Art of Poetry

How would you describe poetry? Robert Frost once said, “A poem begins in delight and ends in wonder.” Isn’t this the beautiful truth? Poems may be the perfect way to read about and express what is true, good, and beautiful in the world our gracious God has created. After all, poetry is the art of naming our inner and outer experiences by using figurative language in a way that hopefully connects with and often uplifts others. Poetry is truly an art, igniting the senses and thereby our minds. In Sarah Mackenzie’s book Teaching from Rest, she quotes the Greek historian Plutarch, who said, “The mind is not a vessel that needs filling, but wood that needs igniting.” One might even say that poetry, as it draws upon the senses, ignites the greatest spark and flame within us. With that flame comes understanding, inspiration, and creation, the reflection of which praises God and His creations—the truth, beauty, and goodness surrounding us.

In this yearlong course, students will read, interpret, enjoy, and interact with beautiful poems from Christine Perrin’s The Art of Poetry textbook. This course is the equivalent of one high-school elective credit and is designed for students who want to delve deeper into poetry by learning to read closely, interpreting poems in a group setting, writing, looking at historical perspectives and poet case studies, and doing hands-on activities that will help students capture the beauty of this art form and hopefully draw from its well throughout their whole lives. Perrin’s textbook shares inspiring explications of thoughtfully chosen chapter poems, laying a strong foundation that will guide classes and promote understanding while fostering students’ own creativity. The class will complete two chapters per month, supplemented by poet biographies, a glossary, and a detailed timeline in the back of the book. 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. This curriculum dovetails nicely with writing and rhetoric units as well as literature classes as students learn how to interpret language and write both analytically and figuratively.

This class will offer a comforting, fun, and collaborative space for students to experience the expansive reach of poetry together. These rich, thoughtful, and faithful in-class discussions, along with a Canvas "Poem Cares & Shares" board, fun collaborations, inspiring read-alouds, "open mic" shares, and other special projects, will give students a beautiful, holistic approach to studying poetry and the beauty of God’s world. Just as Frost described, I hope that we begin each class in delight and end it together in wonder.

Required Materials:
Books and supplies are not included in the purchase of the course.

The Art of Poetry by Christine Perrin
Supplemental poems shared by instructor

Alison Johansen

[email protected]

Alison Grace Johansen is a Scholé Academy instructor, tutor, and host of our poetry club. While tutoring in grammar and writing, she is teaching Classic Children’s Literature VII and Art of Poetry during the 2025-2026 academic year. Alison earned her Juris Doctor from the Dickinson School of Law in Carlisle, Pa., and her Bachelor of Arts in political science from the University of Richmond. She worked as a legal journalist in Washington, D.C., for over 13 years before pursuing writing and editing in all forms of media: legal and academic publishers, startups and larger companies, magazines, newsletters, websites, books, and social media platforms. She hopes to inspire her students to discover the many ways that they can use their own words to express themselves with truth, goodness, and beauty.
Alison lives in Virginia with her husband and two children. Her dedication to her faith and children influences every part of her life, from teaching Sunday school and writing a children’s picture book about food allergies, to exploring the beauty of God’s world with her family. If they aren’t birdwatching and enjoying a walk outside with their dog Nugget, you might find them reading together or playing the piano, flute, guitar, ukulele, and drums!

Quarter 1

Chapter 1: Images
Chapter 2: Metaphor
Chapter 3: Symbols
Chapter 4: Words

Quarter 2

Chapter 5: Sound and More Sound
Chapter 6: Rhythm
Chapter 7: Shape
Chapter 8: Tone—Putting It All Together

Quarter 3

Chapter 9: History of Form, Movements, Genres
Chapter 10: Verse Forms
Chapter 11: Shaping Forms
Chapter 12: Emily Dickinson—A Case Study in Form

Quarter 4

Chapter 13: Open Verse
Chapter 14: Walt Whitman—A Case Study in Open Verse
Chapter 15: Narrative Poems—An Anthology
Chapter 16: Tone—Growing Your Interest

Computer: You will need a stable, reliable computer, running with a processor with a speed of 1 GHz or better on one of the following operating systems: Mac OS X with Mac OS 10.7 or later; Windows 8, 7, Vista (with SP1 or later), or XP (with SP3 or later). We do not recommend using an iPad or other tablet for joining classes. An inexpensive laptop or netbook would be much better solutions, as they enable you to plug an Ethernet cable directly into your computer. Please note that Chromebooks are allowed but not preferred, as they do not support certain features of the Zoom video conference software such as breakout sessions and annotation, which may be used by our teachers for class activities.

High-Speed Internet Connection: You will also need access to high-speed Internet, preferably accessible via Ethernet cable right into your computer. Using Wi-Fi may work, but will not guarantee you the optimal use of your bandwidth. The faster your Internet, the better. We recommend using a connection with a download/upload speed of 5/1 Mbps or better. You can test your Internet connection here.

Webcam: You may use an external webcam or one that is built in to the computer. Webcam Recommendations: Good (PC only) | Best (Mac and PC)

Headset: We recommend using a headset rather than a built-in microphone and speakers. Using a headset reduces the level of background noise heard by the entire class. Headset Recommendations: USB | 3.5mm

Zoom: We use a web conferencing software called Zoom for our classes, which enables students and teachers to gather from around the globe face to face in real time. Zoom is free to download and easy to use. To download Zoom:

Visit zoom.us/download.
Click to download the first option listed, Zoom Client for Meetings.
Open and run the installer on your computer.
In August, students will be provided with instructions and a link for joining their particular class.

Scanner: In this class, students frequently submit homework assignments by scanning pages from their workbooks. Students and/or their parents should have easy access to a scanner and the ability to use it.

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