Poetry has never been something that I have particularly enjoyed writing, especially when I was younger. To me poetry always seemed like something that was supposed to be elegant and masterfully composed, containing flowing words and hidden meanings. It was a thing to be admired, created by great poets, but not something I felt that I could really do myself. Of course, as a student in school I would put up with teachers’ attempts to create a “poet” out of me, but I never thought anything I wrote was good enough to be considered real poetry.
As the years went on I realized that writing poetry doesn’t have to be such a daunting task. Being able to write poetry isn’t some magical gift only bestowed upon those great enough to compose it. Writing poetry is really not that hard. In fact, it’s actually quite fun. It’s a great way to express feelings, or get a thought out, while not having to use many words.
Poetry uses a different form than regular writing, which is why I believe many students are afraid of it. Students are taught the writing process and how to write five paragraph essays from an early age. They get comfortable writing in a certain way, and then when asked to write a poem, they freeze up and don’t think they can do it. As a teacher, I want to be able to show my students that poetry doesn’t have to be scary. It comes in many formats, and anyone can write poems.
The first part of the problem is that the poems that kids are exposed to when they are young are usually the cutesy rhyming kinds poems. They grow up reading poems like the ones by Dr. Seuss and Shel Silverstein, and then students are stuck with the misconception that poems need to rhyme. Now, I am not saying that they shouldn’t read Dr. Seuss or Shel Silverstein’s poems. I am personally a big fan of both. In, fact one of my favorite books of poems growing up, and to this day, is Shel Silverstein’s Where the Sidewalk Ends. However, I think it’s important that young students are exposed to many kinds of poetry, so they don’t get stuck on the idea of rhyming.
The second part of the problem, I believe, is that once students get older and are expected to study poetry, many of the poems used in schools are hard to understand. Works by Shakespeare are great, but it’s hard for students to connect to something they don’t comprehend. Students are taken from the simple poems of the elementary days, and jumping to complicated works that use unfamiliar language. This causes students to get frustrated, and therefore not like poetry, when in reality
poetry can be so enjoyable.
I just finished reading Love that Dog, by Sharon Creech. I loved it! It tells the story of a student named Jack who hates poetry. He feels that only girls write poetry, and he doesn’t think he can do it. However, his teacher won’t stop assigning poems for him to write. The book is written sort of like a diary, and it tells Jack’s story through poetry that he writes. Throughout the story the teacher provides the class with many different examples of poems, and one really inspires Jack. His attitude about poetry transforms throughout the book, and in the end he is able to tell a touching story through his poetry. I think a lot of students would enjoy this book, because they will be able to relate to how Jack is feeling. Poetry is important for students to learn, and as teachers it is important that we get our students inspired and excited about writing poetry!
Christa Lezanic 