This poetry workshop is designed to introduce students to the basic elements of verse, with an emphasis on imagery, prosody (rhythm and sound), and defamiliarizing everyday language. Students will experiment with different poetic approaches, inside and outside the classroom, oscillating on a spectrum between lyric and narrative verse. Curriculum will include a combination of assigned readings, group discussions, lectures, writing exercises, and workshops, during which students will receive written and vocal feedback on their work from their instructor and peers. Readings will consist of craft essays and a diverse range of poems and voices in the contemporary American poetry scene. Together, we will mine for inspiration by experimenting with nontraditional methods of composition, including (but not limited to) stream-of-consciousness free-writes, erasures, ekphrasis, cut-ups, and found poems, training our ears and eyes to discern the music in routine textual exchanges and casual conversation. Through various prompts, writing exercises, brainstorming, and other modes of engagement, students will help each other cultivate their inner poet, relying on our imaginations and figurative modes of expression to promote self-empowerment.