Should the language used in poetry be different from that used in everyday speech?
Diction, or word choice, is crucial to poetry, where every word matters. In this workshop, we will examine what diction is “appropriate” in a poem and why understanding where certain words come from is essential to using them effectively. We will discuss the relationship between diction and tone, the difference between idiom and cliché, and the role that ambiguity can play. We will also talk about “poetic diction” and how to avoid it.
Live video conference: This workshop will be held via our online video conferencing platform, Zoom. You can view brief tutorials on using the platform here. On the start date or the day before, participants will receive an email with login info (please check your spam if you don’t see it).
In this workshop you’ll learn:
- What “poetic diction” is and how it has changed over the centuries.
- Why knowing a word’s etymology–the study of its origins–is so important.
- How word choice can affect the tone of a poem.
- Whether ambiguity in a poem is a good thing or a bad thing.
- How to expand and improve your diction.
Time requirements
- No time required outside of class.
Materials
- All reading materials will be provided.
Who should take this workshop?
- This workshop is designed for beginners as well as poets who have been writing for many years.
If you need an accommodation for this workshop, please contact us at access@writer.org. We will attempt to fulfill all requests, but advance notice is necessary to arrange for some accessibility services.