Your instructors

Angela RydellAngela Rydell, MFA, has taught creative writing through UW-Madison Continuing Studies since 2006. She is a recipient of Poets & Writers' Maureen Egen Writers Exchange Award. Read more.

Who this course is for:

  • Writers looking for professional feedback to help polish their work.
  • Beginners ready to get their poetry off the ground.
  • Intermediate-advanced poets ready to publish.
  • Anyone who wants to take their poetry to the next level.

Success Stories

Helen Townsend, of Fort Scott, Kansas, publishes six poems in anthology
Poet Helen Townsend, of Fort Scott, Kansas, had six poems selected for inclusion in Chatter House Press's 2012 Reckless Writing Anthology: The Modernization of Poetry by Emerging Writers of the 21st Century.  The anthology focuses on the evolution of poetry in the 21st century and showcases over 125 poems from new and previous published authors.  Helen is a recent graduate of the online class "Taking the Poetic Leap," taught by Angela Rydell. Congratulations, Helen!

More success stories

Student comments

"...thank you for answering my questions so thoroughly, and for another excellent critique. I appreciate that you keep pushing me to dig into the marrow of the poem, and suggest ways to do it --that's exactly what I was hoping for from this course!"  ~Jeff Jenkins, Forest City, NC

"I really appreciate the insight you are giving me into my writing. It is making me look at my written words more closely than I have ever before."   ~Richard Reynolds, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia

“Your feedback on my writing has been invaluable.  Under your guidance, I have felt free to experiment and grow as a writer.”  ~Debbie Bateman, Calgary, AB, Canada

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This is a noncredit, online writing class through UW-Madison Continuing Studies.

Poetry Writing: Taking the Poetic Leap

From metaphor and music to breaking the poetic line.

Revise and polish your rough draft to achieve potentially publishable work.  Learn how to write a poem with professional guidance. Five units propel you through dynamic exercises, in-depth poem analysis and craft tips you can apply immediately.  At the end of each unit, you’ll hone, polish and submit a one-page poem for professional critique.

Set your own pace.  Write without deadlines.  Get customized feedback, poem by poem.   Make your poetic leaps higher and more ambitious than they’ve ever been before!

Poets of all levels can strengthen their skills.  You’ll discover dozens of techniques.  We’ll cover: 

  • The Power of Sensory Detail
  • The Magic of Metaphor
  • The Meaning of Musical Language
  • The Art of Line Breaks
  • The Nature of Voice

The course includes

  • A writer’s notebook component with more than 30 exercises that help you practice your new skills. 
  • A glossary of terms
  • Useful references and links
  • Interactive quizzes that offer instant feedback on what you’ve learned in each unit.
  • Lists of top ten tips
  • Practical and eloquent quotes help fix key ideas in your mind.

You have a full year to finish the course. Feel free to e-mail your instructor with questions on feedback and unit concepts any time.  Page by page, experience how leaps can be surprising, joyful, challenging—and often downright fun.

Your instructor

Angela RydellAngela Rydell, MFA, has taught creative writing through UW-Madison Continuing Studies since 2006. Programs include Write-by-the-Lake Writer's Workshop & Retreat, School of the Arts at Rhinelander, Writers' Institute, and Weekend with Your Novel. She has also taught at Edgewood College and in the national program "Senior Summer School," been a poet-in-residence in elementary schools, and is the lead judge for the 2010 Wisconsin People & Ideas poetry contest.

She is a recipient of Poets & Writers' Maureen Egen Writers Exchange Award. Her work has appeared in Poets & Writers, The Sun, Alaska Quarterly, Prairie Schooner, Beloit Poetry Journal, Crab Orchard Review, and other journals.

How it works

You can start our workshops anytime, and there are no required hours to log on. It's all done with one-on-one correspondence with the instructor using email. You can read and print course materials in the course Web site, which you can access at your leisure with a password that we will give you. We have writers from around the world participating in our workshops, and we have success stories. A lot of great writing gets accomplished via email. Because of the one-on-one nature of our workshops, you'll find them an excellent "coaching" or mentoring situation that will keep you going. And if you want to just work on your own-hey, that's fine too. Of course you can do the suggested exercises on your own without the feedback if you'd rather do that. We're also here throughout the year if you have questions.
 
Review the current technical requirements for students in Learn@UW online courses.

Costs

Registration is $159. Registration is limited. You will earn 2.0 Continuing Education Units (CEUs) when you complete the course. Register any time.

You offer two poetry courses.  Which should I take first?

Take either course first. The instructor gears each one to your needs. Every poet—from beginner through advanced/already published—can benefit from either course. 

What’s the difference between the two offerings?

“Getting to Good” gives you:

  • Reflection and warm-up exercises
  • In-depth discussion of one-liners from Shakespeare, Dickinson and contemporary poets
  • A look at how theme creates a poem greater than the sum of its parts
  • A foundation in the history of poetry

“Poetic Leap” gives you:

  • Practical tips on drafting and revision
  • In-depth discussion of one or two contemporary poems per unit
  • A look at how line breaks tease meaning or deliver it
  • Bonus exercises for your Writer’s Notebook

How to register

Online: Register now online with our secure server.

Mail: Print and mail our registration form.

Telephone: Call 608-262-2451 or toll-free 800-725-9692 to register. Our phone is answered M-F, 7:00 am-4:30 pm Central Time. At other times please leave a message, and we will return your call.

 

Contact

Your contact for more information about Poetry Writing: Taking the Poetic Leap is Laura Kahl, 608-262-3982, lkahl@dcs.wisc.edu.

For more information about online learning contact Lori O'Neill at 608-263-6322 or toll-free 877-336-7836 or email LSAonline@dcs.wisc.edu.

Also of interest

Explore other online writing classes.

The same writing staff that bring you these great online classes also provide individualized writing critique services. Learn more by visiting our writing critique services web page.

 

Subscribe to the Writing News, our free e-mail newsletter and 3-4 times a year you will receive a detailed e-mail with information about our upcoming writing programs, and news about student achievements or opportunities for writers. To subscribe send a blank join-writing-news@lists.wisc.edu.