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Explore Poetry
Explore Poetry with Lisa Kelly
CHARTING COLOUR
"so much depends / upon / a red wheel / barrow / glazed with rain"
William Carlos Williams
This course is designed for poets at all stages who are looking for fresh ideas to explore through poetry. With all the colours of the rainbow as our guide we'll look at published poems, write from prompts, and workshop the poems of participants.
The way we respond to colour is extremely personal. But colours come with universal associations too, and these can often be contradictory. Green might conjure environmental issues, for example, while also suggesting someone jealous or inexperienced.
Different cultures and ages respond differently to colours too - young girls encouraged to ‘think pink’ are on the receiving end of colour used to reinforce gender stereotypes. And colour is also a verb - cheeks redden in embarrassment, and a recipe will instruct us to brown the onions.
How do we navigate all these perceptions? How do we respond to colour in the poems we read? And how do we use colour in the poetry we write? If each colour has multiple vibrations, how do we channel this energy on the page?
We’ll explore clashing and complementary colours, and work out how to utilise these dynamics. We’ll look at how colours can surprise us, evoking strong emotions, memories and attitudes. And we’ll consider the effect of poems that mention no colours at all.
In the first half of each session we’ll discuss published poems and work from creative prompts in class. In the second half of the session, several participants each week will have the opportunity to bring their own poems for feedback in an open and constructive environment designed to develop work in progress.
You'll come away from the course with a ‘colour chart’ of poems, a stronger sense of your own colour field and ideas for routes to publication.
BROUGHT OUT THE BEST IN US
Lisa brought out the best in us, and others' feedback was constructive and kindly delivered.
A lot of food for thought in this course, and practice in reading and writing excellent poems.
Anon from survey
SUCH GOOD FACILITATION
It encouraged me to read a wider range of poetry. I loved the selection of poems Lisa sent out each week - unusual collections. The group really participated in discussions and worked well together - such good facilitation by the tutor.
Anon from survey
ZOOM DELIVERY
Max 12 students
Cost £155
Summer: Mornings
- Wednesdays 10am-12.30pm
- May 13, 20, 27, (break for half term), June 10, 17, 24
Our tutor Lisa says...
Poets often have a colour that becomes part of their signature style – whether consciously or unconsciously. When I look back at my poems, for instance, I notice that many feature the colour yellow, whether strongly or subtly. Unpacking this pattern can give valuable insights into our writing practice. I’m looking forward to exploring how we chart colour in our poetry, and how we can harness its powerful symbolic, painterly and emotional energy.
VERY HELPFUL IN THE EDITING PROCESS
Lisa's selection of poems was great, wide ranging and interesting. Also Lisa very helpful in the editing process.
Anon from survey
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Lisa Kelly
Lisa Kelly is a poet and editor based in London. She has single-sided deafness and is half Danish and has been learning British Sign Language (BSL) for several years. She co-edited What Meets the Eye: The Deaf Perspective(Arachne Press), an anthology of poems, short fiction and scripts from UK Deaf and Hard of Hearing writers. She is Chair of Magma Poetry and has co-edited four issues of the magazine: the Conversation issue; the Deaf issue, the Solitude issue and the Grassroots issue. Her second collection, The House of the Interpreter(Carcanet), was a Poetry Book Society Summer Recommendation in 2023 and her first collection, A Map Towards Fluency(Carcanet), was shortlisted for the Michael Murphy Memorial Poetry Prize 2021. She was shortlisted for the 2024 Forward Prizes for Best Single Poem - Written. Her poetry roots are at the Torriano Meeting House in north London where she regularly hosts poetry evenings on a Sunday evening. In her spare time, she enjoys walking and looking out for mushrooms, but not eating them!
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