Poetry Courses

Why Learn About Writing Poetry?

Poetry uses the rhythmic quality of language to explore meaning. Throughout the ages, humans have used poetic concepts to explore, describe, and understand concepts that don't have an easy explanation with straightforward language. Many people think of love poems exclusively with poetry, but in reality, the scope of poetic work spans across many subjects. Poets have explored concepts of God, good and evil, the past, and the future. Simple poems about moments in a day stand next to epic poems about the fall of angels. Whatever you have experienced and whatever you feel, poets have explored it.

Poetry Courses And Certifications

edX partners with respected institutions to offer many courses specifically on poetry, as well as classes in which poetry is part of the discussion. You can learn about contemporary poets with Harvard's Poetry in America: Modernism, a study of American poets such as T.S. Eliot, Marianne Moore, Dorothy Parker, and William Carlos Williams. Harvard offers other courses designed to immerse you in the world of poetry at different times in the life of the US. You can study Walt Whitman, understand poets such as Robert Frost or Dylan Thomas, and explore poetry readings from old and new poems. If you want a more expansive take on poetry, you can enroll in Berkeley's AP English Literature and Composition, a comprehensive course on literature with influences from British literature and European literature. Other cultures with a steady history of poetic achievements are also found within the catalog. Poetry from China as part of a cultural study is part of Harvard's History of China: Bronze Age to the Last Dynasties. You can even study one of the most famous poetic works of all time, the Divine Comedy with its roots in Greek and Latin, and Milton's Paradise Lost, a work that explores humanity's biggest questions with roots also in Greek and Latin.

Learn About Human Experience With Poetry

Organizations like the Poetry Foundation believe poetry belongs to the public conscious and can unite us in our shared human experiences. Poet Laureates for generations have sought the same connection, trying to bring together people from all walks of life in shared knowledge and emotion. Poetry is a defense against what divides us. Studying poetry from cultures as varied as French to South African can show you that what you experience is not disconnected from others. It can also bring a sense of empathy and understanding across cultures. Ignite your exploration of what it means to be human with edX.org's catalog of poetry courses and explore some of humanity's biggest questions.