| Finding Poems to Guide Teaching |
|
Contributed By Michelle Wolf |
Read a large repertoire of poems.
Students will write like the repertoire of poems they hear and read. Rhyme is a feature of many poems, and although poems with rhyme are fun to read and hear, they can be very tricky to write. When looking for poems as models for your students, look for those that contain more accessible features and patterns. Repetition, figurative language, and alliteration are some accessible poetic devices your students will have success trying on their own.
Look for poems that say something about poetry or the process of writing poetry.
A lot of poems can guide us to look and think like poets. When looking for poems to anchor your teaching, ask yourself these questions: How does this poem ask me to look or think about the world? What does this say about poetry? What does this teach me about writing poetry?
Look for poems that have an interesting shape or structure.
Sometimes the strength of a poem exists because of its shape or structure. When reading poems, consider their shape and structure, and think about these questions: What is interesting about the shape of this poem? What is the effect of the shape? Why did the poet choose this form? Is this a good poem to teach list, narrative, or back-and-forth structure?
Look for poems that your students will connect to.
One of the best features of poetry is that it makes us feel. It can make us laugh, dream, wonder, and hope. It can make us feel connected and understood at every emotional level. When looking for poems to guide your teaching, look for those that will connect to your students' excitements, wonders, anxieties, fears, and loves. When considering poems, keep these questions in mind: What does the poem do? Does it make you wonder? Does it create a strong image in your mind? Does it make you feel connected to others? Does it make you smile or laugh? Does it help you understand the world or people better? Does it help you empathize with others? |
|
