Status: Available

Poetry Out Loud

Being in poetry's embrace

Moderator: Cat Batson

Details

PURPOSE:

The purpose of this seminar is to delight in and better understand poetry’s music, imagery, and language.

DESCRIPTION:

Poetry Out Loud has been a popular FCLIR choice over the years. Rather than specifying the poets to be read, the seminar will be organized around themes—of love, joy, grief, nature, and the like—as expressed by a variety of poets. Each week, poems will be read aloud by participants, with time for comments and discussion. Theme suggestions will be chosen by the participants and shared with the registrants before the semester begins, so participants have time to choose their poems.

ROLE OF PARTICIPANTS: Weekly, two members will bring photocopies of 6-8 poems, selected by each leader for his/her/their chosen theme, and lead the group in a 50- minute reading and discussion, including a brief introduction to the theme, a round-robin of readings, and follow-up responses. Themes may relate to each other or differ.

RESOURCES:

There is no single text for this seminar. Your personal library or the web may be all that’s needed. Participants are encouraged to consider poetry anthologies, especially Roger Housden’s Ten Poems series (Ten Poems to Say Goodbye, Ten Poems for Difficult Times, Ten Poems to Last a Lifetime, etc.), available through local and regional libraries. Or they may choose whatever strikes their fancy.

ABOUT THE MODERATOR: Caroline “Cat” Batson is a member of Writing to Remember (Blue) and has read two of her stories at FCLIR’s Encore presentations. She also, sometimes, and very quietly, writes poems.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION:

Seminar begins on Wednesday, September 24.