Celebrating Poetry

Opening Remarks

Panel Discussion - What is Poetry?

A conversation about what makes a poem:  How do you know a poem when you see one? Why do writers write poems?  What is their place in our world?  Do we need them?

Panel Discussion - Who and What are These Poems For?

A conversation about why we write:  Who is the audience we hold in our minds as we write?  Whom do we hope will read our finished poems?  

Workshop - Ekphrastic Poetry

Ekphrastic poetry is defined as poems about works of art. “Ekphrasis” is a Greek word that means to describe in vivid detail.  In this workshop, you’ll explore ekphrastic poems alongside the works of art they take as their subject, and you’ll have the opportunity to try your hand at writing an ekphrastic poem.  

Playshop - Music and Poetry

Poetry can stand on its own or be enhanced by musical accompaniment. In this creative session, participants have permission to awaken their inner musicians by picking up easy-to-play instruments such as drums, chimes, and shakers to accompany short poetry readings — and then trade roles.

As participants performed in pairs and quartets, this video features the introduction and pairs highlights. See larger images of the photos below here. 

Panel Discussion - An Exploration of Poetry and Place

A conversation about the relationship between what we write and where we are:  How does where we are influence, or interact with, what we write?  The designation of poet laureate is defined by geography.  How is that assignment reflected in the poets’ work?  How does poetry go beyond those borders?  How does it celebrate place?

Presentation - Art Song & Contemporary Poetry

In the art song repertoire, there is a distinct lack of contemporary music written with developing vocalists in mind. Supported by a UConn IDEA Grant, Sarah Marze composed a songbook and created educational resources for high school students of classical voice and their teachers. In collaboration with poets from the Connecticut Poetry Society, Marze has set six poems that  are age-appropriate, fulfilling and accessible for young students. The songs, while written to be teaching tools, contain expressive music for all ages meant to be a bridge into contemporary music.