As a reader on my blog, I’m sure you’ve come to realize that I like poetry, I like writing it (it’s fun for me), and I often times like to read it, though not always… (sorry being honest).
When I pondered what to write for this Monday post I got to thinking about writing poetry, and learning how to read poetry. You see when I was at the Writer’s Conference I ran into this book that I wanted to buy but couldn’t justify the cost of (it’s now on my wish list from Amazon as maybe a Christmas present). 🙂
It’s important I think to learn how to read a poem, to understand how to see the images the poet is portraying, even if you don’t understand everything, like all the nuances and what not.. cause seriously. when I read a poem I don’t catch everything that some others might, I just read it, and think “neat” or “meh”. 🙂 Occasionally one will catch me off guard, or just even a line and I’ll ponder that for a while… that to me is reading a poem. 🙂 And THAT is how I’ve taught my lad. (sorry, nasty little secret eh?) 🙂
Anyways, on to poetry lessons here! 🙂 Where can you find them?
Well, first up is poetry that you can find on SchoolhouseTeachers.com.
Opening the Door to Poetry. The lad and I are starting this course this week as soon as he’s done his Writing Radar book.
Then down the road when we want to do something different (like over the holidays when things get a bit more sporadic). So I found The Literary Maven. She has a 30 day poetry challenge for high school students, and granted the lad’s not there but hey.. read a poem, be inspired, laugh a little, and just have fun for a few days!
Then I stopped by Poets.org and discovered lesson plans for poetry.. for middle school and highschool. I thought Dear Poet 2017 looked interesting. What do you think? Or would one of their other lesson plans intrigue you more?
If you want to read seasonal poems, you could check out these fall/autumn poems for middle schoolers put together by The Poetry Foundation.
What do you think? Will these get you and your students off to a good poetry study this fall and winter? I hope so.. poetry is fun if you let it be. 🙂
Read it, delight in it, but don’t beat it death! Let the thoughts and images run through your mind, letting a line grabbing you so you can savour it.. and then let it go again. Poetry is a bit of a wild child you know…you have to let it run free soaking in where it will, running where it needs to. Blazingly fun, comfortingly slow, or soothingly sweet.
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Great read. I loved writing poetry when I was younger. I sometimes write a bit now but I do struggle reading some poets. I think the only poems I truly like and understand are those by Edgar Allan Poe.
most of Poe's stuff I'm not real keen on… but other poets grab my heart, just can't think of their names right now.!!
Thanks for the links. I'm feeling like I need something new. Although, we still listen to IEW's Poetry Memorization CD sometimes in the car.
that's great, hopefully something here will intrigue you. 🙂
I so agree about not beating a poem to death!! I remember feeling so discouraged when I was in high school English classes and the focus was so much on picking apart the poems and analyzing every little detail that the beauty of the words and rhythms were overlooked.
i had the same thing Kym, hated poetry back in the day, but now that I've learned to find a line, or a thought, poetry is much more fun.
Thank you, I forgot about these resources.
happy to remind you. 🙂
Nice resources. I may need to bookmark this post. 🙂
I hope you do. 🙂
I love your description of poetry! We used the poetry curriculum from Classical Writing when my kids were younger and that gave both of them a really solid grounding in the fundamentals. But you are completely right about letting poetry run where it needs to. For my kids it fulfills a need to express their sadness and joyful moments, just like art or music. But I guess they are all pretty much the same idea, just using different media, aren't they. I loved your post!
Thanks! Poetry is another artistic expression.