Class: The Contemporary Sonnet: Birdcage and Bird

Dean Young urged poets to make “birds” rather than “birdcages,” but the sonnet’s been doing both things for 800+ years, recently surging in popularity among women and BIPOC+ poets. What is its secret to longevity, how does it remain vital and relevant? The answer lies within the form itself, a paradox balancing formal restraint with release that harbors a hidden and very powerful charge. We’ll look at classic Petrarchan and Shakespearean sonnets, as well as contemporary examples by poets like Terrance Hayes, Tyehimba Jess, Diane Seuss, Patricia Smith, and others. We’ll talk about the sonnet as an amazingly effective generative writing prompt as well as spend time writing.

The location of this class is to be determined based on attendance.