March

Poetry brings people together and lets our hearts swell and words flow. From the birth of a child to retirement from a decades- long career to the afternoon light on a river, poems can capture the essence of the moments large and seemingly small that define us. But what makes a poem poetry? How does it speak in ways that are unique to the art form? This two-week forum presented by published poet and Assistant Professor of English, Creative Writing and Communication Studies Margaret LeMay will introduce audiences to the beauty, craft and relatability of poetry. In the first session, we will discuss foundational elements of poetry composed in English, explain how those work in a selection of poems and introduce various poetic forms. We will experience the words of Shakespeare, Elizabeth Bishop, Mary Oliver, Ada Limόn, Jorie Graham and Billy Collins among others, and poetic forms from free verse to sonnets to sestinas. Participants will also have the option to compose a poem of their own. In week two, we will turn to hearing and collectively partaking in poetry. Professor LeMay will read a selection of her work; participants can share their newly composed poems; and Coe student poets will join us for an intergenerational discussion about poetry’s role in our lives. Throughout, the series will illuminate poetry’s power to distill experience and emotion, connect us in our specific and common experiences and elevate the voices of those who came before or follow us.