Secrets and Lies
According to Jean Cocteau, ‘The poet is a liar who always speaks the truth.’ This course considers the various ways in which poems manipulate the truth in order to tell it. Drawing on a range of contemporary examples, we’ll look closely at how poets use invention, suggestion, embellishment and surprise to get the effects they’re after, and you’ll be investigating some of these tactics in your own writing. We’ll also consider what poems conceal and the power of silence – what happens in the crucial white space, and how does the poem’s relationship with form affect the way we read it? There’ll be regular writing exercises and you’ll be encouraged to think about your own decisions, particularly when reworking and editing your poems.
This is a private group. To join you must be a registered site member and request group membership.