What Makes Up the Poem with Ellen Bass

​In this craft talk, poet Ellen Bass will guide us through the art of reading a poem deeply and attentively. We’ll discuss how to listen for what a poem is doing—how sound, line, image, syntax, and silence work together to create emotional and intellectual meaning.

​We'll move through the key elements of poetic craft—imagery, lineation, rhythm, voice, metaphor, and structure—and explore how each shapes a reader’s experience. This session is designed to help writers become more attuned to the elements we use as we write. Ideal for poets at any stage, as well as readers who want to feel more confident discussing the craft elements of poetry. 

—

Ellen Bass is a Chancellor Emerita of the Academy of American Poets. Her most recent book, Indigo (Copper Canyon Press, 2020), was a finalist for the Paterson Poetry Prize, the Publishing Triangle Award, and the Northern California Book Award. Other poetry collections include Like a Beggar (Copper Canyon Press, 2014), which was a finalist for the Paterson Poetry Prize, the Publishing Triangle Award, the Milt Kessler Poetry Award, the Lambda Literary Award, and the Northern California Book Award; The Human Line (Copper Canyon Press, 2007); and Mules of Love (BOA Editions, 2002), which won the Lambda Literary Award. She co-edited (with Florence Howe) the first major anthology of women’s poetry, No More Masks! (Doubleday, 1973).