Whatever else it maybe, a poem is a verbal artefact which must be as skilfully and solidly constructed as a table or a motorcycle
– WH Auden

Formal constraints can enable and enhance your creative impulses, driving your poetry into exciting and unfamiliar territories. In this three-term course which includes both writing exercises and feedback, you’ll work with a supportive peer group to experiment with different poetic modes and learn to develop your writing through experimentation and close reading.

Each week, you’ll read inspiring poems as jumping off points to explore both received and open forms and be encouraged to take risks, extending your poetic range through guided writing exercises, generating new poems, and honing your poetic skills.

Over each term we’ll explore how craft, technique and constraint can help you expand your poetic toolkit so you can find fresh energy, build confidence and even surprise yourself.

Jacqueline Saphra is a poet, playwright, teacher, and activist. She is the author of nine plays, four chapbooks, and five poetry collections. 

Dates: Mondays, 6.45–8.45pm (BST), 6 October - 15 December 2025
Location: Online
Cost: £240

Book your place here