The Five S’s: An Intro to Writing Poetry

Poetry is language at its most distilled and most powerful.

- Rita Dove

“What makes a poem powerful? What makes a poem effective?” asks instructor Thea Matthews. “In this introductory course we will focus on Five S’s to enhance our approach to writing poetry: Speaker, Setting, Syntax, Senses, and Structure.”

Over the course of five weeks, you will have the opportunity to write new poems through a series of exercises using the Five S’s as a simple outline. You will be able to share your writing with the group, if desired, and there will be light feedback sessions, which are, again, optional. During class, you will read the work of poets such as Sharon Olds, Ai, Terrance Hayes, and Natalie Diaz to help you apply new techniques in your own poetry.

Thea says, “This class will support each of you as a poet. It will serve as a safe, fostering space for students who have never written poetry before yet long to, or for those who have written poetry and seek a communal class structure to enhance their craft.”

About The Writing Salon's Remote Classes

You will be able to participate in live class meetings via Zoom videoconference. To attend classes, you'll need a phone, tablet or computer and access to the internet. You can participate in the class from wherever you'd like, whether on your living room couch or in your office. Before your class meets, you'll receive an email from The Writing Salon with more information about Zoom and your remote class. If you have any questions about remote learning, please don't hesitate to reach out to us at hello@writingsalons.com.