The Art of Metaphor
This event has been cancelled.
Poetry is rooted in metaphor, in which we see the similarity, the oneness, in disparate things. Metaphor works to create vivid descriptions, to enact emotional authenticity, to make order from chaos, and to forge a bond between the poet and the reader. We’ll explore the power of metaphor in bringing images and ideas to life and study how metaphor works in a variety of poems. We’ll talk about practical strategies for creating more effective metaphors and we’ll practice using metaphor in our own poetry.
Ellen Bass is a Chancellor of the Academy of American Poets. Her newest book, Indigo, is forthcoming from Copper Canyon Press in April, 2020. Her other books of poetry include Like a Beggar which was a finalist for The Paterson Poetry Prize, The Publishers Triangle Award, The Milt Kessler Poetry Award, The Lambda Literary Award, and the Northern California Book Award, The Human Line and Mules of Love, which won The Lambda Literary Award. Bass has also written works of nonfiction, including, with Laura Davis, The Courage to Heal: A Guide for Women Survivors of Child Sexual Abuse, which has sold over a million copies and has been translated into twelve languages. The New Yorker has published ten of Bass’s poems throughout the years, and two have been chosen for The New Yorker podcast. She lives in Santa Cruz, California.
