What’s the best way to way to end a poem?
There is no “right” or “wrong” when it comes to deciding how a poem should end. But there are some options that might be more effective than others. This workshop will focus on closure—the strategies that poets have traditionally used to bring their poems to a clear, resonant conclusion. We will also discuss anti-closure—the resistance that so many feel toward poems that “click shut.” By looking at the work of several contemporary poets, we will discuss what worked best for their poems and might help yours.
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:
- Traditional approaches to ending a poem
- Variations on traditional strategies that have worked well for poets
- “Anti-closure” is and why it is so popular
- Specific ending strategies to avoid
Time requirements
- No additional time required outside of class.
Materials
- Handouts will be provided.
Who should take this workshop?
- This workshop is designed to help poets who struggle with knowing how and when to bring a poem to an end.
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.
