Although writers wrestle with how to end a poem as much as they fret over how to get started, in this class we will discuss how the ending of a poem is often revealed along the way. We will talk about strategies for closing the poem, and we will talk about why the ending is important. The ending of the poem doesn’t always mean that the poem is over or that it’s shut down; we will talk about the ways in which the poem opens up at the end.

A. Van Jordan is The Henry Rutgers Presidential Professor at Rutgers University. He is the author of four collections of poems, most recently The Cineaste (2013). His awards include a Whiting Writers Award and a Pushcart Prize.

Master Class Application Guidelines
In a single attachment, email three poems accompanied by a cover sheet with your name, address, email address, phone number, and the name of class for which you are applying to classes@poetshouse.org. Poems must arrive by the designated deadline. No names or addresses should appear on the poems themselves.