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From: Anne Oelke <bogus_at_does.not.exist.com>
Date: Thu, 16 Apr 1998 18:09:24
Carrie Schadle mentioned the difference between the way younger students perceive poetry, and the way high school and adults perceive it. I have noticed that as well. I must confess that I am not a poetry fan--at least not of much poetry that one might call "adult". So, reflection brings up the following points.
Younger students are "permitted" to simply enjoy the words, the cadence, the verbal pictures painted. Often poetry for the younger ones is amusing, even dealing with the "gross" things that fascinate them.
As students move into high school, very often poetry becomes more serious, and much time is spent analyzing rather than simply enjoying. The students are expected to work at understanding, and poetry then becomes work rather than fun.
As we grow older we become conditioned to believing there is a "right answer", rather than reacting personally to poems (and lots of other things in life too).
As writers in the middle and high school years, many students fear peer pressure. When the writing is shared with the student author known, it becomes a painful experience, something to be feared. Wednesday evening on one of the prime time feature programs there was an episode about a Long Beach teacher who was able to really reach disadvantaged youth. Her version of English was reading and writing--but the poetry, journal entries, etc. were shared anonymously. These youth continued to write and to share. They were truly "feeling" the poetry that they read and wrote.
To me, often poetry is feeling, not analysis. If I like it, or it makes me feel sad, do I need to figure out why? Perhaps that is an extension of the belief that "If it ain't broke, don't fix it."
I've observed 2 different high school teachers teaching a poetry unit. One uses contemporary poetry that relates to the students and allows a great deal of personal choice. The other uses much of the classical poetry, class discussion, analysis, written worksheets etc. One teacher has students who write poetry and are enthusiastic about it. One has students who will be happy when the class ends. Of course, these are generalizations, and there are exceptions in both classes, but....
So let's keep having fun with poetry with our older students too.
Anne C. Oelke, Librarian Cambria-Friesland School District P.O. Box 1000, Cambria, WI. 53923 mailto:acoelke at centuryinter.net
Received on Thu 16 Apr 1998 06:09:24 PM CDT
Date: Thu, 16 Apr 1998 18:09:24
Carrie Schadle mentioned the difference between the way younger students perceive poetry, and the way high school and adults perceive it. I have noticed that as well. I must confess that I am not a poetry fan--at least not of much poetry that one might call "adult". So, reflection brings up the following points.
Younger students are "permitted" to simply enjoy the words, the cadence, the verbal pictures painted. Often poetry for the younger ones is amusing, even dealing with the "gross" things that fascinate them.
As students move into high school, very often poetry becomes more serious, and much time is spent analyzing rather than simply enjoying. The students are expected to work at understanding, and poetry then becomes work rather than fun.
As we grow older we become conditioned to believing there is a "right answer", rather than reacting personally to poems (and lots of other things in life too).
As writers in the middle and high school years, many students fear peer pressure. When the writing is shared with the student author known, it becomes a painful experience, something to be feared. Wednesday evening on one of the prime time feature programs there was an episode about a Long Beach teacher who was able to really reach disadvantaged youth. Her version of English was reading and writing--but the poetry, journal entries, etc. were shared anonymously. These youth continued to write and to share. They were truly "feeling" the poetry that they read and wrote.
To me, often poetry is feeling, not analysis. If I like it, or it makes me feel sad, do I need to figure out why? Perhaps that is an extension of the belief that "If it ain't broke, don't fix it."
I've observed 2 different high school teachers teaching a poetry unit. One uses contemporary poetry that relates to the students and allows a great deal of personal choice. The other uses much of the classical poetry, class discussion, analysis, written worksheets etc. One teacher has students who write poetry and are enthusiastic about it. One has students who will be happy when the class ends. Of course, these are generalizations, and there are exceptions in both classes, but....
So let's keep having fun with poetry with our older students too.
Anne C. Oelke, Librarian Cambria-Friesland School District P.O. Box 1000, Cambria, WI. 53923 mailto:acoelke at centuryinter.net
Received on Thu 16 Apr 1998 06:09:24 PM CDT
