Published: July 22, 2026
Read: 4 min
In: News & Society


4.75(4)

#LI-02-01 How To Make A Poem

  • Categories
    Literature
  • Duration
    7h
  • Total Enrolled
    9
  • Last Update
    September 14, 2020

About Course

Manchester Metropolitan University

Description

Discover the power of poetry, and learn to write your own

This course explores what inspires poetry, how we write poems and how to tell when your poem is finished.

Whether you’ve never written a poem before, or you‘ve been secretly writing away for some years, this course provides a positive environment in which to begin writing and to share your work with others.

The course follows the story of a poem from start to end, guiding you through the process of writing your own work step by step.

To help us, we will be hearing from poets across world and throughout history, learning from the advice they have given others.

 

Who will you learn with?

Michael Symmons Roberts

I’m Professor of Poetry at Manchester Metropolitan. My poetry has won the Forward Prize, Costa Prize and Whitbread Award. I’m also a librettist and a regular broadcaster. www.symmonsroberts.com

 

Helen Mort

I am a Lecturer in Creative Writing at Manchester Metropolitan. I write stories, plays and poems and I’m working on my first novel. My poetry was shortlisted for the T.S.Eliot Prize.

 

 

Martin Kratz

I am the poetry project manager at Manchester Metropolitan University, UK. I am lucky enough to work with amazing poets and poetry everyday. I believe poetry has something to offer everyone.

 

Who developed the course?

Manchester Met logo

Manchester Met University has a driving ambition to discover and disseminate knowledge and make higher education as accessible and beneficial to all those with the passion and ability to succeed.

 

 

 

 

What Will I Learn?

  • Experiment with different techniques and new exercises to help generate new work
  • Develop your own ‘voice’ in your poems
  • Discuss how to read poetry for new ideas
  • Investigate what poets from the past and present say about how we write poetry
  • Collaborate on each other’s work and reflect on how to give positive and encouraging comments

Topics for this course

15 Lessons7h


Discovering poetry?

Carol Ann Duffy and Adam O’Riordan introduce the course and you get the opportunity to meet your fellow poets. Photo ©@andyharrison.com
Welcome to the course00:01:33

Meet your educators

Copyright

Your favourite poem00:02:20

One good word – a group poem


Working with poetry?

In which we ask why the course is titled how to ‘make’ a poem, rather than how to ‘write’ a poem. Photo by Trust “Tru” Katsande on Unsplash.
Poet as maker

Can writing poetry be taught?

Poetry around the world

Poetic tools and materials

First Encounters

Making a poem out of a poem


Finding a poem?

In which learners receive feedback on their own poems and reflect on the feedback they received. Photo by Pexels on pixabay
Found poem00:02:37

Making use of what’s around you

Your turn


Reflection

End of Week 1

Student Feedback

4.8

Total 4 Ratings

5

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4

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1

0 rating

Could use a little more content – but still well-structured and concise 🙂

Lecturers all are very good and charismatic teacher. They will get you trough all of the essentials of poetry in a clear and fun way. What I really liked about this course is that it actually thought me how to think about my poetry in a different manner and not just as a burst of emotion on a piece of paper.

I learned a lot of information and will take the knowledge i gained with me when i continue to write my poems.

Great course if you’re new to writing poetry or in need of a good refresher of things you may have previously forgotten.

Could use a little more content – but still well-structured and concise 🙂

USD$130 USD$29

Target Audience

  • This course is for anyone who wants to write poetry, you don’t need any past experience.