Determination & Necessity: Writing Poetic Urgency

Learn to write imperative verse, the poetry of purpose and urgency in every sense.

In this course we will explore the concept of urgency in poems. Are poems a luxury or a necessity? Do they come from a place of urgency or calm, or both? We will look at essays and poems by such poets as Audre Lorde, John Keats, Sylvia Plath, Philip Levine, Galway Kinnell, Marie Howe, Dan Pagis, Gerard Manley Hopkins, Ilya Kaminsky, Emily Dickinson, Benjamin Zephaniah, Adrienne Rich, James Baldwin, Sharon Olds, Sinead Morrisey, Gerald Stern, Gwendolyn Brooks, and more. We will look at how these writers and poets think about and embody urgency in poems and how poets can bring a sense of determination and insistence to their work. We will write our own poems inspired by our conversations and the poems we read.

5 fortnightly sessions over 10 weeks, starting 6 May 2026. No live chats. Suitable for UK & International students.

Concessions & Accessibility

To apply for a concession rate, please send relevant documentation showing your eligibility for one of our concessions to [email protected]. Conditions of eligibility are detailed here. If you have any questions or wish to be added to the waiting list of a sold-out course, please email [email protected].

What to Expect

Please check the left hand side of this page for information on how this course works in practice, under the heading ‘Course Style‘. If you’re unsure as to what any of the terms there mean, or if this course is a good fit for you, please visit our What to Expect page which includes some further information on how our courses function.

Image credit: @ron-lach

About Eve Grubin View Profile

Eve Grubin‘s most recent book of poems is Boat of Letters (Four Way Books 2025). She is also the author of Morning Prayer (Sheep Meadow Press), and Grief Dialogue and The House of Our First Loving (both from Rack Press). Eve was the programs director at the Poetry Society of America and has taught at The New School, and the City College of New York. She teaches online poetry workshops, and she is a lecturer at New York University London. www.evegrubin.com.

"The courses have helped me to develop as a poet and explore different ways of writing. They have given me confidence to submit my work for publication with some small successes!."

- Autumn 2025 Survey Response

The Poetry School