Bestselling author. Electrifying performer. The youngest inaugural poet in U.S. history. Amanda Gorman has revitalized poetry as a unifying form of expression and catalyst for social justice. Now she’s teaching you her deeply personal approach to writing. She’ll help you find your poetic purpose, fight through revisions, and prepare for performance. Discover poetry’s transcendent power to open minds and create change.
Overview
Syllabus
- Amanda Gorman Teaches Writing and Performing Poetry
- An introduction to poet Amanda Gorman, beyond her iconic reading of “The Hill We Climb” at the 2021 inauguration. Amanda is the first National Youth Poet Laureate and has written three bestselling books.
- Everyone Can Write Poetry
- Amanda broadens the concept of who can be a poet and what topics poetry can cover.
- Before Writing, Read
- This lesson emphasizes the importance of reading to formulate your own poetic voice and build a reservoir of references.
- Case Study: Close Reading - “On The Pulse of Morning”
- Amanda offers an example of how to use the practice of close reading in poetry.
- How to Start Writing
- This lesson includes tips and tools to overcome obstacles so that you can begin the writing process.
- Researching Your Poem
- Amanda teaches the fundamentals of how to approach and conduct research for poetry writing.
- Case Study: Brainstorming Plummer
- This in-depth lesson uses Amanda’s personal journals to show how she brainstormed portions of her newly published book, Call Us What We Carry.
- The Writing Toolkit
- Amanda teaches you some of the key rhetorical tools that lead to powerful poetic writing.
- Finding Your Unique Poetic Voice
- Amanda defines what a poetic voice is, how to find your own, and how it works as the “calling card” of a poet.
- Revision, Revision, Revision
- Amanda goes through the step-by-step process of poetry revision and completion.
- Case Study: Editing & Revision
- In this in-depth lesson, Amanda demonstrates poetry editing and revision with an on-set revision of a student’s poem.
- Before Performing, Watch
- Amanda discusses her performance role models—people like Abraham Lincoln, Daniel Day-Lewis and Beyoncé—and how inspiration from others’ performances can be applied to your own.
- The Performance Toolkit
- Amanda teaches various tools to bring out your best poetic performance.
- Case Study: Performance of Poetry
- Amanda gives an in-depth lesson on poetry performance with a guided walk-through performance of a student’s poem.
- Building Your Career as a Poet
- Amanda gives advice on how you can help build a community of poets and find ways to grow your career—no matter where you live.
- Breakthrough: Behind the Scenes of “The Hill We Climb”
- Amanda breaks down the behind-the-scenes elements of her famous performance at the 2021 presidential inauguration.
Taught by
Amanda Gorman
