The thing about workshops is that their efficacy depends more on the people involved than the program itself.
I credit the first workshop I was involved with, almost literally, for teaching me how to compose poetry. I went in with my hackles up and all my nerves bristling, and had a very rocky start. I hated it. I mocked the site to my friends at work, calling the members there egomaniacs, sadists, etc. After a while, however, once I learned how to simply say 'thank you' to someone who had just shredded my poem to bits, I realized that the process could be helpful. I lowered my guard and was able to see, for the first time, the many problems with my writing. I participated there for seven years, from 2001 to 2008. My writing improved dramatically, to say the least.
Unfortunately, at around 2006 or so, I began to see that some of the moderators were becoming draconian in their methods, and that a lot of the senior members were taking obvious pleasure in seeing the daily dressing-down of "newbies" (a contemptible Internet term), and that the whole environment was negatively affected because of this behavior. I voiced my opinions one too many times and was banned forever from that site. They will accept zero objection to their methods, whether or not that objection is well-reasoned. It is to this day a highly-trafficked board, probably because, despite the abuse of virtual-power with respect to one or two mods, beginners are still able to have a positive learning experience there.
The board I workshop at now is a much more productive place, though it has its drawbacks, such as mutual back-patting and a tendency to go easy on 'established' writers: meaning, people who have been widely published in reputable venues.
It all depends on what goals you set for yourself. If you aren't interested in publishing, and just write as a hobbyist, or for personal fulfillment and pleasure, then I'd say you needn't bother with a workshop unless you really wish to have the experience. On the other hand, if your goal is to write poetry worthy of publication in a reputable journal or online site, or wherever, or if you simply want to be the best you can be at the craft of writing poetry, regardless of publishing, then I would strongly recommend a tough, hard-assed workshop experience. This goes double for people who are taking on traditional, metrical forms. Seasoned editors can spot a slipshod use of form at a glance, and they will generally discard those submissions without a second look, especially at venues that receive a lot of submissions.
That being said, a skilled poet can play with a traditional form as she chooses, and many fine poets do, like Seamus Heaney as a contemporary example. John Berryman would be a good example for mid last century.
I credit the first workshop I was involved with, almost literally, for teaching me how to compose poetry. I went in with my hackles up and all my nerves bristling, and had a very rocky start. I hated it. I mocked the site to my friends at work, calling the members there egomaniacs, sadists, etc. After a while, however, once I learned how to simply say 'thank you' to someone who had just shredded my poem to bits, I realized that the process could be helpful. I lowered my guard and was able to see, for the first time, the many problems with my writing. I participated there for seven years, from 2001 to 2008. My writing improved dramatically, to say the least.
Unfortunately, at around 2006 or so, I began to see that some of the moderators were becoming draconian in their methods, and that a lot of the senior members were taking obvious pleasure in seeing the daily dressing-down of "newbies" (a contemptible Internet term), and that the whole environment was negatively affected because of this behavior. I voiced my opinions one too many times and was banned forever from that site. They will accept zero objection to their methods, whether or not that objection is well-reasoned. It is to this day a highly-trafficked board, probably because, despite the abuse of virtual-power with respect to one or two mods, beginners are still able to have a positive learning experience there.
The board I workshop at now is a much more productive place, though it has its drawbacks, such as mutual back-patting and a tendency to go easy on 'established' writers: meaning, people who have been widely published in reputable venues.
It all depends on what goals you set for yourself. If you aren't interested in publishing, and just write as a hobbyist, or for personal fulfillment and pleasure, then I'd say you needn't bother with a workshop unless you really wish to have the experience. On the other hand, if your goal is to write poetry worthy of publication in a reputable journal or online site, or wherever, or if you simply want to be the best you can be at the craft of writing poetry, regardless of publishing, then I would strongly recommend a tough, hard-assed workshop experience. This goes double for people who are taking on traditional, metrical forms. Seasoned editors can spot a slipshod use of form at a glance, and they will generally discard those submissions without a second look, especially at venues that receive a lot of submissions.
That being said, a skilled poet can play with a traditional form as she chooses, and many fine poets do, like Seamus Heaney as a contemporary example. John Berryman would be a good example for mid last century.
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