The Art of Poetry

Poetry has inspired people for thousands of years, but many people today either avoid it, or feel confused by it. Spark a love of language and encourage students to use poetry to express themselves with this unique curriculum. Students will learn how to read a poem slowly and carefully; about the different forms poems can take; about famous poets; and how to construct their own poems. A wide spectrum of activities follows each poem, and range from comprehension activities to creative writing. The Art of Poetry may be used as an intensive 1-month study; teachers may also use two sections per month (or 2 weeks for each section), or even spread a few chapters over several years. Elements of poems are explained in beginning lessons, with real poems used to illustrate the concepts; following are additional poems with questions beneath. Chapters end with a page of activities and a list of vocabulary (many terms are bolded in context within the lesson).

Concepts covered include: elements of poetry such as images, metaphor, symbols, word, rhythm, shape, and tone; the history of poetry, including the history of form, movements, genres, verse forms, open verse, and case studies on Emily Dickinson and Walt Whitman; and application ideas for growing student interest in poetry. The appendix includes short biographies of the poets included in this book.

268 pages, indexed, softcover. Middle-High School. Pages are not reproducible. Audio of the read poems is available on the publisher's website; purchasers may also contact the publisher for a free MP3 download.