A Masterclass for Dedicated Poets
The Art & Architecture of Poetry
For a busy poet, the challenge is rarely a lack of vision, but finding the dedicated space to realize it. This three-week asynchronous workshop serves as a catalyst for creative momentum & a deep study of poetic techniques.
Date: Sunday, July 12th - August 1st
Instructor: Jennifer Mills Kerr
Price: $275 until June 26 ~ $325 afterward
Ideal for: Dedicated writers seeking to elevate their craft through the study of poetic structure & expert guidance
Expert Feedback
Each week, you'll receive expert editorial feedback on you poems
Depth of Study
Gain key understanding of the craft of poetry
Convenient & Focused
An asynchronous environment allows you to set your schedule
What You Will Learn
How the structure of a poem mirrors its message
Why "turns" in poetry are crucial to develop surprise & depth
How & where to break a line to control pacing, music, & tension
An understanding not only of what a poem means but how it's built
How to sculpt stanzas to build emotional & structural momentum
An essential framework for you to revise your own poems
Who Should Take This Class
Busy poets who seek expert guidance on their work in an asynchronous format
Committed writers ready to dive deeply into the architecture of poems
Poets who'd like to study poems through an analytical lens
Writers seeking accountability through deadlines
Teachers who want to understand how poetry works so they're classroom-confident
Poets who want a toolkit for effectively revising poems in the future
Inside the Workshop
First, you will master the foundational structural elements of the lyric frame: the line break, the stanza, and the pivotal threshold of the volta.
Inspired by model poems & rigorous prompts, you will write your own poetry, engaging deeply with these architectural techniques & ensuring your study translates into vital new work.
To sustain creative momentum, structured weekly deadlines provide accountability & motivation needed to take your drafts from conception to completion.
You won't be writing in a vacuum. You will receive Jennifer's expert feedback on your work to discover where your lines find strength & how to elevate your craft.
Curriculum
Week 1 ~ THE LINE
Framing the Space
Focus on how the line creates tension and sculpts the physical & emotional structure of the poem.
Week 2 ~ THE STANZA
The Architecture of Rooms
Focusing on how we contain thought, space, and breath within a stanzaic form.
Week 3 ~ THE VOLTA
The Threshold & the Turn
Revealing the emotional and structural pivot point, where the poem shifts its weight and transforms.
What you'll receive
Video Recordings
Slides in PDF Form
Model Poems
Creative Prompts
Personalized Feedback
Mastery with expert guidance
Deepening your mastery of poetic architecture requires more than independent study.
To truly push the knowledge of your craft, you need a discerning eye on your creative work. Dedicated poets want rigorous, insightful feedback. Not generic praise.
As a published poet, I know first-hand the vulnerability, resistance, & breakthroughs within the creative process. While you can expect encouragement, you can also expect an honest & constructive critique.
Our work together focuses on three elements~
An Expert Eye
I read the mechanics of your poem--the line integrity, the tension of the stanza, & the positioning of the volta.
Constructive Feedback
My critiques are designed to honor your unique voice while encouraging you to elevate your work.
New & Revised Poems
You finish the course not just with theory, but with polished work that has been meticulously vetted.
The submission process ~
Each week's study culminates in a targeted creative prompt designed to apply these structural elements to your work.
Inspired by prompt (you're free to ignore the prompts), you submit a poem in Word format via email by Saturday.
The turnaround: I'll give thorough, written feedback via the comment tool by Sunday.
About the instructor
Jennifer Mills Kerr is a published poet and educator with 20+ years experience teaching writers how to refine their craft. With an MFA in creative writing, she blends a sharp, analytical eye with intuitive insight that gives poets a fresh approach to their own material.
Her poetry has been published in the South Florida Poetry Journal, SWWIM, Thimble, & others. Read her published poems here.
From Northern California, Jennifer loves mild winters, anything Jane Austen, & the raucous coast of Sonoma County.
