POETRY KIT
ONLINE POETRY COURSES

POETRY KIT - POETRY FOUNDATION COURSE - PART 1 POETRY COURSE - PART 2 POETRY COURSE - MENTORING  - WRITERS WORKSHOP -CRITIQUE - POETRY OF BOB DYLAN - FAQ

A Poetry Kit Poetry Course is available wherever you are.  If you are online you can take a course.
You need nothing more than an interest in improving as a poet.

 

  

UPCOMING SHORT COURSES

can be booked by paying the fee using the PayPal link below the required course. 

 

A WIDE RANGE OF SUBJECT SPECIFIC COURSES FOR ALL

MOST COURSES ARE OVER 3 WEEKS AT A COST OF £30

 

Reprise a course for £20

Many of our students want to repeat a course and it seems unfair to ask for a full fee so if you want to repeat a course and submit new poems for the tasks then it will cost only £20 using the payment link. Do remember to write and let us know which course you want.

https://www.paypal.com/cgi-bin/webscr?cmd=_s-xclick&hosted_button_id=K77BNVPJN2LX4

 

SPECIAL OFFER

Book any two of these short courses for £50 using the link below, and then please write to us at info@poetrykit.org to let us know which two courses you would like.

https://www.paypal.com/cgi-bin/webscr?cmd=_s-xclick&hosted_button_id=6ESMVNLE4NG6Q 

 

SHORT COURSES FOR SEPTEMBER AND OCTOBER 2023

 

 

COURSES FOR SEPTEMBER  - 4TH – 24TH SEPTEMBER 2023

 

Puzzles in Poetry (NEW)

This three-week course will look at the different ways that poems can be used to play tricks on the reader. From enigmatic content to puzzles that depend on the layout and form of the poem.  Poetry has a long history of being used in this way and even by code makers.  But here we will be looking at the way that this can add depth and interest to the poem. The course will be conducted online over three weeks, at a cost of £30 - https://www.paypal.com/cgi-bin/webscr?cmd=_s-xclick&hosted_button_id=TUKZRRRJC9VMY

 

Unexpected Poetry

This three week course looks at the way we can use unexpected connections to develop poetry.  We will look at different starting points and where they take us.  Learn to recognise the fundamental sparks that can set us on the road to unexpected poetry.  . The course will be conducted online over three weeks, at a cost of £30  - https://www.paypal.com/cgi-bin/webscr?cmd=_s-xclick&hosted_button_id=2GARS87FM37PN

 

Seasons

Poets have always been inspired by the seasons.  And the subtle changes they bring stand as metaphor and symbols for events in life as well as presenting colour and background.  This course will look at how the poet can use the season to best advantage and deliver poems that engage with the seasons, and how the season can add layers of meaning in a poem.  The course is conducted over 3 weeks at a cost of £30 - https://www.paypal.com/cgi-bin/webscr?cmd=_s-xclick&hosted_button_id=FP3EWJSW7ZUQ8

 

The Right Word

Mark Twain said “To get the right word in the right place is a rare achievement.” And it is true that a well-chosen word can bring a poem to life and a poorly chosen word can stifle it.  In this course we will be looking at how the choice of a single word can set the tone and mood in a poem, and even be used to engage with a subtext that create layers in a poem’s understanding.  The course will be conducted online over three weeks, at a cost of £30 – 

https://www.paypal.com/cgi-bin/webscr?cmd=_s-xclick&hosted_button_id=DBS2BDHTT3W36     

 

Developing the Craft

This three-week course looks at developing a number of craft elements that will help the poet to produce modern freeform poetry.  Understanding how and when to use some poetic devices that will engage with the reader can be the key to writing engaging poetry.  The cost of this course is £30 https://www.paypal.com/cgi-bin/webscr?cmd=_s-xclick&hosted_button_id=WENDB4T6SAGCS

  

Writing Ekphrastic Poetry

The aim of this course is to look at the different approaches that can be taken to bring new insights to poems that engage with a piece of visual art.  During the course poets will be asked to respond to a series of paintings using a variety of techniques. Poems will be workshopped and full feedback given. The cost of this course is £30 https://www.paypal.com/cgi-bin/webscr?cmd=_s-xclick&hosted_button_id=H8J5AMXL8FTFN

 

Writing in traditional forms

This three week course looks at new modern ways to use traditional forms.  These forms can be ways for poets to grow the tools available and to find new ways to say what they want.  These forms can produce memorable and exciting ways to explore modern topics.  This is a challenging course that asks poets to look at some traditional forms in new ways. The course will be conducted online over three weeks, at a cost of £30 –

https://www.paypal.com/cgi-bin/webscr?cmd=_s-xclick&hosted_button_id=GY3FNDXNXT3H6

 

Poetry and the Natural world

This is a short online course for poets who want to look at the ways to engage with  the naural world, and look at the impact of human activities on the world around us.  On this course we will move from the romantic view of nature to the urban landscape and to the impact of human activity. We will be looking at and writing poetry relevant to our changing world.  The course will be conducted online over three weeks, at a cost of £30 –

https://www.paypal.com/cgi-bin/webscr?cmd=_s-xclick&hosted_button_id=2XUS74ASPPDZ6

 

Poetry and Science

This short online course looks at how poetry can interface with different sciences and provide a way to use exciting ideas in poetry, and how poetry can interpret a scientific world view.   Starting with geology, and onto physics and astronomy.  You do not need a scientific background just an interest in finding new ways to develop poetry. The course will be conducted online over three weeks, at a cost of £30 –

https://www.paypal.com/cgi-bin/webscr?cmd=_s-xclick&hosted_button_id=2RJQ37ZF587LW

 

Images, short forms, and haiku

This course looks at the role played by images in poetry.  It considers their use in short forms and how they can be used to develop engaging and memorable poems.  As part of this process, we will be looking at the opportunities and challenges presented by short forms including haiku.  The course will be conducted online over three weeks, at a cost of £30 -

https://www.paypal.com/cgi-bin/webscr?cmd=_s-xclick&hosted_button_id=W48NLELP3TB92

 

Strategies for Writing Poetry

What do you do when you hit a point when the ideas and ability that you rely on for writing poetry dry up.  This happens to most writers from time to time, and on this course, we will look at proven strategies to get past this point.  This is a course suitable for everyone even if you do not have a problem as these are strategies to help approach poetry in new ways.  The course will be conducted online over three weeks, at a cost of £30 –  https://www.paypal.com/cgi-bin/webscr?cmd=_s-xclick&hosted_button_id=YSCXM42LTKWGU

 

Adventures in Poetry

This short course looks at ways to approach poetry and to consider it in a wider context.  We will look at new ways to engage with poetry and the reader.  To present poetry in new ways and to bring a freshness to your writing. The course will be conducted online over three weeks, at a cost of £30 –

https://www.paypal.com/cgi-bin/webscr?cmd=_s-xclick&hosted_button_id=B8CSV48PN25S4

 

The language of shape

Lines and Stanza.  Understanding the way structure influences the way the poem is received.  Different ways to engage with line and shape in poetry.  Using end stopping and enjambment and caesura to add interest and structure in a poem.  Standard and non-standard punctuation in modern poetry.   The course will be conducted online over three weeks, at a cost of £30 –  https://www.paypal.com/cgi-bin/webscr?cmd=_s-xclick&hosted_button_id=YRKQFPDXJT2VY

 

Phycogeography and Place in Poetry

This short course looks at ways in which the poet and the reader are

influenced by place.  How the urban environment can feed into the poetry and becomes an essential setting.  We also look at the way place influences the interpretation of the poem and how to develop a sense of place in poetry.  The cost of the course is £30

https://www.paypal.com/cgi-bin/webscr?cmd=_s-xclick&hosted_button_id=3R9FUX9W5R952

COURSES FOR OCTOBER  - 2nd  – 23rd  OCTTOBER 2023

 

Poetic Devices (NEW)

In this short course we will be looking at a variety of poetic devices that can be used to enhance your poetry and add layers of interest and musicality to it.  Poetic devices when properly used and understood  can help make the poem sound more natural for the voice and more in keeping with  a strong poetic.  The course will be conducted online over three weeks, at a cost of £30 - https://www.paypal.com/cgi-bin/webscr?cmd=_s-xclick&hosted_button_id=D2S89VJS959LU

 

Finding Inspiration

This three week course looks at finding inspiration and ways engage with different subjects.   We will look at ways to prepare and collect thoughts into a start point for a poem and strategies to develop poems from a variety of possibilities. The course will be conducted online over three weeks, at a cost of £30 – https://www.paypal.com/cgi-bin/webscr?cmd=_s-xclick&hosted_button_id=6TGBU5NTZ6ZG2

 

Journeys

This three-week course will be looking at Journeys and how they can inform all aspects of poetry.  From actual journeys to new places, through embodying journey as a metaphor to engaging with the journey through life.  There are many ways to approach this, and we will be looking at many of those and seeing how the ideas can be used in our poems.   The course will be conducted online over three weeks, at a cost of £30 – https://www.paypal.com/cgi-bin/webscr?cmd=_s-xclick&hosted_button_id=B2MNJRGF89RJ8

 

Prose Poetry and Flash Fiction

This short course will explore both Prose Poetry and introduce Flash Fiction.  These two discipline areas have grown in interest over the past years and many magazines publish pieces alongside other styles of poetry creating even more interest in them.  Both are here to stay so this course will provide an introduction to these exciting forms. The course will be conducted over three weeks, at a cost of £30 - https://www.paypal.com/cgi-bin/webscr?cmd=_s-xclick&hosted_button_id=9TF6MUCFPSUWL 

 

A Cabinet of Curiosities – Objects in Poetry 

This course will be focusing on objects and how they can be used in poetry.  We will look at strategies to help the poet to use objects and to look at juxtaposition and metaphor.  The importance of an “object” as a symbol or metaphor and how this can enhance a poem.  The cost of the course is £30 https://www.paypal.com/cgi-bin/webscr?cmd=_s-xclick&hosted_button_id=KX9TAXT6ESVVA

 

Sense and nonsense the poetry of the surreal    

Surreal or nonsense poetry has a strong history in the development of poetry.  Its place today is less sure but this course seeks to introduce poets to the ideas surrealism and how these can benefit a poem.  On this course we will look at the origins of the surreal and how it is still applicable and can produce some spectacular results.  The cost of this course is £30

https://www.paypal.com/cgi-bin/webscr?cmd=_s-xclick&hosted_button_id=74D4NQ8PMBEM8

 

New Poetry Workshop

This three week course looks at new ways to find subjects, write, edit and publish poems.  This is a challenging course that asks poets to look at these issues in a new way. Ideal for those wanting to write more and to have more tools available. The course will be conducted online over three weeks, at a cost of £30 – https://www.paypal.com/cgi-bin/webscr?cmd=_s-xclick&hosted_button_id=92UM85FEPMN9Y

 

Poetry in changing times

This is a short online course for poets who want to look at the way their poetry can stay relevant in changing times.  We will be looking at relevance, authenticity and voice as cornerstones for producing poems that engage with change. We will look at personal, scientific and imagined responses.   The course will be conducted online over three weeks, at a cost of £30 -

https://www.paypal.com/cgi-bin/webscr?cmd=_s-xclick&hosted_button_id=AMXZ6LGUKBKYU

 

Ekphrastic Poetry- Part 2

This is a continuation course from our original Ekphrastic Poetry Course. The aim of this course is to look at the different approaches that can be taken to bring new insights to poems that engage with a broader range of Ekphrastic poetry.  During the course poets will be asked to respond to a series of paintings using a variety of techniques. Poems will be workshopped, and full feedback given. The cost of this course is £30

https://www.paypal.com/cgi-bin/webscr?cmd=_s-xclick&hosted_button_id=8MNJMWTSYSBBW

 

Poetry and Music

This course looks at the interaction between poetry and music, how music can inspire poetry and the use of poetry as lyric.  The musical properties of poetry, rhythm and line choices, and new ways to use sonic devices in poetry.  We will be looking for many opportunities to develop these ideas into poems. Full feedback and help will be given during the course. The course will be conducted online over three weeks, at a cost of £30 – https://www.paypal.com/cgi-bin/webscr?cmd=_s-xclick&hosted_button_id=EFGXHMJ9KG8NY

 

Writing Poetry for Children

This is a short online course for poets who would like to write poetry for children. On this workshop course we will look at what works in poetry for children and what does not.  Language and imagery, metaphor and how children see the world.  Holding a young person’s interest and storytelling through poetry. The course will be conducted online over three weeks, at a cost of £30 – https://www.paypal.com/cgi-bin/webscr?cmd=_s-xclick&hosted_button_id=VS2TUQGPXYQFS

 

Poems in the everyday

The poet interacts with the world in a variety of ways. This short course we will look at how the poet can interact with the world and find poems in everyday events. .We also look at journaling and notebooks.+ The course will be conducted online over three weeks, at a cost of £30 – https://www.paypal.com/cgi-bin/webscr?cmd=_s-xclick&hosted_button_id=YBZH2UU6PN6WG

 

Journals, Diaries and Dreams 

This three-week course looks at notebooks and journals as a key resource for writers and poets. Learn more about how these can be used and how to use them more effectively, recording events and snapshots, scrapbooking and dreams and how to use these in poetry.   The course costs £30 https://www.paypal.com/cgi-bin/webscr?cmd=_s-xclick&hosted_button_id=729CEH4CJ2LG4

 

Sonnet workshop

This short 3 week course looks at the sonnet in its traditional form and how poets are rediscovering it as a vehicle in contemporary poetry. This has alwys been a popular form but in many ways not fully understood.  This course will focus on producing sonnets and discovering possibilities in the form that have  not been considered. The cost of this course costs £30.

https://www.paypal.com/cgi-bin/webscr?cmd=_s-xclick&hosted_button_id=DN8LBA3KTDN62

 

Metaphor and revelation in poetry

This 3 week course looks at the transformative qualities of metaphor in poetry.  The way metaphor can be used in exciting ways to bring new revelation and understanding in a poem.  We will look at metaphor different ways and see how important it is.  The cost of this course costs £30.

https://www.paypal.com/cgi-bin/webscr?cmd=_s-xclick&hosted_button_id=55WBNXUYUL8CJ

 

Exploring symbols and Myth

Poems can use myth and symbols to explore modern themes. Myths and symbols come from our joint experience and can be used to add deeper meaning in a poem.  This three week course will focus on understanding and incorporating these devices in poetry. The cost of this course cost is £30.

https://www.paypal.com/cgi-bin/webscr?cmd=_s-xclick&hosted_button_id=Q9WDCYBE22TR6

 

 

Reprise a course for £20

Many of our students want to repeat a course and it seems unfair to ask for a full fee so if you want to repeat a course and submit new poems for the tasks then it will cost only £20 using the payment link. Do remember to write and let us know which course you want.

https://www.paypal.com/cgi-bin/webscr?cmd=_s-xclick&hosted_button_id=K77BNVPJN2LX4

 

SPECIAL OFFER

Book any two short courses for £50 using the link below, and then please write to us at info@poetrykit.org to let us know which two courses you would like.

https://www.paypal.com/cgi-bin/webscr?cmd=_s-xclick&hosted_button_id=6ESMVNLE4NG6Q

 

 

 

   The Tutor - All courses are presented by Jim Bennett who is a highly experienced poet and lecturer having delivered courses in creative writing for the University of Liverpool, Edge Hill University. He has worked on developing educational and training courses for other universities and institutions. Jim is a full time professional poet who earns his living from writing poetry and lecturing. He has won many awards over a forty year writing career. He is currently the Course Director for The Poetry Kit.  He has written 79 books, including books for children, training manuals and books of poetry.  He has won many awards for his work including the McMillan Prize, and three DADA Fest awards.  Click image on the right to read some of Jim's poetry.

 

 

Voted by Poetry Superhighway readers "Best Online Poetry Resource"

 

"...a full range of interesting and challenging courses." Lit Training

 

From the newsletter of the NZ Poetry Society. -  My Poetry Kit Experience

"Jim Bennett knows his poetry, that is clear. He has a relaxed, easy manner and provides feedback that is productive, encouraging and confidence building.

I thoroughly enjoyed the course, from start to finish, so much so that I have now enrolled in 'Poetry 2'." JS   (Part 1 Course)

 

"I have learned so much from you, I really appreciate everything you have taught me. I feel I've grown so much as a poet." CG (Pt2 Course)

"I have learnt a lot from this course, ... I feel that I am better able to structure my poetry, and give it more focus."  IC (Pt1 Course)

"Thanks so much for the excellent course. It's an amazing value for money and I'd recommend it to anyone unreservedly." LK (Foundation)

"I thought I knew it all, the first thing I learned was that I didn't"  AG (Mentoring)