Chapter 8: Poetry

Poetry is a form that literature can take, not a genre. It's one of the most neglected forms of literature because people don't understand it, don't know how to read it, they're afraid to evaluate it, or we've had a bad experience (because we were made to pick them apart).  I can ABSOLUTELY relate to this!  I LOATHED having to dissect poetry when I was in school.  It really ruined poetry for me.  And I still feel a lack of confidence in reading poetry, for lack of understanding.
There's a lot of freedom in poetry- there's no real rules/format.
In a research study there were 5 conclusions when they looked at what kind of poetry kids liked and what kinds of poetry worked well for them (elementary students were surveyed)

• kids prefer narrative poetry- makes sense because kids are used to reading stories so it seems natural to them.
• two types they disliked were free-verse and haiku, possibly with the exception of writing them, because writing it is easier than listening to it or writing it.  Maybe dislike them because it feels like they have a lack of what they think makes up poetry (like rhyme and rhythm)
• rhyme, rhythm, and sound devices were strong preferences.  They like the play with language.
• funny poems, poems about familiar experiences and animals are liked.  
• preference for contemporary poems, perhaps because it's more familiar.  The language is something they recognize rather than dated words or words they aren't very comfortable with.  

additional criteria:

• visual images and words that allow the child's imagination to expand.  The poem creates some kind of image or sensory feeling.  These are things kids can grab hold of and see an image for.  
• Also, poems shouldn't be brought down to the "child's level."  Don't talk down to kids.  
• a good poem for kids allows kids to interact with the poem (readers theater).  
• Repeated readings- they get to hear and read the poem multiple times because they get to really know their part and adds to their enjoyment.  

There are some major awards for poetry.  NCTE Award is a great place to start.  It went from every 3 years to every year, because poetry began to grow.  

We need to not overlook poetry, but emphasize it.

You really have to shove into kid's heads that it DOESN'T HAVE TO RHYME!  And if you're the poet, you can make it be anything you want.

Always have a short poem nearby.  We should have short poems we can share with kids at any time. Share a poem a day! Then we can expose them to SO many poems!  

Criteria for evaluating poetry.

1. Familiar subject to children.  We need to be aware of where children are in their development (abstract versus concrete thinking) and make sure to read and share several poems about subjects, with children.

2. Imagery- poems should use imagery that is accessible to the age of the reader.  Imagery includes sights, sounds, tastes, smells, and textures.

3. Rhyme- while poems don't have to rhyme, young readers need the scaffold of rhyme initially so that later they can appreciate forms that do not rhyme.

4.  Rhythm- we can teach kids different "beats" as we read and how it fits the subject of the poem.

5. Sound- Alliteration, consonance, assonance, onomatopoeia all play a role in sounds