Poetry and the Metaphysical 'I'

Who – or what – is speaking in a poem? Is it you, a mask, a myth, a ghost? In this generative workshop, explore the poetic ‘I’ in all its forms: confessional, constructed, collective, imagined. Leaping off from Dorothea Lasky’s idea of the Metaphysical I, this workshop will look at how poets use voice and perspective to deepen emotion, complicate truth, and open up space for invention.

Through close reading of contemporary Australian and international poets, discussion, and writing exercises, experiment with first-person speakers, personas, unreliable narrators, and the slippery line between self and other, asking: what kind of ‘I’ does this poem need – and what happens when that ‘I’ is allowed to become expansive and inventive?

Ideal for poets working across forms, from raw autobiography to mythic retelling, this session invites you to bend voice, fracture perspective, and unlock unexpected ways into your work.