During his reading at James Madison University, Gregory Pardlo talked a lot about forms, and his use of various and uncharacteristic formal containers, as a way to get into a poem. In his book Digest, for example, he utilizes the “course description” as a poetic form. (For an example, see “Shades of Green: Envy and Enmity in the American Cultural Imaginary.”)

• Write your own “course description” poem.
• What other non-poetic form could you co-opt for a poem?

Post your ideas, comments, or resulting poems below!

Read more in this issue: Interview | Critical Essay| Poems