The Radical Sonnet – from Petrarch to AI
An online workshop with Dr Gareth Sion Jenkins
DATE: Thursday 14 September 6.30-8.30pm AEST
LOCATION: Online via Zoom
Explore the historical evolution of the sonnet form from its roots in Italian and English traditions. Gain an understanding of the Petrarchan and Shakespearian sonnet verse forms through close readings and analysis of historical and contemporary examples.
Perhaps because the sonnet sits at the centre of traditional ‘fixed’ verse forms it has attracted experimentalists who have played with its well-defined structures. We will look at examples of poets who have reimagined the sonnet form through cut-up and erasure techniques and through procedural constraints.
Participants will be led through a series of writing exercises as the workshop progresses designed to stimulate their own creativity as they engage with aspects of the sonnet form.
Finally participants will explore the use of AI for poetic experimentation. This will include an interactive session where participants collaborate with AI to co-create sonnets and a critical discussion of the poetic results.
‘The Radical Sonnet: From Petrarch to AI’ will celebrate the sonnet's rich heritage while exploring experimentation and the poetic voice of AI.
Learning outcomes
Participants will gain an understanding of the history of the sonnet form and its traditional verse form structures.
Participants will gain an understanding of a range of experimental techniques poets have used to play with the sonnet form over time.
Participants will be stimulated to write their own poetry through a range of writing exercises that include chance operations and writing with found texts.
Participants will be introduced to AI to co-create sonnets. Participants will evaluate AI generated poetry and the experience of co-creating it.
What you need to participate:
Zoom and a reliable Internet connection
This workshop is suitable for:
Beginner and above - anyone who wants to explore the sonnet in traditional to experimental forms.
Ticketing:
Tickets are priced on a sliding scale, from concession/unwaged ($30) to full/waged ($40) to generous supporter ($50), i.e. subsidise a concession ticket by choosing to pay a bit extra).
One free ticket is reserved for a person experiencing financial hardship — please get in touch.
Upon booking, you will receive email confirmation and, closer to the workshop, further instructions and a Zoom link.
About your facilitator:
Dr Gareth Sion Jenkins is a poet, publisher and multidisciplinary artist. Gareth’s first book, Recipes for the Disaster, won the 2019 Anne Elder award. His poetry short-films have screened at festivals around the world and he exhibits text-based art and multimedia installations.
In 2020 Gareth founded the archive and small press Apothecary Archive and in 2021 he took over the running of one of Australia’s most enduring poetry publishers, Five Islands Press.
His next book, The Inclination Compass, a multimedia poetic narrative will be out in August 2023 with Puncher and Wattmann. In 2024 he is a feature artist at Cementa24.