In this class we’ll explore poetic forms that use the magic of pattern and repetition (such as the villanelle, the ghazal, the pantoum, the sestina, and more). We’ll discuss their transformative effects—how they can create a sense of ritual or magic that gives life and possibility to a poem. Reading both classic and contemporary examples of these forms, we’ll consider how poets over time have experimented with the playful and exacting qualities of form. Alongside the voices of poets like Dylan Thomas, Natasha Trethewey, and Aimee Nezhukumatathil, we’ll write our own poems that echo, that insist, that reflect, deflect, and reveal.