Poetry

"Poetry is the school I attended to learn to write prose."

~Vivian Paley, Educator

I studied and wrote poetry in college*, and later found that writing picture books and writing poetry had much in common. Both use distilled language in a concentrated presentation. Every word counts. Both are frequently read aloud and both are generally more rhythmic, more musical forms than straight prose. This is true even of free verse. Recently, I was asked by teachers to add another writing workshop and a poetry section came to mind.

This workshop introduces students to basic poetic techniques I find useful in everything I write: metaphor, alliteration, economy, voice, tone, internal and slant-rhymes revision, meter and more. Each class opens with poems by a few of my favorite poets, poems meant to get students thinking, illustrate various techniques and to spark the workshop-long homework assignment: Write a poem or two or ten of your own. We write, read and discuss poems in each class. On the last day, students read their poems in a class poetry slam & Poetic Licenses are awarded to all.

Four-day workshop: one day per week for four weeks or two days per week for two weeks, 3-class per day minimum, (non-consecutive days allow student writing time in-between). Grades 3-12. Travel included within 50 miles of Chapel Hill, NC; otherwise additional.

*Ms. Carmichael graduated summa cum laude in Creative Writing from The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

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