Since the medieval bards, storytelling and poetry have been closely linked to the realm of music, and inextricably linked through rhythm, through device, through pattern. To some celebration and some consternation, folk singer Bob Dylan was awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature in 2016 "for having created new poetic expressions within the great American song tradition."

Just what makes a poem musical? How do we best celebrate music in our poetic expression? Through this course, we'll study the works of early bards, as well as Shakespeare and Tagore, Hopkins and Whitman, along with traditional songs that stand the test of time on the printed page. We'll explore plenty of contemporary poets as well: Yusef Komonyakaa, Camille Dungy, Rita Dove, Tyehimba Jess, Martin Espada, and Joy Harjo, among others. 

Four weeks online: Sale! $212.50 (regularly $250)
Teaching artist: Molly Sutton Kiefer

Image: Michael Cheval