Sonnets to Sestinas: Form Poems for This Century
with Ollie Schminkey
July 9, 2025
6 Weeks
Original price was: $445.00.$380.00Current price is: $380.00.
Zoom sessions Thursdays 7PM Eastern
Original price was: $445.00.$380.00Current price is: $380.00.Enroll Now
Sonnets aren’t just for Shakespeare (or high school English classes)! Form poems are still relevant and can be vehicles for meaningful, personal, and engaging subject matter. Having “rules” to follow can help us push our work in new directions, say something old in a new way, and add texture to our manuscripts. (And, of course, have fun!)
This 6-week workshop series will give poets the tools to write the often dreaded (but exciting!) “form poem.” We’ll be looking at only modern examples of these forms (this ain’t your great-great grandma’s poetry workshop), including ode, elegy, sonnet, sestina, erasure, and my personal favorite, the contrapuntal. At the end of the course, you’ll even have the opportunity to invent a new form of your own! We’ll take a peek at modern form poems by poets including Danez Smith, Victoria Chang, Paul Tran, and Shira Erlichman.
Each week, we will meet for an hour and a half over Zoom and cover a new type of form poem (sometimes two). This will often include a short lesson with poem examples, followed by a writing exercise. This workshop will be primarily generative, but it will also include tips and tricks for how to edit different types of form poems. You will receive weekly feedback from me on your poem drafts (this course does not involve a peer-editing component).
Ollie aims for all of their classes to be actively non-competitive, non-judgemental, pro-diversity, anti-racist, pro-LGBTQ, and extremely fun! You can expect a collaborative environment, a flexible approach to poetry, and (hopefully) a good laugh per class.
Who This Course is For
This workshop is perfect for experienced poets looking to expand their writing, as well as adventurous beginners who aren’t afraid of a challenge. Poems in this workshop will cover a wide variety of themes, some of which contain mature content and may be activating for some participants.
Learning and Writing Goals
Learning Goals
- Learn about the contemporary uses of many types of form poems
- Gain comfort with experimenting with form poems
- Explore a flexible and modern approach to form
Writing Goals
- Write first drafts of 7+ types of form poems
- Invent 1 new form of your own, or combine two existing forms
- Receive detailed instructor feedback on each (to be completed outside of the course if desired)
Zoom Schedule
Class will meet on Zoom Thursdays at 7 PM Eastern (please adjust for your local time) from July 10th-August 14th. Classes will include a short lecture (10 minutes), guided writing time, exercises, sharing, and group conversation.
Weekly Syllabus
Note: Each week, you’ll receive detailed instructor feedback on one draft rom that week (either your in-class poem or your bonus poem).
Week One: Oh, to be an Ode
This week, we’ll start off with an introduction to form using the humble ode. No, we will not be talking about any Grecian urns; instead, we’ll be looking at a few contemporary examples from Olivia Gatwood, Hieu Minh Nguyen, and Shira Erlichman.
You’ll try your hand at writing an ode with a tailored prompt, and you’ll be sent home with an optional bonus prompt if you’re excited to try another.
Week Two: Elegy and Erasure
In our second week, we’ll begin the work of loss through both elegy and erasure. We’ll look at poems by Ben Wenzl, E.J. Schoenborn, and Victoria Chang. We’ll write together, and you’ll be provided with another bonus prompt to tinker with outside of class.
Week Three: Not-So-Shakespearean Sonnets
This week, we’ll turn to several varieties of sonnets, including the intimidating (but satisfying) crown of sonnets. We’ll take a look at three very different sonnets by Danez Smith, Sam Sax, and Wang Ping. Of course, we’ll write (you will not be forced to write in meter, although you’re welcome to if that sort of thing excites you), and you’ll get a bonus prompt to continue your journey outside of class.
Week Four: Sestina, with a Bonus Appearance by Pantoum
It’s about time we dove into repetition! It’s about time we dove into repetition! (Get it? Sorry…) Many form poems rely on clear instructions of how and when to repeat words or lines. Our main star today will be sestina, but your bonus prompt will also include an opportunity to explore pantoum. Our featured authors include the likes of Raych Jackson and Lawrence Schimel. As always, we’ll write, and you’ll get your choice of bonus prompt.
Week Five: Contrapuntal
Buckle in, as this week brings us a 3-for-1 in the form of contrapuntal. To guide us through the difficult (but rewarding) process of writing contrapuntal, we’ll study poems by Zach Goldberg and Zoe Berkovitz. You’ll get some extra tips today for how to write (and edit) contrapuntal poems, and your bonus prompt will help you to finish the poem you began in class.
Week Six: Your Turn--Inventing Form
It’s easy to forget that the now-staple forms like sonnets were once just an idea in someone’s head, but there is nothing about form that is set in stone. For our last lesson, we’ll turn to our own selves as combiners and creators of form. We’ll study some excellent examples from poets like Daniel Garcia and Paul Tran, and we’ll begin the process of poetic invention. The bonus prompt will allow you to more firmly establish your new poetic form. This last lesson will also include a list of final resources, editing tips, and a well-deserved round of applause.
Original price was: $445.00.$380.00Current price is: $380.00.Enroll Now
Student Feedback for Ollie Schminkey:
I was pleasantly surprised by how much I gained as a poet. The feedback Ollie gave me alongside my classmates gave me the courage to submit my poems to literary magazines for consideration. Two of the pieces I created in Ollie’s class won contest for publication. Amona White
Ollie was very encouraging and supportive; they not only knew their stuff, but shared feedback in a non-critical manner. This course provided an intimate and challenging opportunity for me to learn about various poetry forms/styles, as well as the experience of writing and sharing unedited, first-draft poems based on prompts provided by the instructor. It forced me to work outside my comfort zone, and that was a benefit in and of itself, outside of the class material. Arnold Doyle
Ollie is an excellent teacher, very lively, encouraging, and gives excellent suggestions and comments. Hongying Liu
One of my favorite courses so far. I love the short assignments daily, the positive feedback from the other participants, and the positive/helpful critique from the instructor. The prompts were always challenging and fun. Nichole Gavel
The content was really well done and thoroughly prepared. I definitely learned a lot and appreciated the teachers feedback. Ollie was great. I would take another course with them and plan to. Sarah Mark
Ollie was a wonderful teacher. I think it was through their feedback that I gained the best understanding of how working in this kind of format can truly revolutionize your writing. Nancy LaChance
“Ollie’s class was like a warm virtual hug every week. They fostered a truly lovely community of poets turned friends, and they were always so kind, present, thoughtful, and fun. I wholeheartedly endorse this class and will sign up for anything Ollie teaches in the future!”
“It is very welcoming and Ollie acts like part of the group, not a top down structure. The prompts are great and not things I would have thought of on my own.”
“This class will be a catalyst for re-visioning and creating poems for a chapbook. Even if you know a lot about poetry, you will learn something new. Ollie was an amazing instructor!”
“It’s an opportunity to congregate with an amazing & very charismatic poet and a group of like-minded people to talk about poetry and learn about other poets, to write a fun weekly prompt, and to learn from and edit the poems of your colleagues. It’s a great time, lots of fun & laughter (some tears!), and it is a tonic to the soul.”
“A fun and effective workshop for writers of any experience.”
July 9, 2025
Length: 6 Weeks
Open to AllText and Live Video
Zoom sessions Thursdays 7PM Eastern
Original price was: $445.00.$380.00Current price is: $380.00.
Original price was: $445.00.$380.00Current price is: $380.00.Enroll Now
