Poetry can bring about a different sort of awareness or state of mind.  As Wallace Stevens once wrote, poetry is a place where we “resist the pressure of the real, the incessant drumming of the news, of terrible events… Poetry preserves within ourselves the necessary space of imagination, possibility, humanity, love.”  You are invited to come carve that space for yourself, as we explore together some wonderful poems. Each week we will focus on a different American poet, some very famous, others less well-known. After a brief introduction to the poet’s background, we will read a half-dozen or so of their poems together and then discuss each poem’s unique artistry and effect. This course is meant to provide a welcoming and encouraging place for people to respond to poems. No experience with poetry is necessary.