Rabbi Pearce Poetry Fall 2018

THERE IS A POET IN EVERYONE—EVEN YOU—REALLY!!!
    The Cento Patchwork Poetry Workshop By Rabbi Stephen S Pearce

Rabbi Stephen S. Pearce, The Congregation Emanu-El Taube Scholar, will teach a workshop for the known and unknown poet in everyone.  It may seem odd, but everyone is a poet, even if he or she never liked or understood poetry, has never written a poem, or finds poetry intimidating.  This poetry workshop will introduce the inexperienced, novice, or skilled writer to poetry that virtually writes itself, often called found, verbatim, or appropriated poetry.
 
This traditional literary device known as a Cento creates the new meaning from previously written texts by taking words, phrases, and sometimes, entire passages from other sources and reframes them into a new poem, the literary equivalent of a collage. The Cento dates back to the 3^rd or 4^th century.  By recycling previously written verses, texts are given new contexts, pretexts, and meaning.  Try your hand at writing a Cento or come to enjoy the creations of the workshop participants some of which will appear in the Temple Chronicle at a later date.  No previous experience is required. Please bring a favorite (short) poem to share with participants.
 

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