Introduction to the Art of Poetry

The Introduction to the Art of Poetry course is the equivalent of a one-half elective high school credit. This fall semester course will study the first eight chapters of Christine Perrin’s curriculum, covering over half of the 39 poems therein. (The remaining chapters will be studied in the Formal History of Poetry spring semester course.) The class will complete two chapters per month, supplemented by poet biographies, a glossary, and a detailed time- line in the back of the book. This curriculum should dovetail nicely with rhetoric and writing units as well as literature classes as students learn how to interpret language and write both analytically and figuratively.

Students will study the elements of poetry throughout these first eight chapters as they explore how to read a poem closely and absorb its beauty. Classes will begin with one of the chapter poems and then gravitate naturally to more poems in the chapter that help students understand these elements of poetry: images, metaphor, symbols, words, sounds, rhythm, shape, and tone. In every chapter of the book, there is a “Learning to Read Closely” section that homes in on how to read and interpret language, the study of which can serve as a guide for students in all future studies.

Students will grow in their consideration of imaginative comparisons while studying the poetic elements; focusing on how a piece of writing achieves its meaning, rather than simply looking at what it means. They will use the practical, hands-on activities outlined throughout the textbook to supplement class studies and assist in developing and writing their own poetry. All of these interactions with the textbook and each other will help them understand and experience the full reach of poetry.

Students will use the practical, hands-on activities outlined throughout the textbook to supplement class studies and assist in developing and writing their own poetry. Students will interact with the textbook and each other in several ways to experience the full reach of poetry. Throughout these activities, students will learn to interpret others’ poems and write their own poems through a natural progression of steps:

1. Read Aloud. Poetry needs to be read aloud so, as Perrin says, you can feel it in your mouth and hear it in your ears. We will begin every class by reading poems aloud, at least twice. The sound, rhythm, and tone of a poem becomes interlaced with its meaning. Stu- dents also will be asked to record themselves saying poems. When speaking and then listening to ourselves speak, we can pick up subtle meanings that we may not have heard or understood otherwise.
2. Memorization. Memorizing poems helps students internalize and understand the work from the inside out, learning about and feeling the specific lines and joints of a poem. Reciting poems creates sounds and rhythm, internalizing the music of a poem. Students will learn how to memorize with the aid of hand motions, songs, images, sounds, lines, and sentences. Students will be asked to memorize at least one poem from every chapter.
3. Socratic Discussion. People often interpret poems Classes will revolve around the good, hearty discussion that leads to greater understanding. Students will be encouraged to share their interpretations with support from the poem and the history surrounding it. There will be healthy debate as students agree and disagree. The class will review how concrete images can inspire abstract interpretation — along with how to know where comparisons should begin and end. We will explore how to know when an interpretation is unsupported and therefore taken too far.
4. Free-writing. During some classes, students will be invited to “free write” for a short pe- riod of time. Free-writing involves writing down whatever comes to mind without pausing to mull it This practice can inspire great inspiration and creativity. Topics might include writing about a favorite image or symbol, or writing thoughts inspired by one of the poems in the textbook.
5. Journal Students will keep a writer’s journal of their own poems and favorite po- ems. They also will have a poetry notebook that will include ideas for poems and the poetic elements; studies of different poets, images, and time periods; and a timeline of the poems and poets studied.
6. Poetry Slam. At the end of each quarter (twice for the fall semester), students will be invited to share their favorite poems (both their own and/or another poet’s work) as a group.
7. Chapter and Vocabulary Quizzes. Quizzes will be given at the end of every chapter, along with one cumulative test at the end of the course. These quizzes will incorporate the vocabulary words listed in every chapter as well.
8. Hands-On Activities. Each chapter shares several in-class activities and homework assignments to help students work through and understand the poetic elements, along with the history surrounding the poems and their creators. Here are some of these activities:

• Take five minutes to free write about images from one of the four seasons; then write a poem using this as an inspirational guide.
• Describe an image that is meaningful in your life and use it in a poem.
• Play a word association game as a class to inspire your writing on a certain theme.
• Study an image (such as a bird) in a poem by learning about it from textbooks as well as in nature. Use your study as the foundation for a poem.
• Memorize one of the chapter poems by incorporating hand motions or singing.
• As a class, brainstorm some symbols that are connected to your school, home, or country.
• Look at a painting and make a poem to describe it by the sounds of words and their arrangement in lines.
• Take one of your favorite poems and set it to music.
• Draw the poem I dwell in Possibility. According to Emily Dickinson’s words, what would the house of poetry look like as a sketch?

Christin Perrin’s explications of the chapter poems lay a strong foundation that will guide classes and promote understanding while fostering students’ own creativity. Her invitations to delve deeper into poetry through historical perspectives, poet case studies, and hands-on activities will help students capture the beauty of this art form and hopefully draw from its well throughout their whole lives.

Syllabus

Mrs. Johansen’s Syllabus