Teach a Poem to Your College Students - Different Ways to Teach Poetry

5 Parts:

Understanding Poetry

Different Ways to Teach Poetry:

Tips in Teaching Poetry:

Questions and Answers

Comments

Teaching literature is not easy. You have to study and understand the writer's point of view and styles in his or her literary works. It is also not enough to simply stand in front of your class, and if read a literary piece. Students will find this method boring and too traditional. If your students keep yawning during your class, it's a pretty good indication your technique isn't working. It's your job to keep your class alert and engaged. There are different ways to teach poetry that encourage your students to enjoy and participate in your class. If you have been newly hired as a college literature instructor, and you are looking for strategies to teach poetry, then you have come to the right page! In this article, we will discuss how to teach a poem to your college students.

Poetry refers to literary works written in verse. The best of poetry is a clever arrangement of words written with emotional intensity or sincerity and profound insight. These literary works can also be mysterious and may have different meanings, depending on the readers' perspective. Poetry can be works of great beauty due to its meter and rhyme, like the ebb and flow of an ocean. If a poem follows a specific structure, composed of rhymes and meters, it is considered an impressive poem. Take the literary works of Shakespeare's sonnets as examples, they are perfect because of the style and brilliant imagination. It is very important to understand the types of poetry and their styles before teaching poetry in class.

There are many different types of poetry: Ballad, elegy, lyrical poetry, sonnets, haiku, free verse, narrative, epic, ode, etc. The aforementioned are the most discussed styles of poetry in the classroom. Like the examples of Shakespeare and Elizabeth Browning, sonnets are quite difficult to write. A sonnet is a 14-line rhyming poem with set structure. Every line should have 10 syllables and is divided into two, three, or even, four sections. Shakespearean sonnets use iambic pentameter, a five-beat poetic line, however, there are other kinds of meters that you can also teach to your students: Pentameter, hexameter, octameter, etc. A poem that rhymes resembles music when read aloud. You should also be aware of rhymes used in a poem, just like in Shakespeare's sonnet 116. See structure below:

In the picture above, you will see red letters beside each line. That is the rhyming format used in sonnet 116. You should implement the same method in your class by asking them to use that rhyming format.

Here they are, strategies for teaching poetry. Reading a poem in front of your class and discussing something about it every day is boring. You should use other strategies when focusing on a poem. Below is a list of strategies that you can implement in your classroom:

1. 1
   Ask your students to find examples of figurative language in the poem you are studying

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   Figures of speech refer to similes, metaphors, personification, onomatopoeia, exaggeration, etc., used in a poem. Writers utilize this kind of figurative style, which is why many people have trouble understanding the meaning of a poem. Before asking your students to point out examples of figurative speech, make sure you have discussed examples of these. It would be smart to make this an interactive exercise where all students can participate. Call on them one by one to give examples so they can express their own opinion and what they know about the words. Ask follow-up questions regarding their understanding of the poem. Encourage discussion.

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2. 2
   Get your students to write a poem

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   If you are going to discuss a Shakespearean sonnet, you can also prepare a writing activity for your class, inspired by the sonnet. This is a real challenge for your students, as writing an iambic pentameter sonnet is no easy task, especially if there are meters, feet, and rhymes to follow. This should be implemented in class, so you will be able to gauge your students' talents and capabilities in crafting a poem. In the beginning, they may not be very skilled at writing sonnets, but over time they will improve. Writing a sonnet is a mind-boggling activity. First, they'll have to come up with a concept or subject to write about. Then, they'll have to consider how to tell their story within the parameters of the style and structure of a sonnet, while touching people emotionally. It may be tough, but they will also enjoy what they are doing. Make sure you have discussed forms and meters of poetry before asking them to write one as these are tools they will need to accomplish this task. Free-verse, as it's name implies, is a lot easier, and may be a better place to start.

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3. 3
   Dramatize a poem

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   You can turn a literary piece, like an epic poem, into a drama for presentation on the stage. Beowulf is an example of a heroic epic poem. It is written in old English consisting of long lines of alliteration, so it can be challenging. This can be so much fun, as the students will also get to know each other a little better. Give them ample time to rehearse the poem, which will likely lead them to a better understanding of what they're reading. Give them the option of using props and costumes, as these are things to enhance the poem, especially if you've created groups and you're judging them. If you have a small class size, 10-15 students, you can ask them to work together as one group, but each member will be scored or graded differently.

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4. 4
   Poems tell stories to

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   Have your class turn a poem into a short story based on their interpretation of a poem. This will test both their comprehension and writing skills. For instance, Edgar Allan Poe's, 'The Raven' is a mystical poem about Lenore. The poem was based on his wife, Virginia Clemm, who died from tuberculosis. This will test how well they do in converting a poem to a short story. Your criteria should consider the following: Grammatical structure, relevance, the flow of the story, etc.

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5. 5
   Utilize an Inference Graphic Organizer

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   By using an Inference Graphic Organizer (IGO), the students will be able to understand a poem by breaking it down based on their understanding and experiences. Teach your students how to make an Inference Graphic Organizer, before asking them to break down their understanding of a poem. An IGO usually has three parts and is written in three columns:  

   1. Details or statements from a poem.
   2. What I know from reading or experience.
   3. Inference (a conclusion drawn from reasoning or evidence).

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6. 6
   Utilize the approaches of literary criticism

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   Modern writers have their own approach to literary criticism. The five major approaches are the following: Historical criticism, biographical criticism, psychological criticism, sociological criticism, and mythological criticism. It's necessary to apply these approaches in order to understand a poem and teach your students.

    

   1. Regarding the works of Edgar Allan Poe, many of them involve insanity and a madman. This kind of poetry can be studied by using psychological criticism. You and your students should discuss and criticize the psychological matters involved in the works of Poe. Are the works somehow related to his life? Is the writer paralleling his own psychological problems? What inspired the writer to focus on these topics? The questions can also be answered using a biographical approach. Many of his works mirror his life. You should study the author's life and not just his work, as this can help you to better understand his poetry.
   2. Using a historical approach, you should connect poetry to history, When was the poem written? What was life like during that time? If your students have knowledge about history, they may be able to better understand a poem. They will be able to criticize a poem based on its historical theme. This strategy will help your students understand a poem by using different approaches to literary criticism. In this case, you should require a class report. Everyone should be able to participate and comprehend a poem by using any of these approaches to literary criticism, or a combination of several.

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7. 7
   Implement a poem recitation in class

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   Who says poetry recitation is only for kids? Poetic recitation is for college students too. Some of the best literary Professors have said that a poem should always be read aloud. Some poems have rhymes and meters, and they are to be read with proper intonation, using the stressed and unstressed sounds properly, like in Shakespearean sonnets. You can also try this method in your class and use it as criteria for judging. In order to learn more about the proper intonation when reading a poem, read and study the forms, rhymes, and meters of poetry. You can find some on the Internet.

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Keep in mind that you are teaching other people. You should not teach only for yourself and for money. Teaching is an art, a profession, and a mission. Your purpose is to allow your students to learn from you and not be bored by your process. Take note of the tips written below:

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   Do not read a poem and only provide your own interpretation to your class

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   All art is subjective, and each person's perception is valid, and will differ from yours, and the other students. You should incorporate interaction (collaboration and brainstorming), so your students will be engaged with your discussion. Make sure each student has a copy of the piece for reference. In your class, discussion between the students is more important than you telling them what they should think. They are college students, not children. Do not spoon-feed them. As an instructor or a professor, you are only there to instruct and guide them, not to think for them.
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