Writing Poetry Through Global Trauma

Overview 

During the Covid-19 pandemic and lockdown, many people from all walks of life started to write creatively about their experience, or reflect on the experiences of others. This module will develop those skills in articulating creative written responses through poetry to globally traumatic events. In the face of a constant news cycle, it is believed that drawing on pandemics, natural disasters, and international conflict to respond creatively, new viewpoints can be reached to advance critical thinking.
There will be close readings of war poets like Wilfrid Owen and Edward Thomas, writing from the post-war period by Evelyn Waugh, through to more contemporary works including pandemic poetry from Jamie Hale, Lisa Simpson, and Mab Jones, and poetry following natural disaster (Clare E Potter on Hurricane Katrina) and climate change writing from Robert Minhinnick.

Programme 

During the course, learners will study the following:

• Week One – Introduction to the course – will involve an overview of the module with previews of the scope of the writers and activities and introduction to the tutor, along with details about forums and encouragement to use them.
• Week Two – War Poetry – learners will have a close reading of a Wilfrid Owen poem and an Edward Thomas poem, comparing and contrasting the two. Following this, they will be tasked with a freewriting activity using the pomodoro technique in response to a piece of visual art.
• Week Three – learners will read a Carol Ann Duffy poem, ‘M’, being given appropriate context as to its culmination of an international scandal – who was affected? Following this, they will craft a response from a different viewpoint.
• Week Four – learners will read Clare E Potter’s Wales Arts Review piece on writing about Hurricane Katrina and discuss the scale of natural disasters – how does Potter bring focus in? Work will also begin on the portfolio.
• Week Five – this is a drop-in session to encourage students to begin to think about what they’d like to respond to in their writing with the tutor available for the hour to book in.
• Week Six – students will attend session with ideas of what they would like to cover. There will be close readings of poetry by Jamie Hale, Lisa Simpson, and Mab Jones in response to the Covid-19 pandemic, followed by a writing exercise based on lockdown.
• Week Seven – There will be a close reading of poems from the anthology Gorwelion Shared Horizons to reflect on climate change and an exercise based on this.
• Week Eight – Students will be given the tools for writing a critical commentary, reflecting on the act of self-reflection with a look at marking criteria, learning outcomes, and the reflective work of poets using the Poetry Wales ‘How I Write A Poem’ online series
• Week Nine – drop-in session in preparation for assignment.
• Week Ten – Last reflections on the course to allow students to understand how they have developed and allow for acknowledgment of developing writing skills.

Learning Outcomes 

1. Discuss how poetry has responded to recent global trauma with regards to diversity of voices and styles.
2. Apply and experiment with the techniques taught on the course in order to produce poetry that is contemporary and responsive to recent or current global trauma.
3. Analyse and discuss their own creative work and provide details of where they have applied knowledge from the course to their own writing.
4. Discuss and evaluate the development of own and others’ work.

Assessments 

• Discussion Boards - 10%
• Portfolio - 70%
• Critical Evaluation - 20%

Reading Suggestions 

Reading suggestions will be offered throughout the course. 

Entry Requirements 

This course is for everyone. No previous experience is needed and there are no formal entry requirements. 

What Do I Need? 

As this is an online course, you would need the following: 

• Internet access.
  
• Access to a laptop or computer with a web camera and microphone; the use of headphones might also be of benefit.
• Use of the Chrome web-browser where possible.