I’ve noticed from my long career as an English student that I’ve learned to really hate poetry. Although, I know I shouldn’t say that since as a prospective teacher, I know that I would have to teach poetry, but I never liked how poetry is very unpredictable. When I was in high school, my impression of poetry came from all the Shakespeare that I had to read (even though I know that that isn’t really poetry) but at the time I figured all poetry was similar in that it had a general rhyme scheme and pattern of organization. I was also forced to read a lot of Robert Frost poetry, which is usually pretty well structured. Then as I took classes in college such as contemporary poetry, I noticed that much of the poetry I was required to read did not follow any rhyme scheme and even the stanzas had varying rules to how they are structured. So I began to view poetry as a kind of puzzle where I needed to unlock clues to the meaning or structure (if there was any) and it was very frustrating for me. This is also the same reason why I didn't especially enjoy writing about poetry as well.
However, I noticed that I really enjoyed writing my own poetry because the loose rules to writing free form poetry seemed very liberating. I love how I can just take an idea stemming from a simple inspiration and I can just let my creative juices flow. Lately, I have adopted my own style of poetry that combines simple ABA rhyme scheme with some alliteration and it was actually pretty fun and interesting considering my generally negative view of poetry. Although I must admit that writing about poetry helped me learn how to properly structure my own poetry the way I wanted to.
As for how my experiences with poetry will inform how I teach it, as a result of my positive and negative experiences, I will teach my students to focus more on the emotions involved in reading poetry and to focus on the creative aspect and the freedom of poetry. This way, they won't feel bogged down by the frustration of breaking down poetry, but rather to indulge in the creative energy that it can evoke.
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Hey Marco,
ReplyDeleteI appreciate your honesty when talking about poetry!! I used to hate poetry, too, but it's growing on me a little. Not all poetry is worth the perusal, but every now and then I see a poem that grabs me by the !@#$, and I say to myself, "This poet is talking to me and me only. I can identify with the style and the form, and more importantly, the message." As I noted on my blog, poetry is interpretive. What you like and the next person likes will vary.
If I ever do get the chance to teach poetry, there are quite a few that I've picked out for discussion. I've had a few teachers along the way who were very passionate concerning verse, and they may have infected me as well. The deeper we look, the more we can add to our future lesson plans. And we'll never stop looking, so we may as well try to enjoy it.
Chuck
Hello Marco,
ReplyDeleteIt's unfortunate you hate reading and writing about poetry. I feel it has a lot to offer, entertainment being at the forefront of those things. I do feel for you though because as you mentioned you will need to suffer through poetry during your teaching career.
Speaking of teaching poetry, I agree with your teaching method. I too believe in concentrating on the creative aspect of poetic works-even though much of the creativity of a poetic work lies in it's diction, rhyme scheme, or form.
I am happy you enjoy writing poetry because I hate it. I love reading poetry and have no problem attempting to write about it, but I cannot write poetry myself. I have nothing interesting to say. Inspiration is extremely difficult for me to find-and that is my problem. I found the creative poetry writing assignment challenging. Like you said about poetic structures, they are hard to follow. I guess my vocabulary has not yet reached the size that would allow me to expand my diction and discover words that could assist in my writing in specific forms.
Frankie