About Ah – the Sea Classes

All classes take place online and “meetings” mainly happen on discussion boards, so for the most part there’s no need to participate at any specific time. Some classes do have supplemental small-group video meetings, but an effort will be made to identify a time that works for everyone in the group.

The reading-focused (as opposed to writing-focused) classes are mainly concerned with poetic craft, or how the poems “work,” and less so on a poem’s meaning or its relationship to its political and cultural context (to the extent such concerns can be put aside). You may find that you understand poetry better after taking a course (either through developing your sense of context or simply through practice reading and exposure to more experienced readers), but if you’re hoping for clarity as to what a poet is saying, you’ll likely be disappointed.

The classes on the “possible future classes” page are not open for registration, though you can sign up for email updates on a particular class using the form on each class page. Which classes open in the future will depend on which classes get the most interest – so please do sign up for updates if you want to see a class happen! Entering your email for more than one class is encouraged. Signing up for updates does not commit you to taking the class. Also note that in the future, classes may not be offered at the prices currently listed. If a low price is important to you, it’s better to take a class as soon as you can rather than put it off.