The Persona Poem [Lisa Wells]

All Levels | “Man is least himself when he talks in his own person,” wrote Oscar Wilde. “Give him a mask and he will tell you the truth.” The use of persona, or the mask, is an old tradition across the arts. Students will read and discuss persona poems by poets such as Ai, Sylvia Plath, John Berryman, Kevin Young, and others. We will explore the possibilities not only of writing outside our own subjectivities, but as plants, animals, objects, and concepts. Students will be offered practice writing their own persona poems from prompts and the opportunity to share their work as a class.