Dead Poets Society

Arts Scholars Workshop

This workshop is centered around reimagining poetry as a translator; students within the Arts Scholars program will learn to translate their abstract personal experiences and values into concrete written words. Taught in two parts—a poetry discussion and a writing clinic—this workshop will help students to view their personal experiences through both the words of other poets, and their own original poetry. During the poetry discussion, students will engage with various poets from Shakespeare to Danez Smith and consider the ways in which these writers address social issues, reflect their personal experiences, and creatively reimagine poetry as tool for self-expression. During the writing clinic, students will put into practice what they observed during the poetry discussion by channeling their personal lives into their own original poetry employing the techniques used by accomplished poets. The end product of this workshop will be a small portfolio of original poetry. In this way, this workshop is not about analyzing meter and tone, but rather equipping students with the tools they need to make sense of their inner feelings and develop a healthier relationship with themselves as they engage with poetry as a tool to rediscover who they are and grow more comfortable with their changing identities as young adults.

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Below is a preview lesson students viewed before selecting a workshop