Bodies of Work - Writing Poems for 13-17 year olds

Writing poems using the body as inspiration

In this course, you will learn how to make big abstract emotions specific and tangible. Through a mixture of drawing and writing you will learn how to centre emotions in the body, craft metaphors, write freely and without inhibition and finally read two poems and use them as a basis to write a poem from your own feelings and experiences. The key to this course is remembering that you and your experience of the world is important and worth writing about.

You can optionally register an account to save your progress through this and our other courses. We're aware that parents are being asked to sign up to a lot of websites at the moment, so if you'd rather dive straight in, simply click 'preview' on the first chapter below.


Your Instructor


Lewis Buxton
Lewis Buxton

Lewis Buxton is a poet, performer and arts producer. In 2018-19 his pamphlet ‘Weight’ was selected as one of the Poetry School & Nine Arches Press Primers Volume 4 poets. Lewis was the recipient of the 2018 UEA Literacy Festival Bursary for Creative Writing. His work has been published in The Rialto, Magma, Ambit & Oxford Poetry. He is Director of TOAST, a live poetry event and workshops project designed to support poets in the U.K. He has performed in theatres and at literary festivals across the country. He teaches creative writing in schools and libraries for organisations like The Poetry Society, The Poetry School & The National Centre for Writing. He has completed residencies with First Story, The Norwich Arts Centre and BBC Norfolk, and currently lives in Norwich.

Photo: Thom Law Photography


Course contents


  Welcome to the course
Available in days
days after you enroll
  First Drafts
Available in days
days after you enroll

Frequently Asked Questions


When does the course start and finish?
The course starts now and never ends! It is a completely self-paced online course - you decide when you start and when you finish.
How long do I have access to the course?
How does lifetime access sound? After enrolling, you have unlimited access to this course for as long as you like - across any and all devices you own.
What if I am unhappy with the course?
We would never want you to be unhappy! If you are unsatisfied with your purchase, contact us in the first 30 days and we will give you a full refund.

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