May 2025
Harness the Power of Punctuation to Create More Impactful Poetry
<p>Poets don't always have to follow the rules of punctuation and grammar. In fact, breaking these rules may add depth and meaning to your poems! In this class, you will learn not only when to break these rules, but also how to best place punctuation for maximum impact. You will also learn how to use line breaks, stanza breaks, and white space <i>in place of</i> punctuation; what the heck is “enjambment;” and how experimenting with all types of punctuation can enhance a poem's tension, pacing, and flow.</p><p>Following the class, attendees will also have an opportunity to receive a paid critique (separately charged) of a packet of poems or a poem-as-a-picture book. Writers will submit up to ten pages (one poem per page) of poems or one picture book. In lieu of written critique, Irene will discuss your work with you during a one-on-one 30-minute Zoom session. You'll receive a few comments ahead as a jump-off point for conversation. </p>
Lecture replays are available after the free trial ends. To end your trial early, email brooke@inkedvoices.com .
About Irene Latham
Irene Latham is a grateful creator of many novels, poetry collections, and picture books, but her first love is poetry. Her poetry books include: Can I Touch Your Hair? Poems of Race, Mistakes, and Friendship, a Charlotte Huck Honor, and African Town, winner of the 2023 Scott O'Dell Award, both co-written with her poetic-forever-friend Charles Waters. Winner of the 2016 Lee Bennett Hopkins Promising Poet Award, her solo poetry titles include The Museum on the Moon, This Poem is A Nest, Dear Wandering Wildebeest, and others. Her latest adventure is co-curating poetry anthologies including The Mistakes That Made Us, If I Could Choose a Best Day, and the forthcoming For the Win. Irene lives with her husband on a lake in rural Alabama, where their favorite neighbors are a pair of bald eagles. Read hundreds of Irene's poems for free at irenelatham.com.