I really loved this course! I have always loved reading poetry and have tried my hand at it periodically over many years. I learned a lot , wrote some poems that I like, and most of all enjoyed the teacher so very much. He made it so much fun, that I found myself laughing out loud several times. The workshop idea was also good, and I learned from reading the others' poems. Thank you for this course. !

This course simply Hit The Spot! Thank you. It was extremely well presented. Entertaining and informative. For me, it struck the right balance in terms of the amount of content. It was well structured and in appropriate bite-sized sessions. I found the process reinforcing and positive. It left me wanting more - and this is a compliment, not a criticism. The course will urge me to continue and to progress.

It's a good course. However, there are some learners who do not take the workshops seriously. Some learners would submit screenshots of published poems or random images. I enjoyed reading the works of other learners and the works of poets mentioned in the lessons. The course has helped me improve the metrical form of my poems. The course includes references that learners can use for additional studying.

Fantastic course. I'm not very good at actually completing MOOCs (something about not having to answer to anyone, I suspect!) but the reviewing of classmates' work was done nicely, enough pressure to mean the assignments actually got done, without requiring an unreasonable amount of time. Douglas is a fantastic teacher and really inspiring; the course has revitalised my writing in just the way I needed!

The course made me realise how much more there is to writing poetry than usually recognised. I learnt substantially from Douglas’s fine sessions and the points made by him, and also peer writing and reviews. My compliments & appreciation for this beautiful course by Douglas Kearney. Thank you for the insights and the learning. Hope there will be a refresher some time later for reviewing our progress.

It has really been such a pleasure to learn from Douglas. I enjoyed the course thoroughly. The peer-reviewing process was also great. I always looked forward to reviewing my peers work, and have often been awed by the works they did. It has also been a great pleasure to receive constructive feedback and appreciations form the others. I hope there'll be more courses launched under Douglas and CALARTS.

Douglas has a great way of explaining poems and poetic techniques as they effectively stick to my memory. He is here to tell that literature and poetry is enjoyable and fun at times, and I am so glad I enrolled into this course as it helped me learn a number of new ways to experiment and pen down my thoughts! This is one course I would definitely recommend to anyone who is interested in writing.

I really enjoyed the course. I always wanted to do a course in poetry, but this is my first opportunity to do so. The course was well put together, the information explanations and the lecturers method of delivery kept you awake and attentive. He was quite dramatic but it was essential and effective. Thanks for putting it together, I learned alot and feel more confident about my poetry writing.

This is one of the most enjoyable classes I've taken on Coursera, and it's all Douglas Kearney's fault. *grins* From day one, he has made this class fun, challenging and ever-interesting, and I feel like he has helped me get back into writing poetry. I would most certainly take more of his classes on here, and if I ever went to California for school, I would love to be in his classes.

I loved the way our awesome, fun prof. Kearney spoke animatedly but slowly enough to keep students both entertained and on pace. This course was a wonderful balance of ease and challenge, and I am leaving it with a few good poems, a better understanding of techniques and tools, new skills, and a reinvigorated love and interest in poetry. Much thanks to Douglas, CalArts and Coursera.

I loved it! I don't remember EVER having such a good time writing prompts in my life. The classes are great, especially for people whose mother language is not english, so I could gert familiar with all the poetic terms and how they can apply in a language other than my own. Such a wonderful experience! I came out a better poet and writer than when I first started, that's for sure!

Thanks Douglas for wearing your learning lightly and making poetry-writing and appreciation feel accessible and playful. Far and away the most useful part of the course for me was the last module about revision. I had never had tools and process explained in such detail, and now feel empowered to revise and edit existing and new poems for greater impact and veracity. Thanks again!

Incredibly useful introductory poetry course. The pace is great, allowing to start slow and then pushing you a little harder towards the middle-end. Doug is an excellent video tutor, his performance really adds depth to what you're learning on at every turn. Thanks! I now feel a lot more confident to carry on learning and writing. Ah, and the shared tools, websites, etc. are ace.

I thoroughly enjoyed this course! Thanks to the Professor for presenting the content in such an instructive, and, yes, entertaining manner. I enjoyed all of the assignments. I so much appreciated the opportunity for peer reviews. With support from my peers and an opportunity for critical reflection, I was able to see some real self-growth in my writings. Thank you so much!

This was a fantastic introductory course. As I am new to poetry, I thoroughly enjoyed all the lessons, even submitting my work and reading the work of others. I didn't feel competent in grading the work of others, but eventually I learned what was expected and how to give feedback. Doug was fun to watch and turned something that could have been quite dry into something fun.

This six weeks of exciting journey is a must for anyone interested in poetry. Here, I learned about the intricate details of poems, such as sounds, forms, and rhythms. However, the real reward was the feedback from mentors and other fellow poets, which helped me look at my writings from a new angle. Besides, hardly anyone delivers lectures as passionately as Prof. Kearney!

This course taught me so much about poetry and poetry writing. I highly recommend it to anyone who wants to learn more about strategies and ideas for writing poetry; beginners to advanced writers will benefit from this course. It is not slow or boring. The instructor is intelligent and funny! He knows poetry, and that's for sure! I had a good time taking this course.

The course offered a wonderful chance to concentrate on the nuts and bolts basic to the art of poetry, such as rhythm and rhyme. Beyond that I found the chance to gain some feedback and interact with other writers a real boon. The professor is clever and provides graphic lectures and assignments that make the class something to which I looked with anticipation each week.

The content and format of this course was excellent as was the tutor. HOWEVER, the moderation needs improving. Many participants do not play the game with feedback, copying the word nil in each box was the worst example I received. Also others uploaded rubbish to be critiqued. Fortunately for the last assignment I received proper peer assessment. Thanks for this course.

I wish I could give this course 6 stars, or maybe 100. The instructor was so engaging and covered complex topics that could help all levels of writers. The mentors were quick to respond and offer valuable advice. And the community that participated in the workshop were kind and insightful, prompted by the guidance from the instructor. A very valuable course for me.

I really enjoyed this course. Prof. Kearney is great. He is extremely knowledgeable and explains things in such a clear, entertaining way. I also enjoyed the poems he chose to illustrate different topics. The course was very accessible and not too difficult or time-consuming, but I still learned a lot and found the writing prompts helpful. Thank you, Professor Kearney!

This was an excellent course. I enjoyed the videos and the assignments. The course was well paced and easy to follow. Thank you so much Prof. Kearney, for giving me the opportunity to learn from your expertise. I'm going to try writing different forms of poetry and not be satisfied that my poem is finished until I have REVISED it. Thank you again.

Cheryl Licata

I found this course helpful especially because I'm in the process of revising my manuscript. I found the lessons on revision strategies were great reminders to take the time with my work, have patience with myself, maintain objectivity with my own work just as much as with that of others, and remain receptive to feedback at every stage of my poetry writing journey.

Superb introduction to poetry. Throws you right in, dangles the history and language of it in front of you, up to you whether you bite. The assignments are designed to make you think, make you create, but some of the options such as write a lipogram, or use a formal structure are actually very challenging.

I thought it was very immersive and it made me feel good.

Prof. Douglas Kearney is an excellent and entertaining instructor with a lot of wisdom to impart. He engages the subject matter with attention grabbing vitality and spirit. I appreciated the both modern and historic use of poetry to illustrate his points. The workshop revitalized my poetry skills, which were more than a bit rusty previous to taking the class.