Poetry has been around for nearly five millennia, yet never has it been more puzzling. Technology, social media, and the blinding pace of contemporary life leave many students and readers in the dark. Just in time, this book comes to the rescue not just with a response to the problem of understanding and enjoying poetry, but it offers a solution.…

In an era of reductionist approaches to teaching and assessment, this dissertation returns to the fundamental question: "What is the value of writing, particularly poetry writing, in our society today?" The poet's central task, to abstract reality through symbols, requires profound cognitive and emotional work (Vendler, 2004; Steele,…

Poets assisted in the teaching of poetry in elementary and high schools in New Jersey. Development of sense perceptions, emotional reactions, metaphor, rhythm and sound were emphasized. (AF)

Discusses the public's lack of appreciation for poetry. Gives examples of poems expressing irony and emotions. Argues that poetry's philosophy, mode, and tone of communication make it difficult. Considers poetry's subversive, exploratory, and entertaining aspects. Presents detailed analyses of four poems. (DMM)

A total of 272 children participated in a study of the effectiveness of three support systems for cuing sixth grade students in interpreting the metaphoric language of poetry. The first system involved regular classroom teachers who applied their own verbal cuing, the second included external instructional support through media and the teachers'…

A discussion of six techniques whereby the abstract nature of foreign language poetry may be communicated to students. These are introduction to the genre, understanding and appreciating poetry, the poet and his/her milieu, reading for expression and vocabulary and in context, and analysis for theme, content, and structure. (Author/AMH)

This book presents a program for increasing the student's command of language through the experience of writing poetry. Designed to encourage students to systematically and accurately transform their experiences into brief expression, the program is divided into two sections--introductory and advanced. Each of the sections is composed of units on…