Birds & Birdsongs Studio+
Thirteen ways of writing an ode to a darkling skylark.
Birds are an especially literary class of animal; some of the most well-known and well-loved poems feature, or are about, birds – ‘Ode to a Nightingale’, ‘The Darkling Thrush’, ‘To a Skylark’, ‘Thirteen Ways of Looking at a Blackbird’, ‘Hawk Roosting’, ‘The Raven’… Birds fascinate us, they’re a theme that writers return to again and again, and poets especially have long held an affinity with these ‘other singers’.
Birds are symbols, omens and auguries, we’ve given them myths, folklore and literary histories, they charm us with song, they mystify us with flight, birds are a precious part of our natural world and they’re dear to our hearts.
On this Studio+ course, you will explore the close relationship between bird and poet: what do these otherworldly creatures mean to you? Each species of bird is unique, so how might you capture that unique spirit in your writing? When, where and how do you encounter birds? What do they make you imagine, feel and dream? Songbirds, carrion birds, birds of prey, waterfowl, domestic birds, birds of paradise – this course provides a wide array of ‘bird poems’ to inspire you, from familiar classics to modern and contemporary bird poetry. Each assignment contains a variety of prompts to get you thinking and writing.
Birds have a long history with music as well as with poetry, so the ‘+’ in this Studio+ course is a collaborative playlist inspired by birds and birdsong. We won’t just read about birds, we’ll hear them and the music that has been inspired by them. Share your favourite ‘birdsongs’ with the group and discover new ones to inspire your writing further.
Studio+ Courses are an expanded version of our Studios and feature a portfolio of preliminary reading, alongside 4 writing assignments, and some additional bonus features bespoke to each course, such as Zoom sessions, collaborative projects, and inter-disciplinary work. There are no Live Chats on this course. Suitable for UK & International students.
Concessions & Accessibility
To apply for a concessionary 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, wish to be added to the waiting list of a sold-out course, or require any form of adjustment to access our courses, please email [email protected]. For more information visit our Online Courses page.
Image credit: @oktay-koseoglu
About Cat Woodward 
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Cat Woodward’s full-length collection, Strange Shape, was published by Gatehouse in 2024. Her pamphlet, Sueño del Alma, will be published by Broken Sleep Books in 2025. Cat holds a PhD in lyric poetics from the University of East Anglia. In 2018 she won the Ivan Juritz Prize for Creative Experiment and received a Society of Authors grant. Cat mentors and teaches Creative Writing. Learn more about Cat’s work and sign up to her newsletter at www.catwoodward.com.
"The Poetry School has helped me learn about editing my poetry, a really important skill in becoming a better poet. It has also helped me find a creative community, which living abroad now I really value."
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