Stories connect us with timeless human joys and struggles. What do characters in poetry show us about human relationships and challenges people face? How have others coped with the changing world, an aging body, raising children, or experiencing injustice, disillusionment, loss, death, and war? Reflect on universal experiences of memorable characters created by Shakespeare, Frost, Robinson, and others—and how those experiences inform our life journeys. Emphasis is thematic rather than literary. Narrative poems will be read and interpreted in class and related to our lives and society. No homework! Enjoy!

Moderator: Kathy Richardson has moderated OLLI courses on memoir writing, poetry, American poet laureates. She has led classes on novels about coming of age, barriers and boundaries in America, Scout and Atticus Finch. She taught English and history at Seven Hills School for 42 years as well as ESL in Wuhan, China, in 1982. She chaired Wednesday WOWs for several years.