This course gives students the space to create and evaluate their own original works of poetry, while simultaneously learning and applying the basic conventions of poetics such as meter, rhyme, stanza structure, alliteration, metaphor, imagery, theme, etc. Students read their poems aloud and the professor and other students make helpful, considerate comments to improve upon their writing. At the end of the semester, students present a manuscript/ portfolio of poems which represent the quality and progress of their work.