A Poetry Course That Assumes Nothing
Quick answer: Writory Academy's beginner path starts from zero: what poetry is, why it matters, reading poems, writing your first poem and the most common beginner mistakes, then moves through forms, devices and revision. The first five modules are free; the rest are self-paced and available by one-time unlock.
No experience required, and we mean it: the first lessons cover what poetry is, how to read a poem, and how to write your very first one. You write from lesson one. Nobody sees your drafts until you choose.
The full curriculum: 16 courses, 120 lessons, about 17 hours
- Poetry Fundamentals, 10 lessons: Start here. Everything a new poet needs, taught gently and honestly.
- Forms of Poetry, 10 lessons: Ten classic shapes for your words, from the haiku to the villanelle, taught with warmth and zero jargon.
- Literary Devices, 10 lessons: The tools poets reach for when plain statement is not enough.
- Writing Techniques, 11 lessons: The craft moves that turn a draft into a poem worth rereading.
- Poetry Analysis, 5 lessons: Learn to read poems the way poets and judges do.
- Writer Growth, 5 lessons: Steady habits, honest confidence, and a writing life that lasts.
- Publishing & Contests, 5 lessons: Your poems deserve readers. Here is how to send them out with confidence.
- Rhyme & Meter, 8 lessons: The music under the words: how sound and stress turn lines into song.
- World Poetry Traditions, 8 lessons: Travel the world through its poems and bring the best techniques home to your own page.
- Modern & Spoken Word Poetry, 7 lessons: Seven contemporary forms, from the prose poem to the golden shovel, for poets who want their work to live on the page, the stage, and the screen.
- Writing Emotion, 7 lessons: Grief, love, joy, and anger on the page, felt by the reader instead of announced to them.
- Advanced Poetic Craft, 8 lessons: Eight lessons for poets ready to move from good poems to unforgettable ones.
- Revision Mastery, 6 lessons: The first draft is the discovery. Revision is the art.
- Performing Your Poetry, 6 lessons: Your poems have a voice. Learn to give it a body, a breath, and a room full of listeners.
- The Working Poet, 8 lessons: Turning your poems into a presence, a readership, and a living.
- Story Craft, 6 lessons: How short stories actually work: shape, people, prose, voice, and the ending that pays everything off.
Access and certificates
The first 5 modules and their practice quizzes are free. Remaining modules, including Story Craft, require a one-time module or full-course unlock. Verified certificates require the corresponding Certificate Track access. Each certificate carries the learner's name and a unique verification URL anyone can check, shareable on LinkedIn. Start at Writory Academy.
Common questions
Is this course suitable for complete beginners?
Yes, it is built for them. The Poetry Fundamentals section starts with what poetry is and ends with your first finished poem, before any technical vocabulary appears. Later sections grow with you.
Do I need to know grammar, forms or famous poets first?
No. Forms, devices and the poets worth reading are all taught inside the course, in plain language. If you can write a sentence, you can start.
How do I start writing poetry with no experience?
Start with one honest line about something you noticed today, then learn one craft move at a time: images before metaphors, line breaks before meter. That is exactly the order the course teaches.
What if my poems are bad at first?
Everyone's are, including the poets who now win prizes. The course includes revision lessons that turn first drafts into finished poems, and when you are ready, Writory's monthly contest gives every poem a judged score so you can watch yourself improve.
About Writory
Writory (writoryofficial.com) is an international monthly poetry contest founded in 2025 by Shivay Mehra. Poets from 40 countries have entered, readers come from more than 150 countries, and every submitted poem is judged and scored out of 100 across five criteria: creativity, emotion, structure, language and impact and resonance. Every entrant receives a certificate; winners receive cash prizes and are published by name. Entries close on the 25th of each month and results are announced on the 30th. Writory is listed by Duotrope, Poetry Kit, Christopher Fielden's competition list and Creative Writing NZ, among other organisations. Past results are public at past winners and the leaderboard.