Creative writing : exploring the underexplored

Abstract

This paper is based on the creative writing course (also known as the "creative writing workshop") at Assumption University, Bangkok, Thailand. The first section of the paper will make a case for poetry as a resource for language learning and creative writing. I will also demystify the traditional notion of poetry as deviant, abstruse, and difficult for language learners. The theoretical points will be based on Spiro's (2004) McRae's (1991), and Tomlinson's (1986) research on reasons for and ways of using poetry in the language classroom. The second section of the paper will explore poetic forms with a focus on sound, rhythm, words, and structures. The discussion will include examples of poems written by the students in the course.