The scientific study of poetic writing

This aim of this brief paper is to promote the scientific study of creative writing and make it an integral part of the research agenda of the scientific study of literature. This paper focuses on the genre of poetry and is organized around three basic questions: (1) What do we currently know about poetry writing? (2) Why study poetry writing? (3) How can poetry writing be studied? Together the answers to these questions provide a rationale for the proposed research agenda and an overview of ways in which this project can be accomplished. A review of the literature on poetry writing reveals a process which involves extensive revision within a recursive writing process that reaffirms the characterization of poetry as a genre that combines attention to meaning with attention to form.