Read with Me: Emily Dickinson

Almost completely unknown during her lifetime, and still often misunderstood today, Emily Dickinson’s influence on American poetry is only rivaled by Whitman (who perhaps has more global impact but may be less of a force than Dickinson in the contemporary US).

You could spend decades exploring her work, so rather than try to be comprehensive, in this course we’ll do a deep dive of eight of her most compelling and enigmatic poems. We’ll grapple with with makes them so odd both in her time and today: her musical yet unconventional use of meter, her inconsistent and often unexpected use of rhyme, and of course those curious dashes.

Course includes 8 instructor-led online forum discussions focused on poetic craft (in our private course area, with each lesson’s kickoff post sent to your email), four small-group peer-led Zoom calls, prompts for creating your own imitations / poetic responses, and an ongoing class forum where you can interact with other participants. There will be a lot of material and options provided: how deeply you want to participate will be up to you.

Cost: $50

Instructor: Meg Hartmann

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