7 Best Online Poetry Classes & Writing Courses [Updated March 2023]

Did you know that the art of poetry dates back to almost 4000 years? As far back as human civilization goes, writing poems has been an integral art form for sharing thoughts, ideas, history and culture. Some of the greatest poets of the world like William Shakespeare, Robert Frost, Oscar Wild, Mark Twain, etc., have left behind a remarkable legacy of words that invoke beautiful emotions.

Even today, as we have transitioned into a highly digital lifestyle, the power of words does not fail to bring a change.

Whether you are aspiring to write poetry or are a seasoned poet, there is always room for improvement. While the general notion may be that poetry is something that comes naturally, on the contrary, it is a skill that can be acquired with some guidance and practice.

If you have been giving a thought to donning a poetic hat, well you can get a head start with some informative online poetry classes. Since everyone today owns a cellphone or a computer, online poetry writing courses give you the flexibility and ease of learning at your convenience.

We, at Trump Learning, along with 15 poetry experts have curated for you a list of 7 best online poetry classes that you can enroll yourself in and learn your way with the words. Read on to know more details about the best online poetry writing courses.

7 Best Online Poetry Classes & Writing Courses:

1. Sharpened Visions: A Poetry Workshop By California Institute of Arts [Coursera]
2. Modern & Contemporary American Poetry (“ModPo”) By University of Pennsylvania [Coursera]
3. Writing for Expression: How to Make Your Words More Artful & Lyrical [Skill Share]
4. Poetry I: Introduction to Making Poems [SkillShare]
5. The Essential Poet’s Toolbox for Readers and Writers [Udemy]
6. Now is the time to write the best poetry you can [Udemy]
7. Modern American Poetry By University of Illinois [Coursera]

1. Sharpened Visions: A Poetry Workshop By California Institute of Arts [Coursera]

 

If you are interested in poetry and don’t know where to start, this is one of the best online poetry writing courses to begin with. These 12 hour-long beginner’s online poetry classes offered by the California Institute of the Arts have been divided into different modules spread over 6 weeks. It explains some of the basic concepts and tools for writing poetry by studying the famous writings of modern and contemporary poets. These online poetry writing classes contain videos, readings, and quizzes to understand, practice and polish your skills.

 

The key concepts covered in these online poetry writing classes are:

• The importance of poetic lines
• Abstraction and image
• Metaphor and Other Formulas of Difference
• Rhyme
• Rhythm
• Sharpened Poetry: Revision Strategies

 

The course is mentored by Douglas Kearney, who is an Assistant Professor at the College of Liberal Arts at the University of Minnesota. With a rating of 4.7, this online poetry writing course has already enrolled 62,704 students. This course also has an option of Financial Aid for payment for which the applications take around 15 days to get approved. The online poetry writing classes offer flexible deadlines and provide a certificate upon completion.

 

Review by Ananya:

“

This course provides brilliant explanations delivered in an extremely entertaining manner and incredible prompts that make the process of writing poetry extremely amusing. I recommend it 100%.

 

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2. Modern & Contemporary American Poetry (“ModPo”) By University of Pennsylvania [Coursera]

 

If you wish to undertake more interactive and in-depth online poetry writing courses then this is the course for you. This 10 week-long online poetry writing classes will take around 66 hours for completion and comprise of video discussions, quizzes, community discussions, interactive live webcasts, meetups, and in-site study groups.

 

Suitable for beginners as well, it teaches the students how to read and understand difficult poems. This online poetry course gives an introduction to modern and contemporary U.S. poetry and discusses in-depth experimental poetry or poetic radicalism. As you advance further in the course, you will learn about the rise of poetic modernism and the concept of imagism. This online poetry course also covers the communist poets of the 1930s and the Harlem Renaissance that immerged during the time of the Great Depression.

 

Some of the other concepts covered further in these online poetry classes are:

• Formalism of the 1950s
• The “Beat” poets
• The New York School of Poets
• Trends in Recent Poetry

 

These online poetry classes offered by the University of Pennsylvania have been given a rating of 4.9 and have 45,669 learners.

 

Review by Chloe:

“

Wonderful course and community! The openness and variety of perspectives and discussions contributes to the richness of each poem and all the possible ways to read poetry.

 

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3. Writing for Expression: How to Make Your Words More Artful & Lyrical [Skill Share]

 

Once your basics of poetry writing are in place, you can take it further and hone your skills with this intermediate online poetry writing course. This 1 hour-long online poetry course divided into 8 video discussions helps you dig deeper into different styles or kinds of poetry that you can incorporate in your writing. Irrespective of the genre that you are interested in, these online poetry classes help you understand the narrative tricks that can give a more defined structure to your work and connect with the readers. Not just poets, even fiction or essay writers too can take up this online poetry course to sharpen their writing skills.

 

This poetry writing course is mentored by Hanif Abdurraqib, a poet and writer himself, and has 5658 students enrolled. However, this course does not offer a certificate on completion. This online poetry writing course also has a downloadable PDF writing worksheet with exercises that you can save and work on. The students can share their work in the project section and learn from each other as well.

 

Review by Luke Hill:

“

This course was great. I have completed many Poetry courses on Skill Share and Hanif's Poetry course inspired me as a beginner to start writing.

 

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4. Poetry I: Introduction to Making Poems [SkillShare]

 

Another excellent beginner’s level online poetry course that can help you learn the trade in the shortest period. Divided into 10 online poetry classes, this course just takes 30 minutes of your time to get you started with writing poems. These online poetry classes cover topics such as understanding the basics of poetry, deciding your theme, including small noticings, and the ways to begin your poem.

 

This online poetry writing course also teaches a unique method of writing poetry called the “Butterfly Method” devised by Cameron Conaway, an award-winning journalist and the mentor of this course.

 

The course contains a writing project that will help you write your first 5 poems, all different but tied together with a single theme. The students can also post their questions in the discussion section and get their queries answered by the teacher as well as fellow students taking such online poetry writing courses.

 

The course has 4591 students and counting, but does not provide a certification on completion.

 

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5. The Essential Poet’s Toolbox for Readers and Writers [Udemy]

 

One of the best non-technical online poetry writing courses offered by Udemy, this online poetry course helps you understand modern English Poetry. Being a beginner’s course, it not only helps you develop your skills but also helps you understand other’s poetry that may be of a different genre than what you may prefer writing for.

 

The online poetry classes comprise of 20 lectures spread over 2 hours. These online poetry writing classes help you differentiate between poetry and prose, sonnets, and haiku. You learn about the use of different rhymes and rhythms, the concept of line breaks, and the effect of metre in poetry.

 

With a rating of 4.5, this course has 700 students enrolled already. This online poetry course is created by Gwyneth Box, a poet and lifestyle journalist. You get a lifetime access to the online poetry classes and are provided with a certificate of completion.

 

Review by Maureen Tupaea:

“

An excellent course for readers of poetry, thank you. Some great lessons for writers of poetry also.

 

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6. Now is the time to write the best poetry you can [Udemy]

 

Focusing more on the techniques of writing poetry, this online poetry course helps you improve your writing by using various techniques of poetry. The course teaches in detail the concept of narrative and lyrical poetry, the use of blank verse, rhyme and metre, writing sonnets, etc.

 

The duration of the course is approx. 1.5 hours and is divided into 21 online poetry classes. The course also offers downloadable projects for you to practice. It also has a dedicated on-request Facebook page that the students can join. You can share your work here and gain constructive feedback from others enrolled in online poetry learning courses.

 

This paid online poetry course has a rating of 4.6 and has been created by Serena Greenslade, who has been a Voice Confidence Coach for over 25 years. This course too offers a Certificate on completing all the online poetry writing classes.

 

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7. Modern American Poetry By University of Illinois [Coursera]

 

If you wish to dwell deeper and understand modern American Poetry then this is the course to enrol in. The online poetry classes under this poetry writing course bring together in one place the perspective of 12 experienced faculties on modern American poetry.  While discussing some of the greatest poets and their works, the video classes also cover the historical events and how they influenced the course of US poetry.

 

This again is a beginner’s online poetry course and will take around 28 hours to complete. The classes are divided into 4 modules spread over 4 weeks. The course is offered by the University of Illinois and has been curated by Cary Nelson, Jubilee Professor of Liberal Arts and Science. It has a rating of 4.5 on Coursera and 12,409 students enrolled. This online poetry writing course also provides financial aid and offers a certificate upon completion.

 

Review by Diana K:

“

I am really grateful for being a part of this course. It was a wonderful experience! All professors are unique and all the lectures are thought-provoking and creative.

 

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Conclusion

Best Online Poetry Writing Classes Reviewed by 15 Poetry Experts 4.6