Irony and Edge (an International Course)
In a letter, Robert Lowell once told Elizabeth Bishop that ‘Irony is being amusing about what we can’t understand.’ Lowell’s description might chime with many poetry fans who find contemporary poetry quirky but hard to grasp. This course will explore the increasingly fraught relationship with sincerity and self-expression that poetry has developed over the last 60 years, from Frank O’Hara and Paul Muldoon to millennial poetry on either side of the Atlantic and work showcased in the anthology ‘Dear World and Everyone in It’. Readings and related writing exercises will help you to appreciate writing that questions itself and pushes back against tired convention, both in poetry and the wider language. It will be a perfect fit for anyone looking to bring some contemporary edge to work that might currently feel too safe and traditional to grab an editor’s attention. (This is a repeat of a course that has run previously.)
This is a private group. To join you must be a registered site member and request group membership.