Remote 3-Hour Workshop: Iain Haley Pollock: Epiphanic Poems

Epiphanic Poems: Writing Moments of Revelation

Poems often develop through indirection, by hinting or gesturing at their meaning, by circling and circling without any obvious arrival. This is an intriguing element of poems—it leaves room for mystery, for the intellectual play of interpretation; it keeps us coming back for more—but this indirection can also be a bedeviling element of poetry. Occasionally, having a speaker step to stage front and say exactly what they mean is refreshing and powerful. One form of direct approach in poems is the epiphany or the revelation, when the usual indirection of poetry gives way to a moment of sudden, stunning insight.

In this generative workshop, we will examine poems by Rainer Marie Rilke, Lucille Clifton, Paisley Rekdal, and James Wright that include varying degrees of revelation. After a discussion of the poems, workshop members will write epiphanic poems based on a prompt and will have the opportunity to share their work.

Click here to watch Iain’s Hard Hat Reading!

3 hours on Saturday  |  September 23 | 4-7pm ET  | $105 ($90 for Members)

All are welcome, space is limited. A limited number of need-based scholarships are available. Please email support@poetshouse.org with any questions.

About the educator:

Iain Haley Pollock is the author of two poetry collections, Ghost, Like a Place (Alice James Books, 2018) and Spit Back a Boy (U. Georgia Press, 2011). His poems have also appeared in many literary outlets, including African American Review, American Academy of Poets Poem-a-Day, American Poetry Review, The New York Times Magazine, PoetrySociety.org and The Progressive. Pollock’s work has received the Cave Canem Poetry Prize, the Alice Fay Di Castagnola Award from the Poetry Society of America, and an NAACP Image Award nomination. He directs the MFA Program at Manhattanville College.