Writing and Understanding Poetry for Teachers and Students

Suzanne Keyworth was the advisor for an award winning student magazine at State College of Florida for nearly two decades, and obtained her MA from Hollins University and her MFA from Warren Wilson College. A 6th generation Floridian, she has a chapbook titled When the Distance Closes In as well as a book of poetry, Markers. Cassandra Robison, Ph.D., now Faculty Emeritus, was faculty advisor for the multi- award winning student literary magazine Imprints at the College of Central Florida where she taught Creative Writing, English, and American Literature. Of Swedish heritage, she has two chapbooks titled Leaving the Pony and Tundra Heart.

Chapter 1 - Some Initial Thoughts on Poets and Poetry, Workshopping Poems, and the Creative Process
Learning from Master Poets or Masterful Poems
What is a Strong Poem?
Portfolios: Preserving and Sharing Work
The Concept of Modeling
Welcoming the Muse
A Journaling Idea
Workshopping Advice: Our Hearts in a Safe Place
Some Helpful Ideas about Workshopping Poems
Workshop Guidelines to Share with Participants
The Model Exercise: If You Stare At Something Long Enough…
Sample Student Poems
Chapter 2 - Beyond the Ordinary: Witnessing the World as a Poet
Terms Used in This Chapter
The Model Poem
The Explication

The Model Exercise
Sample Student Poems
Chapter 3 - Imagery—Getting to the Heart of It
Terms Used in This Chapter
The Model Poem
The Explication
Exercises for Students
The Model Exercise
Sample Student Poem
Chapter 4 - Metaphors and Symbols—Finding and Using Creative Analogies
Terms Used in This Chapter
The Model Poem
The Explication
Exercises for Students
The Model Exercise
Chapter 5 - Line Endings, Turns, and Epiphanies—More Essentials Elements of Craft
Terms Used in This Chapter
The Model Poem
The Explication
Exercises for Students
Alternate Model Poem
Alternate Model Exercise
Chapter 6 - The Speaker and the Reader: A Dialogue
The Model Poem
The Explication
Exercises for Students
The Modeling Exercise
Chapter 7 - Narrative Poetry—Poems that Tell Stories
Terms Used in This Chapter
The Model Poem
The Explication
Exercises for Students
The Model Exercise
Alternate Model Poem
The Explication
Alternate Model Exercise
Sample Student Poems
Chapter 8 - Communicating Emotional Truths and Avoiding Melodrama
Terms Used in This Chapter
Model Poem
The Explication
Exercises for Students
The Model Exercise
Sample Student Poems
Chapter 9 - Writing in Other Voices
Terms Used in This Chapter
The Model Poem
The Explication
Exercises for Students
The Model Exercise
The Alternate Model Poem
Alternate Model Exercise
Sample Student Poems
Chapter 10 - Sound Devices
Terms Used in This Chapter
The Model Poem
The Explication
Exercises for Students
The Model Exercise
Sample Student Poems
Chapter 11 – Punctuation – A Surprisingly Creative Tool
Terms Used in This Chapter
The Model Poem
The Explication
Exercises for Students
The Model Exercise
Sample Student Poems
Chapter 12 – Effective Titles—Hints at Theme
The Model Poem A
The Explication
The Model Poem B
The Explication
Exercises for Students
The Model Exercise
Sample Student Poems
Chapter 13 – Nature as Muse
Terms Used in This Chapter
The Model Poem
The Explication
The Model Exercise
Exercises for Students
The Model Exercise
Sample Student Poems
Chapter 14 - The Prose Poem: A Revelatory Form
Terms Used in This Chapter
The Model Poem
The Explication
Model Poem B
The Explication
Exercises for Students
The Model Exercise
Alternate Model Exercise
Sample Student Poems
Chapter 15 – Writing in Various Forms
Terms Used in This Chapter
Model Sonnets
The Villanelle
Model Villanelle
Exercises for Students
The Model Exercise
Sample Student Poems
Chapter 16 – Portfolios, Presentations, Aural Modeling, and Syllabi:
Portfolios
Literary Magazines
Aural Modeling
Syllabi and Other Types of Workshop Organization
Sample Syllabus
Displaying Portfolio Sharing
Alternate Week 16
Alternate Week 17: Celebration & Presentation