Children respond happily and spontaneously to poetry, their natural language and the simplest form of literature. This paper presents reasons for using poetry with children, discusses the nature of children's poetry and the people who write it, explores the times and the ways in which teachers should use poetry with children in the classroom,…

Young children use poetic language naturally in that they express themselves through metaphors, colorful images, and unique word choice. Since this ability has often been repressed by the time children reach the middle grades, this article suggests classroom activities intended to stimulate children's natural poetic expression. These activities,…