Poems Sing, Lyrics Talk: A Class on Lyrical Forms

“In 2016, when Bob Dylan won the Nobel Prize in Literature for his song lyrics, it signaled to the world that great lyrics can be literary high art as much as any non-rhyming poem,” says instructor Alison Luterman.

In this 3-week class, we’ll look at the similarities and differences between poetry and lyrics. We’ll read examples of both genres, try our hands at creating lyrics out of poems, and vice versa. We’ll talk about the joys and challenges of rhyme—perfect rhyme, off-rhyme, end rhyme and internal rhyme—and discuss common song forms such as ballads, anthems, hip hop and the blues.

Alison says, “You do not need to be a musician to participate in this class, or have any previous experience in songwriting or poetry. We will be doing generative writing exercises in class and sharing our discoveries with the group. Mostly we will be having fun!”

About The Writing Salon's Remote Classes

Due to concerns about the spread of COVID-19, The Writing Salon is running all classes in a remote learning format. 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.