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.

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.