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Learner Reviews & Feedback for Sharpened Visions: A Poetry Workshop by California Institute of the Arts

4.8
stars
1,707 ratings

About the Course

Why just write poems when you can write better ones? This course is built on the notion that the most exciting writing begins after the first draft. It is specifically for folks who believe that writing poems just to express oneself is like using the Internet just for email. After all, poetry can change the way you and your readers think of the world and its inhabitants; it can break new ground for language; turn a blank sheet of paper into a teeming concert of voices and music. Though any of us may have the potential to make that happen, having an understanding of how several tools of poetic composition can be used (and audaciously “mis-used”) gives you more ways to try (and if we do this right, we might surprise ourselves most of all). We'll cover key poetic terms and devices by studying poems by a handful of modern and contemporary poets and then get a chance to try our own hand at writing new poem drafts from a select number of prompts. Throughout the course you will have the opportunity to workshop your poem drafts and get feedback on your work, working towards a more polished poem....

Top reviews

ES

May 4, 2022

The professor and tasks were very engaging. I truly looked forward to tuning in and working through the lessons and assignments. My interest in poetry is further stoked and I can't wait to learn more.

SM

Jun 11, 2020

Loved the course. Douglas Kearney is amazing as an instructor. I love poetry and this workshop has made me happy during the times of COVID 19. I thank CalArts for the encouragement and appreciation.

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151 - 175 of 699 Reviews for Sharpened Visions: A Poetry Workshop

By Jen G

Jan 23, 2020

What a great presenter who really brought poetry to life for his students! I found peer review difficult given I am such a novice but enjoyed the standard of submissions from others - some great poets in the making. Material and references were excellent. Thankyou.

By James G

Oct 14, 2017

Great intro to poetry. The analysis of the poems was great, and I really enjoyed the poems covered in the course.

The writing prompts are the hardest and most time consuming part of the course. I write for fun and the practice I got from this course was very useful.

By Mariela V Á E

Jun 20, 2021

I'm from Argentina and absolutely loved everything about this course. It gave me a variety of tools to understand and write better poetry. The prompts were great and the revision process with peers was quite enlightening and easy. I would higly recommend doing it.

By Raelee F

Jan 18, 2022

For a short, basic poetry course, it was great. Doug has awesome energy and I enjoyed the peer-review process. I've written poetry as a hobby for years and I learned some new tools to experiment more with my writing. Thank you for making this course available!

By Carroll L

Sep 2, 2020

Great course with an excellent, charismatic and funny instructor. The lessons were fun & interesting; the assignments were as well. I got excellent feedback from peers--respectful, thoughtful and helpful. Wish there was another segment that built on this one.

By Danila G

Oct 19, 2015

I really loved this poetry course! It was taught with a different style compared to similar courses that I have taken in the past. He teaches the it with a different flair for poetry! Because of that I not only enjoyed the course but also learned a great deal!

By Cat M

Jan 19, 2022

The teacher made this a lot of fun and I learned far more than I'd expected, plus I think I came away with a good poem of my own, with thanks to helpful peer feedback. Having finished the course, I now feel more equipped to read, appreciate and write poetry.

By Samantha R

Feb 3, 2022

This was a great course. I learned a lot about different literary devices used in poetry. The instructor made it fun. I also loved that you could do peer review even if you audit the course, which most courses on this site don't do. I highly recommend it!

By Kenneth M

Feb 21, 2022

I enjoyed the Workshop quite alot,since i'm doing poetry as a passion..this was quite an encouragement having written before and having no one take a look . Its the gateway to accessing better poetry writting Douglas is quite the Instructor. I loved it!

By Jhonatan J A

May 8, 2016

The course is just great! All the contents are presented in a pretty pleasant way and concepts are clearly explained shortly and exemplified. Participants are supposed to learn through practice, resulting in very challenging and encouraging experiences.

By Heberto J B

May 15, 2021

WONDERFUL! I FOUND POETRY! THANKS FOR SHARING YOUR WISDOM AND MAKING ME DEFEAT MY PREJUDICE AGAINST TRYING THE POETRY INSIDE MY SOUL. IT EMERGED AT LAT AND IT'S BEEN ONE OF THE GREATEST DISCOVERIS OF MY LIFE. THIS FIRST STEP COULD NOT HAVE BEEN BETTER.

By Polina B

May 11, 2020

This is the first course I managed to complete online. I was very enthusiastic about it and I absolutely enjoyed every part of it. Sometimes I felt like I was watching educational stand up comedy! It was a good introduction to poetry as a hobby for me.

By Maryann L

May 26, 2020

An excellent course. This is a great introduction to writing poetry. Easy to follow. Lots of assignments, interesting presentation. This course gave me an opportunity to explore the basic elements of poetry in a way I have not done before. Recommend.

By Pamela O

Aug 8, 2016

This is a great course. I learned so many new things about writing poetry both from the professor and the peer reviews. In the revision section I learned the difference between editing and revision. This one thing cleared up a great mystery for me.

By stephanie r

Oct 20, 2015

It gives an easily digestible engaging and inspirational overview of the craft of writing poetry using interesting contemporary poems. I got a lot more out of the course than i thought I would; i think the course is like a great poem in that way.

By Isha G

May 7, 2020

It is a brilliant workshop which can alter your writing skills for the better, and while working on the prompts, you yourself will notice a difference in your style of poetry writing after learning everything in this workshop from start to end.

By Karena A

Jul 17, 2017

This course has some very interesting exercises and plenty of information I did not know. The instructor is highly entertaining too. The people here are very nice and talented. The mentors are really good. More than anything it primes the pump.

By Alycia K

Feb 19, 2018

I enjoyed this course very much. Unfortunately, I didn't finish it because of work obligations. However, I found it very inspiring and fun. I will take it again when I can get my work and life more balanced. I highly recommend this course.

By Luna E

Sep 10, 2020

Great course! The teacher is very enthusiastic and explains everything well and in a structured way, allowing for theory, exemplification and explanation before giving some awesome writing prompts. Recommended if you like poetry and words!

By Lee M

Jul 2, 2020

Great workshop! The video's are super fun and very educational. The prompts are great and I've learned a lot by working on the assignments. Peer assessment is a wonderful way to receive feedback and the discussion forums are very lively.

By Christine C

Sep 4, 2019

This is an excellent course - well designed - very interesting. Strongly recommend it for poets really wanting to improve their skills. The feedback component is useful and the mentors are terrific.

Wish, wish, wish there was a Part 2.!

By Ariel B

Aug 26, 2015

Fantastic course! A great introduction to poetry and workshopping. Also, thanks for bringing Phil Och's version of The Bells to my attention. It's definitely my new favorite song. The Bells has always been one of my most favorite poems.

By Lucy P

Oct 11, 2020

I gained a lot of poetry writing skills from this course. . Douglas is a humorous and easy going teacher who presented a syllabus which helps beginners like me focus on necessary strategies and skill required to write better poetry.

By Mariangie C

Jun 11, 2021

Great information, maybe not in depth but good enough. I really like the workshops, I learned something new and i loved getting feedback. Never shared my poems with anyone and now I think im comfortable to share them with the world.

By Sana A

Nov 10, 2020

I stumbled upon this course and I really enjoyed it. The instructor is quite engaging and makes the course very interesting even though poetry is not my forte. Would recommend this course to anyone looking to improve their writing.