The course itself is amazing. I learned so much. I used to only write prose poetry and thanks to this course I was able to write different forms. Besides the mentors' give such great comments and they are always eager to help. Also the professor is funny and choose really good poems to analyse.

The only thing that was a pity is that people post their work, but few people want to actively comment on other people's poetry. It is not as participative as it could be. However, some workshops to comment to get comments.

All in all, truly amazing course!

Very interesting course; the only issue I had was with the students grading each other's poems. I would have preferred the teacher or the mentors to be grading them since they are presumably well versed with the art of poetry and the various techniques involved in their creation. While the grading process might enhance the learning of the students, it should not come at the cost of one's grades due to the obvious limitations or biases of the student graders.

A fun and engaging experience, excellent writing prompts. The kind of on-line educational experience I appreciate- encouraging and supportive, yet completely unwilling to take itself too seriously. The on-line poetry workshop experience with peers can be hit or miss, but even so, I gained some unexpected insights into my writing. Well worth enrolling and completing.

Great course to learn the fundamentals of poetry writing. I wish I was held to more of a deadline, as most prompts didn't need to be turned in, and thus I wasn't able to benefit from feedback or criticism, but on the whole this is a great class and worth the time if you're looking to learn how to put a poem together effectively.

Course was great with very nice prompts.

The only issue I had was with scoring. Since this was mainly a workshop more emphasis should've been given to feedback of an assignment rather than scoring points. Sometimes readers of a poem might not be able to grasp what the author intended and cause the student to fail the assignment,

The syllabus was an eye opener for someone who wants to delve into the world of poetry. How metaphors, rhymes and rhythms are the pillars of poetry. However, I do feel that the rhythms sections needs to be simpler and more exhaustive as it's the most overlooked aspect making people read silently instead of reading vocally.

fantastic course - only slight issues are quizzes that seek to trick you on the way they are worded rather than actual knowledge, and slight america-centric-ness of the material used (although all material was still fantastic, an example or two from non western poets might have been interesting to add)

I really enjoyed this course. Although I wish there had been more practices to instill the firm knowledge of what the content was. Computer flashcards, or even extra little quizzes in each lesson would have been nice. Other than that, great course, great teacher, and great content! Thank you!

This is my first poetry workshop. I have learned many things and got to know new poets. The instructor is informative (and sometimes funny). I think if anyone wants to dive into the poetry realm, I think this is a safe start! Thanks to Cal Arts and Coursera for providing the course J

Overall felt it to be an excellent course. A refresher in some areas and mind expander in others. Has been decades since taxing my brain so. Had a few browser issues but it all worked out. Some of the prompts were interesting and quite a challenge. Compliments to the chefs...

Sometimes waiting for reviewing other peoples work takes a while if enough other students aren't at the same stage as you. Maybe an alternative solution for this would be to have more then two students review a luck someone's work if there isn't enough to go around?

The video lessons in this course were not only enjoyable but also extremely enlightening. They were just the right length. I especially found the videos on revision very helpful.

Evaluations of Peer Assignments weren't all that satisfactory though

This course is great, but if you are looking for something challenging, this might not be the one. Overall, though, it helped me to go back to the basics and analyze my poetry from a foundational standpoint.

This course truly opened my eyes on the importance of revision, I recommend this course not only for budding poets but even for those who have never attempted poetry. You will learn a great deal.

I appreciate the practicality of assignments and delivery of concepts for writing poetry. I learned some skills and it gave me structure. The conversation between students is less accessible.

I Just loved this course. I learnt a lot of things about poetry. Soon i wish i would publish a book on poetry by writing and incorporating the lessons learnt in the class.

Excellent course for poets of all levels! A great refresher course if you're looking to learn more about the beauty of poetry or if you're simply looking for inspiration!

Very fun instructor.

The peer review as a workshop is perfect.

I just wish that there are more poems to study and that it's longer or it has a continuation.

This was an excellent workshop to help me brush up on poetic forms. Actually having to write, and revise was more useful than simply studying.

Great teacher and great content BUT I just wish that it would have been more abundant with information. it seemed for times maybe too short.

Early days yet but I've seen enough to realise it is interesting, intense, funny, persuasive, stimulating and creative. Thank you Douglas.

Very nice course, with interesting material, taught in a witty and engaging manner, and pretty good prompts. I had a very nice experience!

Loved the short but sharp classes! Thank you! Would love to see more peer reviews (didn't get any on my poems yet).

Best of luck!

Katya

Peer reviews can be a gamble. But the professor is excellent. Helpful to get started with poetry or get over writer's block.

i find this course highly helpful to learn new aspects of poetry, embrace new thoughts and new ideas to write upon.