Chapter 8: Poetry

There are many misconceptions when it comes to Poetry. It is frequently viewed as the most ignored forms of literature. As librarians, it is important that we remember that Poetry is not a genre but a form of literature. Many times, children are being forced to analyze poem, instead of reading them for enjoyment. This is a huge disservice to children because they lose the interest to read poetry when they are forced to read poems. Reading and writing go hand and hand, so it is important that we have students not only read poetry for fun but also write their own poetry. Writing poetry is less tedious, because they don’t have to follow a certain format or idea. This is also a wonderful way for children to express their feelings and themselves. When having children write poetry it is vital to remember the difference between the type of poetry children enjoy reading versus writing. Depending on style some children may struggle when writing poetry and we must remember to keep it fun so they can enjoy this type of literature and writing.

Research that was conducted in the 1970s regarding poetry and children found that children like narrative poems, which are story-like poems, funny poems, poems that they can relate to, poems about animals, poems with rhyme, rhythm, and sound devices. Children may also have a preference for contemporary poems. Be mindful to poem written in the past because they are intended for much older audiences. Students will not be able to make connections to poems written by Emily Dickson. Not only did the study find information about what children prefer but in contrast it also found what children dislike. When it comes to poetry, children dislike free verse poems and haiku . Although they dislike reading these poems, they enjoy writing using this style of poetry. When reading children will struggle with poems that do not rhyme because they are usually misinformed that poetry has to rhyme. That is why it is very important to let children know that poetry does not always rhyme.

What poems should do:

·         For children reading poetry it is important that they can connect to the poem. They must be familiar of what the poem is conveying. If they do not understand they will not enjoy the poem. The poem should use imagery to invoke visual image and use words that allow a child’s imagination to explore the author’s words. Poems that appeal to children’s five sense will keep them engaged and interested.

·         It is important to remind children that poetry does not have to rhyme but at a younger age, they are more interested in rhyming poem and they need the scaffold of rhyme when introducing rhyme.

·         Sound is important when children are reading poetry. This will hold children’s attention. (Onomatopoeia)

·         Is the poem age appropriate? This does not mean brought down to their level but it does need to be appropriate where they can make connections to it. A lot of poem written before the 1900s are not appropriate for children.

• Awards for poetry include NCTE Award, which is a major award to be selected for. The award is given for a poet’s entire lifetime of work that is written for children. Lee Bennett Hopkins/ International Reading Association Promising Poet Award. This is award is given to “up and coming” writers who have written two books.

Reflection

There once was a poem I introduced to children in my class and it was a very simple poem but was about being in the sky and looking down at objects on the ground. I didn’t realize that many of my students struggled with this because they had never been high up (in a plane or tall building) where, when they looked down people and things seemed smaller. Therefore, they could not connect with this poem. After reading about the importance of being familiar with what the poem is conveying, I could understand why my students struggled. I believe that a future librarian It is important to be able to understand these studies that show what poetry children are interested in and what kinds of poetry they are not interested in. While teaching poetry elements to students are important, it is more important to have children fall in love with poetry, especially because of it being a commonly avoided form of literature. This chapter helped me understand ways I can help students better understand poetry and learn to hopefully love it.