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Carol Ann Duffy
Writing Poetry
Learn how to write poetry that flows from your own life experience with Carol Ann Duffy, the UK's former Poet Laureate, and T.S. Eliot Prize for Poetry winner. This course is about so much more than just metre and rhyme. You'll learn how to tap into your memories and imagination, finding inspiration from the humblest of subjects and bringing your own unique voice to the page. With the combination of practical exercises, deconstructed examples of her own work, and tips on how to write from your own experiences, you'll finish this course with your eyes and ears open, and your first collection of poems.
25
video lessons
Course notes
The course
Whether you've always been passionate about poetry, or you're looking to flex your writing muscles in a different direction, Carol Ann Duffy's course on Writing Poetry will have you seeing the world through fresh eyes. With simple poetry writing exercises and tips for finding inspiration, Carol Ann demystifies poetry techniques to help you find your own unique voice.
Tell your story in your own words and learn how to write poems for everyday or special occasions that capture a poignant moment in your life or express how deeply you feel about the ones you love. You'll find that even the humblest subject can have depth and meaning, and with Carol Ann's curated reading list and rigorous editing process to guide you, by the end of the course you'll have a collection of poems to start your own anthology.
Your maestro
Ever since publishing her first seismic collection of work “Standing Female Nude” in 1985, the literary world has been paying close attention to Carol Ann Duffy’s captivating lyricism and fresh take on what poetry can be. She has received numerous awards over the course of her career, including the Dylan Thomas Award, the Whitbread Poetry Award, the T.S. Eliot Prize, and the Lannan Literary Award for Poetry and the E. M. Forster Award in America.
She was Poet Laureate of the United Kingdom from 2009-2019, made a Dame in the 2015 New Year Honours list, and is currently Professor and Creative Director of the Manchester Writing School at Manchester Metropolitan University.
Lessons
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3 mins
Carol Ann introduces the magic of poetry, as well as the contents of the course.
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15 mins
Begin to approach the topic of imagination through your memory, starting with places.
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10 mins
Explore the memories you have of the language and mannerisms of people in your life.
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22 mins
Delve into the vocabulary that is already within you.
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12 mins
Learn how to engage with your reading list, making note of what you like to what you don’t.
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8 mins
Carry poems within you and see how they change in meaning with time, and with you.
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12 mins
Visit art galleries or flick through art books and actively let inspiration find you.
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23 mins
Get creative with your favourite stories, real or fictional.
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8 mins
Where to start when writing about what is close to your heart.
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15 mins
Awaken your senses and learn to capture what you see on the page.
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10 mins
Take inspiration from the weather, literally or metaphorically.
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16 mins
Revitalise old clichés with unlikely metaphors, bringing all your senses to the page.
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15 mins
Stay alert and have fun naming the things that fill world around you.
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12 mins
Find the right words to describe cities.
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21 mins
Learn about the different ways and forms poets through time have written and how you can add your own take to it.
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10 mins
Use a specific time in your life to place yourself in a new poem.
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9 mins
Experiment by looking at events through a different angle of time and make new discoveries.
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21 mins
Discover what shape suits the words you write best.
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25 mins
Understand the different elements to consider while redrafting your work.
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8 mins
Handy steps to help you write from the heart.
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11 mins
Find the right entry point for you to write about different topics or commissions.
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13 mins
Have fun selecting a poem from long ago and answering it with your own poem.
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19 mins
Why children’s perspectives are perfect for poetry.
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12 mins
Start with pamphlets and find the right homes for your work.
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16 mins
Find ways to practice the craft of poetry alongside your job.
Get started
Single course
- Learn with Carol Ann Duffy
- Enjoy over 5 hours of video lessons at your own pace
- Watch as many times as you like
- Own course for life
- Download course notes and exercises
$90
one-off payment
Buy Course
Annual subscription
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- Watch as many times as you like
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- Download all course notes and exercises
- Learn with the world’s greatest such as Marco Pierre White, Jed Mercurio, Alan Moore and Julia Donaldson
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$120
for a one year subscription
Subscribe to BBC Maestro
Course notes
88 pages
As well as video lessons, you’ll also enjoy access to a downloadable PDF put together by Carol Ann Duffy, full of tips, techniques, and writing exercises to help you start putting your poems on paper.
Looking to inspire the poet in your life? Help them find the right words.
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