U N I V E R S I T Y  O F  P I T T S B U R G H

Volume XI, Number 2

Sharon McDermott, English

Photo by Jason Blair, CIDDE

Learning to write a good poem is an art. As such, there is a craft that can be taught, an array of tools and techniques that can be provided to the student excited by his first forays into self-expression. Along with the mechanics of line and meter, assonance and metaphor, a student needs to become aware of the discipline and work involved in writing and of the optimism of the revision process which proclaims “give enough thought, attention and work to this poem and you have the possibility of producing a gem!”

Introductory students arrive in class excited to be sharing what has been—until then—a more private pursuit. Because this class is open to a wide audience, one of my goals as a teacher is to try to maintain the students’ sense of adventure and enthusiasm about writing poetry while introducing them to the work, craft and necessity of revision involved with creating a polished piece.

This goal is accomplished by a variety of methods. Students bring journals to class each day and often they will be asked to write on a variety of poetry writing prompts to learn new techniques without focusing on “product.” It’s tremendously freeing to be able to write in the privacy of a journal something that isn’t very good or, as yet, fully developed without the fear of being shut down by public scrutiny or critique. Teaching poetry involves providing a space in which students can make mistakes so that they begin to trust the writing process itself. This invites students to continue so that they are there working when the stronger poems begin to emerge.

Students also write a poem a week which is both commented on by me and workshopped by their peers. I write my comments with an eye toward revision, encouraging students to see these poems not as finished pieces but as drafts in a longer process. But I remain aware that writers must ultimately “own” their own writing by claiming a sense of integrity about their work. To this end, I resist the urge to make my comments too directive. It is a fine line to walk—to allow a student a stake in his individual work while constructively trying to suggest changes for its further progress. Thus, I will ask them questions which send them back to re-see their original poems and inspire them to consider a variety of options. Ultimately, all writers must develop the sense of mastery and confidence that allows them to make strong choices about what they create in their lives.

I also believe that reading and being exposed to published work is essential to their learning. Reading introduces fresh approaches to writing a poem—new forms, new subjects and new voices. Students also need to have a forum for discussing how they relate to the text—not in terms of “I liked it”; “I hated it”—but in terms of a deeper critical appreciation for another writer’s project. In-class discussions provide lively debates and a chance for a young writer to begin to create his own sense of what he values in poetry.

Finally, and perhaps most importantly, I try to create an environment in the classroom in which students feel at ease sharing their work and tangling with the difficulties of trying to create something meaningful within the parameters of structure. Humor always helps! While I expect students to take the course and their own work seriously, I do not operate as if these students are all hoping to become the next Walt Whitman. It is enough that they come openly to introduce themselves to this deeper, less flashy art. I remind them that to create something strong, lasting and meaningful in their poems (in their lives!) takes time, persistence, and a willingness to do the work necessary to hone raw inspiration into evocative lyric.

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