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Learner Reviews & Feedback for Sharpened Visions: A Poetry Workshop by California Institute of the Arts

4.8
stars
1,816 ratings

About the Course

Why just write poems when you can write better ones? This course is built on the notion that the most exciting writing begins after the first
draft. It is specifically for folks who believe that writing poems just to express oneself is like using the Internet just for email. After all, poetry can
change the way you and your readers think of the world and its inhabitants; it can break new ground for language; turn a blank sheet of paper
into a teeming concert of voices and music. Though any of us may have the potential to make that happen, having an understanding of how
several tools of poetic composition can be used (and audaciously “mis-used”) gives you more ways to try (and if we do this ri...
...

Top reviews

CN

May 22, 2024

Very personable instructor with quality content and a workshop system that works well even if you never get to actually meet your fellow poets. I was very impressed and got a lot out of this course.

SM

Jun 11, 2020

Loved the course. Douglas Kearney is amazing as an instructor. I love poetry and this workshop has made me happy during the times of COVID 19. I thank CalArts for the encouragement and appreciation.

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701 - 725 of 744 Reviews for Sharpened Visions: A Poetry Workshop

By rick h

May 12, 2022

Doug is excellent. Section 6 was not helpful. Some of the other studens' submissions were confusing.

By Eric N

Dec 23, 2019

Some good ideas to progress your poems. Could be more interaction between participants.

By trish d

Sep 2, 2015

Gently entertaining introduction to writing poetry with some good examples and advice.

By David S W

Nov 3, 2024

This is a great, short, introductory poetry course. I learned a lot. Go Cal Arts !

By Brian m

Nov 14, 2022

Nothing too complex

Yet full of ideas

It will get you started

Without shedding tears

By Donna A

Jan 19, 2022

This course challenged me to think in ways I hadn't before (that's a good thing).

By Safa S S

Oct 15, 2020

Nice experience. Very good and useful course to the English beginning poets

By Dr. S K

Jan 21, 2019

Great course! Recommend everyone who wants to write poetry to take this up!

By Trish S

Oct 17, 2015

Very interesting and thought provoking. I found the instructor amusing.

By Susan W

Jun 6, 2016

I enjoyed the ideas, but the peer feedback was less than helpful.

By Chris K

May 18, 2023

It's an alright poetry workshop, the best free one on Coursera.

By Shashank S

May 14, 2021

Nice Course. Gave good insights and motivation to write poems

By Michelle S

Jan 4, 2021

The prof is engaging, but it was not the course I needed.

By Ijeoma N

Jun 15, 2024

I enjoyed every bit of this course, great teaching

By Niharika B

Oct 8, 2015

I am finding it really interesting and helpful. :)

By AJ D

Jun 27, 2020

Informative and creatively challenging.

By Jiri S

Dec 29, 2023

The lecturer is very expressive. :)

By Yeddanapudi R

Nov 30, 2022

Single best course I've taken.

By Enyang W

Apr 23, 2021

the lecturer was soo cool!

By Sumaiya A

Jul 23, 2016

very informative course.

By Dr.Halowine C

Jun 29, 2016

It is a riveting

By mario g

Nov 1, 2020

Excelente curso

By Xhanti M

Nov 19, 2015

i

By Brian B

Aug 13, 2021

Although the level of the course is very basic (it is definitely designed for total beginners), I appreciated the opportunity to write to a prompt and with a deadline, both of which kept me motivated. That said, the peer review system was a bit disappointing; it is important for people considering this class to understand that your workshop poems are ONLY reviewed by other people taking the class at the same time as you, so you are basically at their mercy. I appreciated most of the feedback I got, but I did have one peer reviewer who just wrote "nothing" in every single space where a written comment was required. This was a bit annoying since I had worked quite hard on the feedback that I provided for her!

I also must join the (many, many) other reviewers who have commented on the antics and silly energy of the instructor. While it was obvious that he was trying to keep the viewer engaged with all the jokes, banter, etc. I must admit it did get old... for several of the videos, I turned off the sound and just read the transcription.

I would recommend this class for people who want a very basic introduction to writing and appreciating poetry. More experienced writers might be less satisfied.

By Nguyen C C A

May 4, 2020

The course material, assignments, and the instructor are fine. The only problem I have with this is the "Peer-graded Assignment", while a lot of the time they are helpful, there is a handful of people who have no idea what they are doing. They do not read the instruction (as for grading) at all and give the wrong mark (as in technical requirement, not in whether the poem sounds good or not). For example, it said "give 2 points if response to the other prompt" and yet the "peer" give 0 point? Some people cannot read and their response show that they have no knowledge about certain types of poem and their feedbacks are even sometimes contradictory? This same problem occur in other courses as well so I will stop using Coursera due to its inttelligent "peer" grading syste.