poems with Martha Rhodes (via Zoom)

In this two hour discussion class, we will closely read poems through the lens of thermostatic control — we’ll especially look at the actual language of the poem, pretty much word by word, to see how the writer manages to fluctuate temperature or maintain it, and to what effect. A poem might be hot, indicating fear, anger, or even intense love. Or it may be cold, indicating distance, fear, anger, a clinical affect. Or it may even be thermostatically neutral. How does temperature, then, affect our poems? Why think about it? We’ll discuss poems by different writers throughout the afternoon.

Martha Rhodes is the author of 5 poetry collections, most recently The Thin Wall (Univ of Pittsburgh Press), and teaches in the MFA Program for Writers at Warren Wilson College. She is the publisher and executive editor of Four Way Books in New York City.