Online Poetry Writing Courses
Explore and grow as a poetry writer in our online poetry courses. Collaborate with other serious poets, and enjoy direct interaction with and feedback from our award-winning instructors.
We’re here to support you through all stages of your poetry writing journey, from deepening in craft elements to exploring genre and form to developing and honing your collection.
Our instructors are both published poets and experienced educators, and they're dedicated to supporting you—whatever your personal goals, level of experience, or approach to poetry.
Our online poetry classes are filling fast, so reserve your spot today.
Upcoming Online Poetry Writing Courses
October Courses
Even Smaller: Adventures in Short-form Writing
with Tina Barry
Course full. Contact us to join waitlist.
Less is more in this bite-sized writing class, where you'll learn how to tell complete stories under the tightest word counts.
A Crazy Little Thing Called Love: Writing Original Love Poems
with Lisa C. Taylor
How do poets write about love in fresh, surprising, original ways? Tackle the art of love poetry and write about all kinds of love in this generative workshop.
Deep Waters: The Prose Poem Advanced Workshop
with Anna Scotti
Take the plunge in this advanced prose poetry course, where you'll write and revise short, powerful works of prose that hit like poetry.
Finding Inspiration in Dreams
with Amy Bonnaffons
Our dreams are fertile fields of inspiration, meaning, and creativity. Learn how to use your dreams as doorways to future writing.
Creative Nonfiction, Fiction, Lifestyle and Wellness, Memoir, Novel, Personal Essay, Poetry, Short Story
Writing Circle Workshop: A Focus on Six Contemporary Poets –Mon./Fri.
with Susan Vespoli
Course full. Contact us to join waitlist.
By studying the poems of Maya Stein, Marie Howe, Alberto Rios, and more, write stunning poetry in this generative writing circle workshop.
Writing Circle Workshop: A Focus on Six Contemporary Poets –Tues./Sat.
with Susan Vespoli
Only 3 seats left!
By studying the poems of Maya Stein, Marie Howe, Alberto Rios, and more, write stunning poetry in this generative writing circle workshop.
Opening the Door to Poetry
with Jude Nutter
How do we use poetry to express life's marvelous complexity? Learn how to control language beyond the "ordinary" and discover the many possibilities of poetry.
Writing Mindfulness: Sensual World/Poetry Mind
with Marc Olmsted
A four-week class, melding the language mind with the sensual: How to turn detailed observation into a poem. With Marc Olmsted.
(Live Workshop) Drawing Poems: the Art of Visual Poetry
with Zining Mok
By melding poetry with design, visual poets can create multidimensional works of art and literature. Explore the craft in this visual poetry workshop.
November Courses
The Only Submission Workshop You Will Ever Need
with Meghan Sterling
How do you get your poems in literary journals? This two part webinar shows you the ropes for getting your work published, read, and celebrated.
What’s So Funny? Writing Poetic Humor
with Ollie Schminkey
Can a poem make the audience laugh out loud? Learn how to harness poetic humor in this class about knocking the reader's socks off.
Poetic Prose: The Prose Poem
with Barbara Henning
Explore the border between prose poetry and flash fiction. For writers of fiction, poetry, essay and memoir.
The Joy of Poetry: A Beginner-Friendly Workshop
with Joy Roulier Sawyer
Have you wanted to get into poetry, but don't know where to start? Learn the craft from the Joy of poetry herself in this welcoming workshop.
The Surprising Sentence: Honing Your Prose Style
with Jessie Roy
Great sentences stack up into great stories. Learn how to hone your style and voice at the most basic unit of writing, the sentence, in this workshop.
Creative Nonfiction, Fiction, Live Workshop, Memoir, Novel, Personal Essay, Poetry, Short Story
Poems of All Sizes: Haiku, Tanka, and Japanese Poetic Forms
with Miho Kinnas
Explore the history and poetics of Japanese poetry forms, and write haiku, tanka, renga, haiga, and linked verse poetry.
December Courses
Call of the Weird: Poetry and Nature
with Caitlin Scarano
Turn your poetic lens towards the outdoors in this six week workshop, where we'll put to verse everything strange and wonderful about the natural world.
Simple Winter Sanity-Saving Writing Circles
with Susan Vespoli
Write your way to the finish line of 2023: let go of and say goodbye to a momentous year, honor the changes in yourself and the world, and set your intentions for a new chapter.
January Courses
A Writerly Life: Develop a Writing Routine that Works for You
with Shelby Hinte
What does a writer's life look like? Build a productive writing habit in this course for writers of all backgrounds.
Creative Nonfiction, Fiction, Lifestyle and Wellness, Memoir, Novel, Personal Essay, Poetry, Short Story
Mastering the Manuscript: Completing a Full-Length Poetry Manuscript (from Start to Finish)
with Ollie Schminkey
In this generative course, you'll write the bulk of the poems you'll use in your full-length manuscript, and learn how to structure them into a collection.
Unscheduled Courses
(Live Workshop) Get Clear on Your Story and Voice
with Nadia Colburn
What is your story about? What is your voice? Whether you write poetry, fiction, or nonfiction, hone your writing in this 3 hour workshop.
Creative Nonfiction, Fiction, Lifestyle and Wellness, Live Workshop, Memoir, Novel, Personal Essay, Poetry, Short Story
(Live Workshop) Haiku & Senryu: Rekindling A Sense of Wonder
with Marc Olmsted
Haiku, Senryu, and other Japanese poetry forms encourage us to slow down and write mindfully. Learn how to write these forms in this meditative writing workshop.
(Live Workshop) Poetry as Sacred Attention
with Nadia Colburn
Poetry asks us to slow down, listen, and pay attention. In this meditative workshop, we'll open ourselves to the beauty and mystery of poetry.
*Private Class | Poetry Workshop: Bring Your Poems to Life
with Rosemary Tantra Bensko
Join us for this workshop on creating powerful poems—poems that are clear and organized, fresh and moving, full of life.
*Private Class | The Craft of Poetry
with Jonathan J.G. McClure
Poetry is alive and well. Contemporary poets can be touching, terrifying, and laugh-out-loud funny. Join us for an exploration of writing and reading poems.
*Private Class | Using Bullet Journaling to Achieve Writing Goals
with Rudri Patel
Looking to keep your writing goals organized? Make it happen in our bullet journaling course. Learn the art of the BuJo with Rudri Patel!
Creative Nonfiction, Fiction, Lifestyle and Wellness, Memoir, Novel, Personal Essay, Poetry, Short Story, Stage and Broadcast
30 Poems in 30 Days
with Ollie Schminkey
This National Poetry Writing Month (NaPoWriMo), build community and get feedback on your work while writing a poem every day.
A Poet’s Calling Card: Writing and Composing a Chapbook
with Caitlin Scarano
The poetry chapbook gives poets the chance to make a small, artful collection around a poetic obsession. Learn how to craft yours in this 8 week chapbook intensive.
Architecture of the Creative Heart: Writing Formal Poetry
with David Mills
Course full. Contact us to join waitlist.
Learn how diving into form—the coherent relationship of all of a poem’s parts—can enhance your creativity and freedom as a poet.
Both Fish and Fowl: The Prose Poem
with Anna Scotti
A successful prose poem reads like a magic trick. Learn how to wield the powers of poetry in the context of prose in this comprehensive prose poetry course.
Crafting the Poetry Novel for Young Adults
with Kelly Bingham
Even if you’ve never written poetry before, you can begin the rewarding process of crafting a poetry novel for Young Adults. Is there a market for novels written in verse? Are they well received? Yes, there is, and yes, they are!
Crafting the Poetry Novel: Advanced Workshop
with Kelly Bingham
Want to make headway on your poetry novel? This workshop offers the structure and resources to get it done, with instructor Kelly Bingham.
Death Riding Shotgun: How Awareness of Our Mortality Impacts Poetry
with Lisa C. Taylor
Only 3 seats left!
How can your own mortality inform your work? In this 6-week course, you'll use death to inspire and motivate your poetry writing.
Embodied Writing: Improve Your Writing with Full-Body Creativity
with Rosemary Tantra Bensko
Have a grand time with specific physical exercises that honor your health, generate imaginative ideas, explore deeply and make your creative writing entertaining.
Creative Nonfiction, Fiction, Lifestyle and Wellness, Memoir, Novel, Personal Essay, Poetry, Short Story, Stage and Broadcast
Embodied Writing: Somatic Practices to Improve Your Work
with Rosemary Tantra Bensko
Have a grand time with specific physical exercises that honor your health, generate imaginative ideas, explore deeply and make your creative writing entertaining.
Creative Nonfiction, Fiction, Lifestyle and Wellness, Memoir, Novel, Personal Essay, Poetry, Short Story, Stage and Broadcast
Fall (Back) In Love with Poetry
with Moriel Rothman-Zecher
Whether you're new to poetry or returning after a hiatus, rekindle the spark that puts verse to page in this exploratory poetry class.
Finding Wildness and Freedom in Poetry
with Moriel Rothman-Zecher
Find a greater sense of comfort, ease, lightheartedness, and freedom in reading and writing poetry.
Finding Your Poetic Lineage
with Derek JG Williams
The history of poetry includes countless poets in conversation with each other's style, subject matter, and form. Join the conversation in this six-week class.
From Writing Circle to Finished Poem: Turn Raw Writing into Poetry
with Susan Vespoli
Course full. Contact us to join waitlist.
Gather together in a virtual writing circle, hit the mute button on your internal editor, and uncover inspiration to shape into poetry.
From Writing Circle to Poems in 8 Contemporary Forms (Mondays and Fridays)
with Susan Vespoli
Course full. Contact us to join waitlist.
From the sonnet to the villanelle, turn your journal entries into formal poetry in this 8 week writing circle workshop.
From Writing Circle to Poems in 8 Contemporary Forms (Tuesdays and Saturdays)
with Susan Vespoli
From the sonnet to the villanelle, turn your journal entries into formal poetry in this 8 week writing circle workshop.
From Writing Circle to Poems of Kindness, Wonder, Connection & Joy (Mondays and Fridays)
with Susan Vespoli
Only 2 seats left!
Explore the power of joy, kindness, and community in this four week poetry workshop.
From Writing Circle to Poems of Kindness, Wonder, Connection & Joy (Tuesdays and Saturdays)
with Susan Vespoli
Explore the power of joy, kindness, and community in this four week poetry workshop.
From Writing Circles to Poems of Gratitude & Hope for the New Year
with Susan Vespoli
Want to move forward into the new year with gratefulness and clarity for 2022? Join us for 4 weeks of writing about gratitude and hope.
From Writing Circles to Poems of Gratitude and Hope
with Susan Vespoli
Poetry is a powerful method for healing and happiness. Write poems about gratitude and hope in our intimate, live-video writing circles, with instructor Susan Vespoli.
Get It Done: Create the Scaffolding to Start (and Finish) a Writing Project
with Eman Quotah
Get your butt in the chair, your mind roaming freely, and your creative juices flowing in this motivational, all-genres writing class.
Creative Nonfiction, Fiction, Lifestyle and Wellness, Live Workshop, Memoir, Novel, Personal Essay, Poetry, Short Story, Stage and Broadcast
How to Craft a Poem
with Zining Mok
A poem can tell a story, communicate our innermost thoughts, and reveal what moves us most deeply. Craft poems that do all of this and more in this guided poetry workshop.
I’ve Drunk Your Poisoned Nectar: Writing with the Goddess
with Shankar Narayan
Dig deep into the rich mythology of South Asian goddesses to find new inspiration for your work in this generative, open-genre writing class.
Creative Nonfiction, Fiction, Lifestyle and Wellness, Memoir, Novel, Personal Essay, Poetry, Short Story
Iconoclast: Reimagining the Line Break
with Shankar Narayan
Poets can express so much in just a line break. Hone this tool of the poetic craft in this two part Zoom workshop.
In Bloom: Nature Writing Workshop
with Dana De Greff
Only 3 seats left!
Want to write about nature like Robert Frost, Henry David Thoreau, or Annie Dillard? Join us for this six-week nature writing course.
Creative Nonfiction, Fiction, Lifestyle and Wellness, Personal Essay, Poetry, Short Story
Observing What’s Vivid in Prose and Poetry
with Marc Olmsted
Learn how to spotlight beauty through fresh, vivid, and surprising language, in this four week mindfulness writing course.
Creative Nonfiction, Fiction, Memoir, Novel, Personal Essay, Poetry, Short Story, Stage and Broadcast
Ordinary to Extraordinary: Turning Everyday Experiences into Poetry
with Tina Barry
Course full. Contact us to join waitlist.
No experience is too small or mundane to serve as a foundation for extraordinary poetry and short fiction.
Plumbing the Past: Turning Life Experience into Poetry, Flash and Creative Non-Fiction
with Tina Barry
Dig deep into personal ritual while studying narrative poets, short fiction and non-fiction authors, and food writers.
Poetry and Performance: Slam Poetry 101
with Ollie Schminkey
In these workshops, master the elements of poetry and performance, and learn to take your poems from the page to the stage.
Poetry Workshop: Bring Your Poems to Life
with Rosemary Tantra Bensko
Join us for this workshop on creating powerful poems—poems that are clear and organized, fresh and moving, full of life.
Putting It All Together: Completing Your First Poetry Manuscript
with Caitlin Scarano
How do you put together a poetry book? From choosing a theme to ordering your poems, you'll end this course with a ready-to-publish manuscript.
Simple Summer Writing Circles and Poems
with Susan Vespoli
Course full. Contact us to join waitlist.
Sail through the summer and survive the heat with these chill writing circles, where you'll laugh, vent, and honor the season in poetry.
Sing the Body Electric: Poetry of the Body
with Andrea Jurjević
The human body is a continuous source of inspiration for poetry. Embody the poetic in this electric 8 week workshop.
Syllables to Stanzas: Crafting Your Poetry Portfolio
with Derek JG Williams
Discover the elements of poetic mastery: structure and form, sound and tone, image and metaphor, character and voice, and much more.
Techwashed!: Writing with AI, Data, and Surveillance
with Shankar Narayan
Raise a mirror against society's relationship to technology in this two part workshop series where we will learn how to write about tech.
Creative Nonfiction, Fiction, Live Workshop, Memoir, Novel, Personal Essay, Poetry, Short Story
Telling Truth: A Poetry Workshop
with Ollie Schminkey
Learn how to tell your story and write a mini chapbook of poems in this truth-driven poetry workshop.
The Chronology of Mind: From Journal to Poem or Prose
with Barbara Henning
Gather material through writing and experimenting with journaling, researching and taking notes to develop into poems or prose works.
Creative Nonfiction, Fiction, Memoir, Personal Essay, Poetry, Short Story
The Craft of Poetry
with Jonathan J.G. McClure
Poetry is alive and well. Contemporary poets can be touching, terrifying, and laugh-out-loud funny. Join us for an exploration of writing and reading poems.
The Deep Dive: Poem As Self-Discovery
with Meghan Sterling
Through poetry, we can access our deepest truths. Use the poem as a roadmap to self-discovery in this 6-week poetic deep-dive.
The Healing Power of Poetry
with Joy Roulier Sawyer
Poetry heals. Journey alongside several poets whose works resonate with a variety of healing themes, and learn how to use craft elements as healing tools.
The Spirituality of Poetry
with Joy Roulier Sawyer
Let the spirit of language move through you. In this 6 week course, we will study, write, and share poetry about the sacredness of human experience.
Twoness Poems
with E. Ethelbert Miller, Miho Kinnas
Twoness poems are poems written collaboratively with another poet. Learn something new about yourself, your writing partner, and poetry in this collaborative Valentine's Day workshop.
Using Bullet Journaling to Achieve Writing Goals
with Rudri Patel
Looking to keep your writing goals organized? Make it happen in our bullet journaling course. Learn the art of the BuJo with Rudri Patel!
Creative Nonfiction, Fiction, Lifestyle and Wellness, Poetry
Using Your Poetry Skills to Write Memoir
with Freesia McKee
How do poets tell their stories in prose? Take the leap from poetry to memoir in this hybrid writing workshop.
Word Flashes & Eye Snapshots: Sketching Your Life Awake
with Marc Olmsted
For any writer wanting to root writing in vision and vision in the body: for poetry, fiction, essay, memoir & pleasure.
Creative Nonfiction, Fiction, Memoir, Personal Essay, Poetry, Short Story
Write from the Untamed Mind: Find Your Voice
with Susan Vespoli
Join Susan in two writing circles each week: intimate spaces for writers to free-write together, saying yes to whatever shows up, followed by group read-arounds. These writing sessions are spontaneous, intimate, freeing, and transformative.
Creative Nonfiction, Fiction, Lifestyle and Wellness, Personal Essay, Poetry, Short Story
Writing Circle Workshop: A Focus on Eight Contemporary Poets (Section 2)
with Susan Vespoli
By studying the poems of Billy Collins, Ellen Bass, Natalie Diaz, and more, write stunning poetry in this generative writing circle workshop.
Writing Circle Workshop: A Focus on Nine Contemporary Poets
with Susan Vespoli
Write freely and expressively in this 8-week poetry workshop. Along the way, we'll explore the transformative work of 9 contemporary poets.
Writing Circle Workshop: Finding Community and Creativity in a Challenging Time
with Susan Vespoli
Write out the storm: Join supportive, friendly faces in twice-weekly virtual community writing circles.
Writing Circle Workshop: Writing for Happiness, Healing, and Health (Monday/Friday)
with Susan Vespoli
Course full. Contact us to join waitlist.
Expressive writing can be a powerful elixir for what ails you. Learn and practice tools for writing expressively, including two virtual writing circles each week, turn raw writing into poetry or prose, and come away with a better understanding of how writing can lead toward wellness.
Creative Nonfiction, Fiction, Lifestyle and Wellness, Memoir, Personal Essay, Poetry, Short Story
Writing Circle Workshop: Writing for Happiness, Healing, and Health (Tuesday/Saturday)
with Susan Vespoli
Course full. Contact us to join waitlist.
Expressive writing can be a powerful elixir for what ails you. Learn and practice tools for writing expressively, including two virtual writing circles each week, turn raw writing into poetry or prose, and come away with a better understanding of how writing can lead toward wellness.
Creative Nonfiction, Fiction, Lifestyle and Wellness, Memoir, Personal Essay, Poetry, Short Story
Writing Circles & Exercises to Spark New Poems (Mondays and Fridays)
with Susan Vespoli
Looking for inspiration? Write, vent, laugh, and honor your writing practice in these generative writing circle workshops.
Writing Circles & Exercises to Spark New Poems (Tuesdays and Saturdays)
with Susan Vespoli
Looking for inspiration? Write, vent, laugh, and honor your writing practice in these generative writing circle workshops.
Writing Circles: Finding Community, Clarity, Poetry, and Prose
with Susan Vespoli
Join our writing circle to form a writing community, find clarity in your words, and turn your untamed free-writes into poetry and/or prose.
Writing Poetry About Family Histories
with Freesia McKee
To write about our families means reconciling past and present, our origins and our futures. Put these contradictions to verse in this two part webinar.
Writing with Consistency and Courage
with Tamara Dean
What makes a successful writer? It's not talent, craft, or even the right connections—it's consistency and courage.
Creative Nonfiction, Fiction, Lifestyle and Wellness, Live Workshop, Memoir, Novel, Personal Essay, Poetry, Short Story
You Are Drinker and You Are Wine: Writing with the South Asian Sufis
with Shankar Narayan
Through the traditions of Sufi poetry, learn how to write poems that access the divine and stand the test of time.
You Yourself Are the Beloved: Writing with South Asian Ghazals
with Shankar Narayan
The ghazal poem has a rich history with a tricky form to master. Learn the ropes in this inspiring and electrifying workshop.
Unscheduled Online Poetry Writing Classes
Browse our full poetry offerings below. Let us know which poetry writing courses you're interested in, and we'll contact you with dates when we're ready to put them on our calendar.
Articles on Poetry Writing
Why Take an Online Poetry Writing Course with Writers.com?
- We welcome writers of all backgrounds and experience levels, and we are here for one reason: to support you on your writing journey.
- Small groups keep our online poetry writing classes lively and intimate.
- Work through your weekly written lectures, course materials, and writing assignments at your own pace.
- Share and discuss your work with classmates in a supportive class environment.
- Your course instructor will offer you direct, personal feedback and suggestions on every assignment you submit.