Course Syllabus

Spring 2026 | ENG-2120-VO01 - Creative Writing: Poetry

Online Class

Online courses take place 100% online via Canvas, without required in-person or Zoom meetings.

Faculty

Seelai Karzai
View Faculty Credentials
View Faculty Statement
Hiring Coordinator for this course: Heath Fuller

General Education Requirements

Arts and Aesthetics

Note

Many degree programs have specific general education recommendations. In order to avoid taking unnecessary classes, please consult with additional resources like your program evaluation, your academic program catalog year page, and your academic advisor.

Courses may only be used to meet one General Education Requirement.

Course Description

Introduction to fundamental techniques of writing poetry including imitation, creation, adaptation of verse forms, control of meaning, language choice, and revision and polishing. Participants will be expected to contribute original work for study.

Essential Objectives

1. Analyze works of poetry in order to imitate, adapt, and further understand the craft.
2. Begin to analyze personal strengths and weaknesses.
3. Practice writing and revising poetry in a variety of verse forms.
4. Arrive at final drafts of their own work, based on preparation and consideration of numerous drafts.
5. Present poetry orally.
6. Employ and identify figurative uses of language such as image, metaphor, and personification, and poetic devices such as rhyme, sound, rhythm, and conscious word choice to inform the meaning of selected poems.
7. Submit a final portfolio of selected work which demonstrates a commitment to practice and revision.
8. Describe the cultural and historical context of selected works of poetry and explore the impact of global and/or cultural diversity on the development of the artform.

Required Technology

More information on general computer and internet recommendations is available on the CCV computer recommendations Support page.

Please see CCV's Digital Equity Statement (pg. 45) to learn more about CCV's commitment to supporting all students access the technology they need to successfully finish their courses.

Required Textbooks and Resources

*** This is a low cost ($50 or less) textbook or resource class.
This class may require purchase of supplies or materials that are not available through the CCV bookstore. ***

This course uses one or more textbooks/books/simulations.

Spring 2026 textbook details will be available on 2025-12-01. On that date a link will be available below that will take you to eCampus, CCV's bookstore. The information provided there will be specific to this class. Please see this page for more information regarding the purchase of textbooks/books.

ENG-2120-VO01 Link to Textbooks for this course in eCampus.

The last day to use a Financial Aid Advance to purchase textbooks/books is the 3rd Tuesday of the semester. See your financial aid counselor at your academic center if you have any questions.

Artificial Intelligence(AI) Policy Statement

CCV recognizes that artificial intelligence (AI) and generative AI tools are widely available and becoming embedded in many online writing and creative applications.

Prohibited: The use of generative AI is not allowed in this course, with the exception of spellcheck, grammar check and similar tools. This course rests in the value of students engaging in the learning process without relying on AI-generated content. Students will develop critical thinking and problem-solving skills independently, owning their learning journey from start to finish. If you use these tools, your actions would be considered academically dishonest and a violation of CCV's Academic Integrity Policy.

Methods

This online class will involve a mix of the following:

• discussion forums and activities
• weekly reading and writing assignments
• revisions
• peer reviews/workshops
• mini lectures
• final portfolio of revised pieces

Textbooks:

• The Discovery of Poetryby Frances Mayes
• Other readings will be available on Canvas and online

Evaluation Criteria

40% - Portfolio: The portfolio consists of revised poetry pieces with post-writes as well as a reflective essay.

30% - Poem drafts, exercises, and journal assignments: Assignments include those that lead to completion of the portfolio.

30% - Discussion forums, attendance and participation: Regular attendance and participation are essential components of a student's success in college and are completion requirements for courses at CCV. Participation in online discussions is mandatory. Late, missing, and incomplete postings will negatively impact your final grade

Grading Criteria

CCV Letter Grades as outlined in the Evaluation System Policy are assigned according to the following chart:

	High	Low
A+	100	98
A	Less than 98	93
A-	Less than 93	90
B+	Less than 90	88
B	Less than 88	83
B-	Less than 83	80
C+	Less than 80	78
C	Less than 78	73
C-	Less than 73	70
D+	Less than 70	68
D	Less than 68	63
D-	Less than 63	60
F	Less than 60
P	100	60
NP	Less than 60	0

Weekly Schedule

Attendance Policy

Regular attendance and participation in classes are essential for success in and are completion requirements for courses at CCV. A student's failure to meet attendance requirements as specified in course descriptions will normally result in a non-satisfactory grade.

• In general, missing more than 20% of a course due to absences, lateness or early departures may jeopardize a student's ability to earn a satisfactory final grade.
• Attending an on-ground or synchronous course means a student appeared in the live classroom for at least a meaningful portion of a given class meeting. Attending an online course means a student posted a discussion forum response, completed a quiz or attempted some other academically required activity. Simply viewing a course item or module does not count as attendance.
• Meeting the minimum attendance requirement for a course does not mean a student has satisfied the academic requirements for participation, which require students to go above and beyond simply attending a portion of the class. Faculty members will individually determine what constitutes participation in each course they teach and explain in their course descriptions how participation factors into a student's final grade.

Participation Expectations

Full participation requires active and thoughtful engagement in class each week. Since this is an online class, you will receive credit for attendance by entering the course siteanddoing classwork. The following habits and skills are important. You'll have the opportunity to self-assess and receive instructor feedback on each of these areas at the mid-point and the end of the semester.

• Attend class regularly each week
• Complete all of the week's reading and assignments during the given week
• Respond to others attentively and with an open mind
• Positively contribute to class discussions and activities
• Ask questions and seek help when you need it
• Challenge yourself to do your best work

Accessibility Services for Students with Disabilities:

1. Provide disability documentation to the Accessibility Coordinator at your academic center. https://ccv.edu/discover-resources/students-with-disabilities/
2. Request an appointment to meet with accessibility coordinator to discuss your request and create an accommodation plan.
3. Once created, students will share the accommodation plan with faculty. Please note, faculty cannot make disability accommodations outside of this process.

Academic Integrity

Apply Now for this semester.