Lemme just preface that I am not a poetry student, and I’m barely a Lit student, but the answer is yes.

If you are interested in writing poetry, I should say that the entire Literature program’s philosophy regarding creative writing is that good writers are great readers. So if you’re interested in writing anything at Bennington, be prepared to read a lot before and while you’re writing.

However, if you’re interested in studying the reading and writing of poetry, that is certainly possible, and you will have plenty of opportunities to write creatively within your poetry classes.

I should also mention that a good bit of poetry comes up in literature classes. For example in my Lit Diaries and Journals class we read Byron’s journals and to better understand them, read quite of bit of his poetry, and in my Lit of Innocence class last spring, we read quite of bit of William Blake and Louise Glück among others.

Liam ‘14