Jennica Harper - Poetry: Falling for Form

Jennica Harper was born in North Bay, Ontario and grew up in Brampton. She came to Vancouver in 1998 to study creative writing at UBC, where she earned her MFA. She now works as a screenwriter and story editor, teaches at Vancouver Film School, occasionally does stand-up comedy, and tries not to neglect her blog.

Jennica’s long poem “The Octopus” was originally published in PRISM International, and was shortlisted for a National Magazine Award. Her first collection of poetry, The Octopus and Other Poems was published by Signature Editions in 2006. Jennica’s work can currently be seen on buses and SkyTrains as part of the Poetry in Transit project.

Course Description

Develop new ways of seeing and writing poetry by exploring a variety of poetic forms.

What do we mean by form? We mean the poem's structural constraints: the set of conventions dictating the poem's meter, rhyme, and stanza shape. Our emphasis will be less on the academic study of form, and more on writing, experimenting, and challenging ourselves within these formal constraints - to find the joy in form. Students, especially poets who ordinarily write in free verse, will go beyond their comfort zone and discover new ways of approaching the writing of a poem. Forms studied and written will include sonnets, rondeaus, villanelles, ghazals, and sestinas.

This course will be delivered online via lectures and exercises; students will also write one formal poem each week and receive feedback from the instructor. Falling for Form is ideal for early career poets, intermediate poets who haven't worked in forms, or any poet looking for a fresh approach to their work.