Using Poetry to Sharpen our Observation of the Natural World
Nature poetics beyond capturing the scene.
The natural world is a perennial inspiration for poets – but how can we move beyond simply observing and recording nature, and instead use poetic forms to interrogate how we observe and why we feel compelled to record our experiences with the natural world?
In this generative workshop we will look to models of five kinds of nature poems written by masters to explore not just how we perceive and interpret the natural world around us, but how and why various poetic forms are uniquely suited to rendering that world on the page.
Poetic forms and poets will include: the haiku of Bashō, Buson, and Issa; the sonnets of Gerard Manley Hopkins; the short lyrics of Louise Glück; the meditative lyrics of Robert Hass; and the prose poems of Mary Oliver. Using these models, we will spend our sessions writing, sharing, and discussing our own poems inspired by nature.
5 fortnightly sessions over 10 weeks, starting 12 October 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: @ian-panelo
About Ellene Glenn Moore 
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Ellene Glenn Moore is an American writer living in Zürich. She is the author of How Blood Works (Kent State University Press, 2021), winner of the Stan and Tom Wick Poetry Prize, and Provenance (Seneca Review Books, 2027), winner of the Deborah Tall Lyric Essay Prize. Ellene holds a PhD in Creative Writing from Bath Spa University and an MFA in Poetry from Florida International University, where she was a John S. and James L. Knight Foundation Poetry Fellow. Her poetry, prose, and German-to-English translation has appeared in New England Review, West Branch, Hayden’s Ferry Review, and elsewhere.
"Ellene's class improved my writing confidence."
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