Tom Daley:
Music as Muse: Writing Poems in Response to Music and Musicians An intermediate poetry writing workshop at the Online School of Poetry

In Robert Browning’s poem, “A Toccatta of Galuppi’s,” the speaker rails at the eighteenth century Italian composer, Baldassare Galuppi, for unsettling him out of his contentment:

But when I sit down to reason, think to take my stand nor swerve,
While I triumph o'er a secret wrung from nature's close reserve,
In you come with your cold music till I creep thro' every nerve.

This poem takes its place in a long, rich tradition of poetry written in response to music and the lives of music-makers and composers. In this workshop, you will model your poems on outstanding examples of that tradition from our era and earlier periods in the history of poetry, including poems using meter, rhyme, and “given” forms.

The eight-week workshop will include weekly (and mandatory) assignments in writing a dramatic monologue in the voice of a particular composer or musician, writing a "stream-of-consciousness" response to a piece of music, and writing a poetic account of a musical performance. In addition, you will write one thoroughgoing revision of one of the poems generated by the assignments.

The development of skills in critical thinking and writing is an important component in this workshop. In addition to composing a poem that results from the weekly exercise, each participant must write and post critiques of two poems by other participants every week.

This is an intermediate poetry writing workshop. It has been designed for those who have some workshop experience. Please send three poems in the text of an e-mail to the instructor at tom@onlineschoolofpoetry.org to be considered for the workshop. Please do not send attachments.

Eight week workshop
starting Sunday, July 6 and ending August 31, 2008
Cost $285 (includes ten dollar registration fee)

How This Workshop Works

Testimonial About This Course