Poetry Top 10: A Foolproof Formula for Teaching Poetry Author(s): Mara Linaberger Reviewed work(s): Source: The Reading Teacher, Vol. 58, No. 4 (Dec., 2004 - Jan., 2005), pp. 366-372 Published by: International Reading Association Stable URL: http://www.jstor.org/stable/20205490 . Accessed: 17/01/2012 10:48 Your use of the JSTOR archive indicates your acceptance of the Terms & Conditions of Use, available at . http://www.jstor.org/page/info/about/policies/terms.jsp JSTOR is a not-for-profit service that helps scholars, researchers, and students discover, use, and build upon a wide range of content in a trusted digital archive. We use information technology and tools to increase productivity and facilitate new forms of scholarship. For more information about JSTOR, please contact [email protected].

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MARA

10: A

top

Poetry

LINABERGER

for

poetry

teaching

Examples of student work and a top 10 list included in this article make

formula

foolproof

Fear factor

it easy to teach

can all remember

We

a particular

class

college-level English us to read selected

poetry

in which

high school or the teacher re

poems from a large and of long-dead poets. I ominous-looking anthology can clearly remember the fear I felt when one such

quired What is it about teaching poetry that teach ers find so threatening? Is it the premise Is that poetry has to rhyme? (It doesn't.) it the argument that poetry has to follow a specific or meter?

(It doesn't.) Or is it the idea that poetry has to use big words and be hard to under stand in order to be considered great? (It doesn't.) It seems share these misin teachers that many

pattern

ideas about what makes great poetry and assume that teaching children therefore mistakenly to write poetry is beyond their ability.

formed

our personal feelings about po as teachers we must endeavor to teach po etry are, our to Perfect (1999) explained why: students. etry No matter what

Itnurtures a love and appreciation for the sound and power of language. Poetry can help us see differently, understand ourselves and others, and validate our hu man

experience.

motes

personal

It...enhances

thinking Such

connections....

skills,

attributes

and

pro

deserve

a closer look. (p. 728)

to tackle at my

looking demonstrate

the subject with young students. By successful attempts to teach poetry, I how to skillfully incorporate the writ

ing of poetry into the classroom using others and relying upon the skills many

ideas from teachers

al

ready possess.

366

poet.

I also recall tomimic

in my at that I failed miserably the poet's rhymed meter. This may to do with my discomfort teaching

tempts have something or writing rhymed poetry today. There also may be other reasons other

fears.

for my (and (1999) noted that a teacher's perceived need

Perfect

teachers') these fears may include to have skill in the teaching of poetry methods and an as as to how of well conventions, understanding that, "by analyze and interpret poetry. She believed

each of these, teachers may be convinced discussing to dismantle their fears or negative feelings and be come willing to give poetry a new try" (p. 731). ele It is sad that many teachers, particularly do not approach the school teachers, at all. Some of attempt to poetry writing teaching value by reading from an acknowledge poetry's thologies now and then, while others focus on read

mentary

As a third-grade teacher who long held many ideas about the teaching of poetry, I ill-conceived some of the ways I have will attempt to address found

asked me to voice my opinion about the a particular poem. Even worse, I can of meaning remember being asked to write in the style of that instructor

?

2004

International Reading Association

Poetry ing a particular poet during U.S. National is simply not Month. However, reading poetry enough. What happens all too often when teachers to only read poems with students is that the of the students become confused by the complexity to try them reluctant often makes poetry, which their own poems. writing choose

(pp. 366-372)

doi:10.1598/RT.58.4.6

FIGURE1 Sources

for poetry

ideas

Books In the Palm of Your Hand: The Poet's Portable Workshop (Steve Kowit, 1995, Tilbury House) The Practice of Poetry: Writing Exercises From Poets Who Teach (Robin Behn, 1992, HarperResource) Rose, Where Did You Get That Red? Teaching Great Poetry to Children (Kenneth Koch, 1990, Random House) Wishes, Lies, and Dreams: Teaching Children to Write Poetry (Kenneth Koch, 1999, HarperCollins) Websites www.poetryteache_rs.com

www.gigg!epptz_?pm/kidsp_ www.ppet_s_.prg

www.nesbf^ \_/

teachers who do choose to approach po etry writing arm themselves with rhyming diction teachers even provide lists. Some aries or word their students with fill-in-the-blank poems inwhich Many

are already laid and rhyming couplets the student has to do is provide particular in the the poem, much parts of speech to complete a or of Lib. This rebus Mad of type writing style can often do more harm than good in inspiring chil dren to write poetry. Little or no original thinking is such scripted tasks, required in order to complete and students end up with no foundation for the cre

in getting students to write poetry in then you can too! Figure the elementary classroom, some sources for poetry ideas. 1 lists

I can succeed

the meter

out. All

ative aspects of open-ended poetry writing. That is not to say that reading poetry aloud or is bad. It's students write rhymed poems having love poetry? just that young students generally more it love read, and, important, they they hearing are unafraid to try to imitate it. Rhymed poetry can to create, and, often, young stu be quite difficult rhymed poems end up sounding stale or trite. I have found through trial and error that even a first in the style of a favorite grader can write poetry that and modern, author, unrhymed poetry gener ally works best. to write to teach students free Attempting

dents'

verse poetry may seem like a daunting task, but I'll I decided to take the share a secret with you. When to teach and my students to write attempt plunge come not to I have did up with the ideas or poetry, I capitalized Rather, upon the prompts myself. work of other poets and added a few techniques that I had learned for improving reading compre some of the prompts of poet hension. By mixing the Author" the "Questioning Beck and of Isabel Margaret McKeown techniques to I love students (1998), got my writing poems. If

Kenneth

Koch

with

Poetry

Learninq to write again to be a famous poet when but school, my misguided experience to write in the style of a classical poet

I had a secret desire Iwas

in high

trying

squelched

this passion. My fear of poetry didn't until the summer of 2000 when I attend

disappear ed the Western Summer

Project's Pennsylvania Writing Institute, by the National sponsored Project, and had the good fortune to work

Writing with published

poet have known

Roberts.

Len

Mr.

Roberts

during that two-day work to get me to write poetry his that attempts shop me a passion not only about inspire in again would my own poetry writing but also about the writing of couldn't

my

students.

I found the working with Len Roberts, to to and read my work aloud courage colleagues as a writer during generally came to think of myself a summer afternoons. Purchasing those sweltering After

self-published guidebook etry from Mr. Roberts

for teaching free-verse po entitled To Write a Poem

(2000), I headed back to my classroom, that I could teach kids to write poetry could actually write

confident I

because

itmyself.

Tryingother ideas At several

of a colleague, the suggestion books written by Kenneth

top 10: A foolproof

formula

for

teaching

I purchased Koch. They

poetry

367

included

POETRY TOP 10: AN ACTION PLAN

You Get

Red?

Great

Teaching

Poetry

to

to children, by reading great poetry ple: Begin to discuss it, and then have the children attempt of writ write poetry afterward. The fundamentals ing poetry will come through the imitation process. In Koch's (1998) words, "A transfer takes place: by a young poet can possess what has taken reading, of years to develop" to teach poetry Preparing

hundreds

first and foremost

(p. 71). I in my classroom, a and writer, myself

considered to help then I turned to the resources I had collected was to to I thrilled students my begin writing poetry. have a whole host of prompts to try out with my stu

a poem.

Look at the poem you read again. What did you like about it?Was it the length of the lines?Was it the sub ject matter? Or was it something else? Try out one of the poet's ideas, borrow a line from the poem, or write your own poem in the same style as the poet you've just read. This will give you insight on whether a poetry prompt will work or not. 4. Read your poem to a friend (or to your students). This is the hard part. Few of us tiketo share our writing with others, but having your work read by others isone of the best ways to understand the processes to which you will be subjecting your students.

I started simply by using topics from Koch's Wishes, Lies, and Dreams (1999). These poems and to my students. accessible ideas were immediately dents.

to share, students' examples plenty of Koch's with this and built confidence, up my young poets Iwas able to explore poetry writing fur foundation on to Rose, Where Did You Get That ther. Moving from I selected personal favorites Red? (1990),

With

with of adult poetry, complete anthology on how to approach teaching them. The suggestions are two poems crafted by my third-grade following idea to read students after we used Kenneth Koch's

Koch's

5. Borrow a poetry lesson. This is an easy way to start teaching poetry writing to students. Find a book on teaching poetry, a website, or a list of poetry prompts that you like.Try someone else's poetry lesson to see what works with your stu dents and what doesn't. This will help you to eventually build your own effective poetry lessons. 6. Integrate what you know. Instead of reinventing the wheel, take a method you've learned somewhere else and try itas you read a poem to your students. Use questioning or reading compre hension techniques to get at the underlying ideas of a poem or to lookat the poem's structure inorder to imi tate it.

'The Tyger," "The Lamb," Blake's poems and "The Sick Rose" and followed Koch's discus

William

sion suggestions. The Relic Relic why did thou die? Igot cancer. How old are you? Iam 23 continued existences old.

7. Create your own poetry lesson. Now that you are more comfortable with poetry ingen eral and have taught someone else's poetry lesson, see what you can think up yourself. Perhaps share one of the poems you've written or a student's poem, and use it as the model for your new poetry lesson. 8. Share your students'poems. Be sure to find opportunities to share your students' poems. Create displays or anthologies for students,

Who is your birth mother? Idon't know. What is your name? Rex the third. Why do you eat people? Because Ican't find noth ing else.

Would it help if Ifind you something to eat? Yes please.

Where do you live? No where. Dakota H. The Ugly Duckling Ugly duckling, ugly duckling Thee Ihave come through to you

(continued)

Vol. 58, No. 4

That

and Writing Poetry (1998). of Reading three texts helped me realize that it is not such a great step to go from writing poetry to teach ing children how to do it. Koch's premises are sim

classroom.

Teacher

Teaching

These

2. Ask questions of the poet Have an innerdialogue with the poet you've just read. What was he or she trying to tell you? What was the main idea the author wanted you to take from the poem? Can you see yourself writing inthe style of the poet? Try to imagineyourself thinking likethat poet.

The Reading

and Dreams:

Pleasures

1. Read great poetry. Use your own definition of "great" poetry. Itdoesn't matter what sort of poetry you read, just pick some thing that you enjoy. The most important thing you can do is get to know a poem yourself and understand why it speaks to you before attempting to use it inyour

368

Lies,

Children (1990); andMaking YourOwn Days: The

To help you with your preparations, I'vealso developed a list of the top 10 things you can do inorder to embark on teaching poetry inyour own classroom.

3. Write

Wishes,

Children toWrite Poetry (1999); Rose, Where Did

December

2004/January

2005

Take care, you can come through To whom itmay concern That once inawhile itmay Come through to you Imay Be able to take care of what you Are, what you wear, that's what I Concern. You could do what I Do. One day put makeup on Lipstick FUBU the size of 3 in 1half Why don't you do that? Why don't you take showers? Lake bath is nice for you Why not use your feathers For the red, white and blue Flag. For the whiteness on the flag. Tyvenna

Dakota so many meaning

POETRY TOP 10: AN ACTION PLAN (continued) teachers,

9.

lessons. your poetry some really unique poetry that you've created les and have student to document their ef examples your

lessons

your

successes.

your

so that colleagues You might even lesson for other teach

with

poetry

ers to try.

to. Publish! After all of this hardwork, find a proper outlet to share the creative results of your hardwork with the world. Consider

these two student poets images. However, went well beyond any expectations I had had for I have for this their writing. The only explanation occurrence is that the students had gained true in word

spiration the ensuing

Share

files.

share fectiveness, can duplicate they consider publishing

N.

of Blake's

to keep

own

sons

trying to show us. We talked about the words thee and thou, and what they meant. We noticed Blake's use of questions, the animal themes, and the use of

the reading discussion.

Remember

your

Now

poems

and

publishing

in a children's

magazine

or a schol

what

a particular

arly journal.

and Tyvenna's poems surprised me on the levels. As a class, we had discussed was of Blake's poems and the ideas he

from

to see.

and parents

copies of the student poems for their portfolios and

that they do not simply explain text should mean to students.

the Author ismuch more than just Questioning a set of questions for comprehension. The method a with series of begins initiating queries. Teachers are encouraged to preread and mark the student text in order

to determine

key points

for discussion.

A

to series of questions is used secondary follow up on main ideas and to turn back to the on ideas and to elaborate students text, allowing in order

make

Integratingwhat you know own explorations into teaching poetry My didn't stop at merely relying upon the borrowed prompts of poets and authors. Having completed the training in a technique known as Questioning Author with Isabel Beck and Margaret McKeown

(1998) from theUniversity of Pittsburgh, I began to their program's I decided of writing.

think about

ability to adapt to forge ahead

to the

in my to it the of poetry writing by adapting teaching I knew. methods already questioning as a method for "making public and Described of the available the process comprehension," subject

the Author approach attempts to give Questioning that help the stu teachers questioning techniques dent to find deeper meaning through modeling what

excellent

readers

(Beck & McKeown, teachers focus

help

do when

they read silently 1998, p. 7). These techniques in such a way their questions

Poetry

Beck, (McKeown, meaning collaboratively & Hamilton, Kucan, 1999). The thinking and planning that these methods me more of did than change the way I ap required with my students. proached reading comprehension I noticed that I started to look at my favorite poems in new ways too. After using these techniques with third-grade reading groups for a number of months, I began to formulate a plan for using the question in poetry, as well ing techniques to uncover meaning as to discover I decided

conventions used by poets. to try out these questioning tech aWilliam Carlos Williams poem enti the writing

niques with tled "This Is Just to Say." Prior to class, Imarked the text, determining points at which we might talk about the author's intent and chosen writing meth in ods. We began with a lengthy class discussion which "What

students

answered

is the author

initiating queries such as (Beck & talking about?"

McKeown, 1998, p. 15). Then I asked students my own questions such as about the poet's methods,

top 10: A foolproof

formula

for

teaching

poetry

369

"Do you notice anything about the way the poet see writes? Can you any particular patterns?" Students took this even further, discussing use of short

Williams's

lines,

but vivid

stanzas, and simple the use of questions,

language. Through style and con they were able to uncover Williams's ventions, which they then used to create their own are two stu poems. The following "apologetic" that came out of that lesson.

dent poems

his audience

a backhanded

recog apology while simple words full of im

the power of using illustrates agery. I believe my students' writing Butler's contention that the (2002) "Using writing can yield effective of others to teach writing and nizing

benefits long-lasting to write convincingly going beyond ing to a more

a mere

that give students confidence on their own" (p. 2). By my discussion of a poem's mean

detailed

of a poet's

discussion

writ

students were more

ing conventions, my easily able to create similar poems of their own. Using the work of poets and incorporating what I knew allowed me to grow and change inmy teach

On the Bed forgive me for jumping on the bed

to tackle I now have the confidence ing methods. the subject of poetry without fear. These practices have also allowed me to recognize and internalize

which you were going to sleep on

that "Poets (1998) statement by the work of other poets" (p. 83).

Koch's

but the bed is so fun,

The proof is in the poem

bouncy, and soft I loved It

With Kyara

kinds

of changes student writing.

good

and they were chocolate chip-licious Iwant some

Shawna T.

Shawna's

poems

seem

fall, what

and Kyara than the less sophisticated glance,

ones produced by Dakota and Ty venna after looking atWilliam Blake's poetry, I believe they are not. two the stu show these poems simplistic, Although dents'

deep

Williams's

understanding short-lined style

of William

Teacher

had few

and casual

I asked

the class like to write

Carlos manner.

to a prompt, the stu than just responding intent to give dents were able to mimic Williams's

The Reading

in

Vol. 58, No. 4

of prospective publishers first. After much discus

they'd for the sion, they all settled on writing poems and so I asked them to write me school newspaper, a poem. I I gave them no prompt or guidance. a see to what wanted poem they thought merely was. Here is Jordan's first "poem."

Rather

370

can make

friends and would make silly com It was no surprise that Jordan for attention. was not a particularly good writer either. en In fourth grade, as part of a self-selected to take my class richment period, Jordan signed up we started in the When called "Get Published!"

He

mom

at first

poetry

ments

cause they were so good to eat

though,

that teaching

I offer one student example as a case study and as an example of how writing poetry can change a and way of thinking. Jordan F. student's confidence was the class clown of his third-grade homeroom.

but they

Even

of poetry methods and some you probably have

techniques, of your own. You may be wondering questions whether or not these methods really work with stu like some proof of the dents. Perhaps you would

a shame

more

all this discussion

questioning

F.

I'mSorry, But ItWas Good Iate all the cookies Iknow itwas

were

are inspired

December

My Turkey A turkey is for Thanksgiving Turkey is to eat

2004/January

2005

Turkey is part of a holiday Turkey is good forme Some people don't like turkey Turkey is not for school People love Thanksgiving because they eat turkey Ithink everybody should celebrate Thanksgiving It's the best holiday I love Turkey and people should. Jordan

about the patterns created by re the peated words, lengths of lines, and the blank stanzas. The students spaces between quickly homed in on the number patterns found within each dren. We

talked

individual conventions

poem and were for their own

eager "song"

to borrow poems.

these

Here

is

Jordan wrote.

what

F.

My Animal 1 My animal is yellow It's a yellow lion 2 Ibought it on Thanksgiving It is for the Thanksgiving parade Iput a charm on him that says love on it for the

Jordan's first poem reads much more like a short, informational piece than a poem and is not what you I was might expect from a fourth grader. However, content that he at least had the idea that poems gen erally don't follow a paragraph format. our next meeting, to try out I decided "The Third from Lies, Wishes, prompt Eye" in and Dreams which he students (1999) suggests At

Koch's

Thanksgiving parade 3 The pet store is closed at dawn igot the iion at dawn 4 The lion is also a rainbow The pet store Igot him from was a rainbow 5 The sunbeams dropped on the ground

"imagine they had a thirdeye in themiddle of their foreheads believe

and to say what it would see" (p. 275). I that Jordan did slightly better this time, us a bit more while still clinging imagination

ing his to primitive

repetitions. My Third Eye can see God. can see the devil. can see me. can see school. can't see teachers. can't see television. can see video games. can't see Halloween. can't see Holidays because

Jordan F.

My third eye My third eye My third eye My third eye My third eye My third eye My third eye My third eye My third eye Christmas. My third eye goes asleep now.

What made this poem so remarkable tome was the fact that Jordan, while still writing about vari ous holidays, was able to go beyond what I thought he was capable of creating. He chose to imitate one stanza style and chose particular poem's numbered to repeat certain words throughout the poem. But came when Jordan said to the crowning moment I repeated my words just like the poets I didn't did; only repeat them all at the end of the line. My first pattern was at the end, and then next to last." Jordan chose to borrow a writing conven "Look!

me,

Jordan F. not see much difference You might between Jordan's first and second poems, but I could al in Jordan. Even though he still ready see changes focused on using repetition and frequent mention

tion and then build creatively upon it. Jordan had so more much from the lesson than I had gotten ever imagined he would, and your students can too.

of various holidays, he had started to think of him self as a writer. He had also begun to think beyond himself and try out new ideas in his poems. At this

It'syour turn

point, I threw Jordan and the other students a curve. I took Koch's in Rose, Where Did You suggestion

teach

to read three Native

means

Get That Red? American

(1990)

and I had students write

as

song poems, if they "had special poems of songs for the impor tant things" (p. 292). I also devised my own series of questions for analyzing the poems with the chil

Poetry

Now

that I've to my

poetry for getting

time to write

you how I was able to I'd like to offer a students,

shown

there yourself. Begin by making so that you can better poetry yourself

prepare to teach the writing of poetry to students. This can be accomplished in several ways. You attend local your might chapter of the National

top 10: A foolproof

formula

for

teaching

poetry

371

in the summertime, take a class at a or purchase a book on writing po etry. No matter your choice, your students will ben efit from your attempts to practice writing poetry. I am confident that you will discover for yourself,

Writing Project local university,

as Daniel (2001) did, that "what inspires kids to write

is their teacher's

dedication

the process" (p. 2). Make time to conduct

and attitude

to

ward

research

and read on the

search the Internet for topic of poetry. You might ideas, read scholarly journals, or consult the wide not variety of books available on the topic. While a some I offer list of of favorite exhaustive, my places to find new poetry ideas (see Figure 1). task at poetry can seem a daunting Teaching times, especially for teachers of elementary students. the benefits of teaching poetry truly out However,

for the Arts and Humanities. She can be contacted at 121Circle Drive, Pittsburgh, PA 15237,

USA.

E-mail [email protected].

References Beck, I.,& McKeown, M. (1998). Questioning the author: Participant manual. Pittsburgh, PA: University of Pittsburgh. Butler, P. (2002, Spring). Imitation as freedom: (Reform ing student writing. The Quarterly. Retrieved March 20, 2003, from http://writinqproject.org/pub/nwpr/guarter ly/2002no2/butler.html Daniel, A. (2001, Summer). Working with beginning writers. The Quarterly. Retrieved March 6, 2003, from http;// nwp.edgateway.net/pub/nwpr/quarterl^ html Durham, J. (1997). On time and poetry. Teacher,

The Reading

51,76-79.

weigh

in preparing the difficulty the lessons. Even are not equipped to though you may feel that you teach poetry, the steps outlined in this article should

Koch, K. (1990). Rose, where did you get that red? Teaching great poetry to children. New York: Random House. Koch, K. (1998). Making your own days: The pleasures of

to help you to realize that it is possible. Remember as poets. Children "take children seriously have a natural talent for writing poetry" (Koch, 1999, p. all heard so many times before, as 25). As we've teachers we function best as models, not as "the sage

reading and writing poetry. New York: Touchstone. Koch, K. (1999). Wishes, lies, and dreams: Teaching children to write poetry. New York: HarperCollins. Manning, M., & Manning, G. (1997). Talk about poetry! Teaching K-8,27(5), 100-101. McKeown, M., Beck, I.,Hamilton, R., & Kucan, L (1999). "Questioning the author" accessibles: Easy-access re sources for classroom challenges. Bothell, WA: The

on the stage." Reading, and sharing your writing, own poems with students will help to spark their lifelong love of poetry.

Linaberqer is a technology and writing specialist at the Dilworth Traditional Academy

372

The Reading

Teacher

Vol. 58, No. 4

Wright Group. Perfect, K.A. (1999). Rhyme and reason: Poetry for the heart and head. The Reading Teacher, 52,728-737. Roberts, L. (2000). To write a poem [self-published].

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2004/January

2005