On Teaching Poetry

Something a little different this week. I thought rather than my typical rant-like monologue I'd attempt to meld practice and reflection. Here I will deploy one of the techniques for teaching poetry, on my basic notes from this week's Peterson and Low reading. In each case, you can view the original, basic notes (I am not usually a note taker when reading), by selecting/highlighting the text of this "black-out poetry" version of my notes. Black-out poetry is a method similar to the method suggested by Peterson as "distilling poems from paragraphs," but further augmented by the fun/powerful-feeling addition of the censor's black marker (an exercise learned in last term's intermediate history class).

Peterson

• Idea that poetry challenges students to think concisely and trim back the vague fat of longer forms of writing. 
• That free verse, without the compunction to produce rhythm or rhyme, may be best for students just becoming accustomed to poetic writing. Robert Frost: "writing free verse is like playing tennis with the net down." 
• Creating images, writing titles, two-voice poems, distilling poems from paragraphs (blank-out poetry!), 
• That stories help us to understand, to structure our experiences. 

Peterson

• Idea that poetry challenges students to think concisely and trim back the vague fat of longer forms of writing. 
• That free verse, without the compunction to produce rhythm or rhyme, may be best for students just becoming accustomed to poetic writing. Robert Frost: "writing free verse is like playing tennis with the net down." 
• Creating images, writing titles, two-voice poems, distilling poems from paragraphs (blank-out poetry!), 
• That stories help us to understand, to structure our experiences. 

Low

• Poetry is often associated with 1960s and old school of writing and teaching. Can be challenging to get students to embrace it today, especially in urban educational contexts.
• You can make poetry "cool" by linking it to popular music swapping in the hipper and more modern form of spoken word, or slam poetry, seems to get students hooked
• promising results across racial and gender divisions
• produces honest reflection and provides forum that allows students to discuss challenging, controversial topics
• question: does this case study in success really apply across the board? Would be interesting to apply in a less privileged environment, as the "poet in residence" and the fact of its being a dedicated arts high school seems to belie the accuracy of the descriptor of this as a truly "urban high school" – is this closer to Canterbury or Rideau? Or something in between? 

In each case the poem does differ somewhat from the original notes. In some cases, this method of producing poetry from paragraphs can produce a meaning that is inverse or totally alien to the original text. In any event, it quickly gets students into writing poetry, even if they did not write the original text in question. It overcomes the terror of the blank page, and turns the writing process into an exercise in censorship and art.