The traditional sonnet (derived from the Italian sonneto, “little song”) has 14 lines, a fixed rhythmic structure and rhyme scheme, and a rigid thematic organization. But the 20th and 21st centuries have seen the sonnet bent, stretched, and broken into new and exciting shapes.

This class will focus on modern innovations and reworkings of the sonnet, from 1922 to the present. We’ll begin with a brief overview of the sonnet’s origins and traditions, then engage in close readings of modern sonnets by Claude McKay, Rafael Campo, Wanda Coleman, Terrance Hayes, and Dorothy Chan. Students will be given time to write and share their own work, and they will come away from the class with prompts and strategies for writing more sonnets.

This class is taught by a graduate student in the University of Missouri-Kansas City’s MFA Program in Creative Writing.