Starter Kit
Welcome to the Ah – the Sea Starter Kit! The downloads and links below are intended to introduce you to the kinds of things offered at this website and the particular point of view behind it. This is a work-in-progress and over time, I hope this will become a sort of “Starter Kit” for poetry itself, the Ah – the Sea suggestion for how to begin as a reader and a writer of poetry.
Because this is an ever-evolving collection, that means you should 1) keep an eye out for new content in the future (I’ll announce notable additions via the newsletter in the future); and 2) be aware that anything on this page is subject to disappear as I develop, curate, and refine this list. I encourage you to download what looks interesting now while you’re sure it’s here!
As a teacher, I’m always looking for feedback. If you have questions about the materials below, please don’t hesitate to reach out to me at hello (at) ahthesea.com or by hitting reply to any email newsletter.
-Meg
Downloads
Two short excerpts on how to read poetry. Mainly geared towards beginners, though anyone who sometimes struggles with reading poetry will find this useful.
Sample lessons from How to Write a Poem Every Day (see course page)
Pre-course exercises from Read with Me: The Art of the Poetic Line (see course page). The course was a six-week group discussion/exploration of a book by poet and critic James Longenbach. The handout covers familiarizing oneself with traditional meter in English and American poetry. Includes a small selection of 21st century American poets writing more formal or “regular” poetry.
24 Simple Revision Tips and Exercises
Best of the Blog
On the “Career Paths” of Poets
Creativity Is Not a Limited Resource: An Interview with Ana Reisens
Three Fun and Easy Poetry Exercises
Files last updated August 19, 2024.