Public Workshops

COURSE SYNOPSIS

Award-winning poet Joshua Ip introduces you to the intricate world of formal poetry, and why poets from Shakespeare to Li Bai write in form. You will even be exposed to rarely-seen formal poems written by Singapore’s pioneering leaders and poets. You will then progressively experience how writing in form can loosen up poetic muscles not usually exercised; from entry-level forms like the haiku, to more complex syllabic forms like the liwuli, to advanced forms like the sonnet. You will also have opportunity to receive feedback on your newly-written poems.

The session will enable people new to writing poetry to try out formal poetry writing, and build a repertoire of 3-5 poems in a day. They will be equipped with the skills to identify and apply literary techniques in formal poetry.The course is also open to more experienced poets who wish to learn the techniques associated with formal poetry.

This course comprises 1 session, with the following segments:

Introduction to Form (1.5hrs)
This introductory session will bring participants through the definitions and elements of formal poetry, the history of form, the reasons why poets write in it, and introduce them to famous formal poems set internationally and in Singapore. This will set the context for them to write formal poems of their own.

Syllabic forms (2hrs)
The second module will bring participants through the range of syllabic forms, and allow them to workshop two different forms: the haiku and the liwuli. They will focus on issues such as the poetic image, the importance of concision, juxtaposition, and the nature of the imperative voice.

Rhyming forms (2hrs)
This session after lunch will introduce participants to sonic elements such as rhyme, meter, and other sound-related literary devices. They will then workshop two forms: the quatrain and the sonnet. They will focus on techniques such as assonance, consonance, scansion, onomatopoeia, and internal rhyme.

Nonce forms (1.5hrs)
This final session will introduce participants to the wide array of experimental forms used by modern and contemporary poets, including the zoetrope and the twin cinema. The session aims to point towards experiments in the field today and prepare participants for the future of poetry.

This course is SkillsFuture Credit-eligible. All Singaporeans aged 25 and above can use their SkillsFuture Credits from the government to pay for a wide range of approved skills-related courses. You may visit the course listing on the MySkillsFuture website here to find out more.

For enquiries, please email bookawriter@singlitstation.com.

ABOUT THE INSTRUCTOR

Joshua Ip (b. 1982) is a writer, editor and literary organiser. He has published six-ish volumes of poetry, edited eleven literary anthologies, and won some prizes. His latest collection of anachronistic translations of Tang Poetry, translations to the tanglish, was published in Aug 2021. He co-founded Sing Lit Station.

COURSE RUNS

Venue: Sing Lit Station, 22 Dickson Road #02-01, Singapore 209506

First Run
5 Dec 2025, 10am - 6pm

Second Run
29 Dec 2025, 10am - 6pm

COURSE FEES

Full Course Fee: $250
Student Concession: $150

REGISTRATION [USING SKILLSFUTURE CREDITS]

If you would like to register for this course and intend to use your SkillsFuture Credits, please click on the button below and fill out the registration form:

Upon completing the registration form, you will be contacted by Sing Lit Station with further instructions on payment and submitting a claim on the MySkillsFuture portal. Please note that credits under "SkillsFuture Credit (Mid-Career)" are not eligible to be used for this course.

REGISTRATION [WITHOUT USING SKILLSFUTURE CREDITS]

If you would like to register for this course WITHOUT using your SkillsFuture Credits, please purchase a ticket via Peatix by clicking on the buttons corresponding to your desired course run below: