How to appreaciate poetry

If I could define Literature in one word, I would say expression. Defining literature is complicated because of its different perspectives. For that reason, I give just what it means to me according to different definitions that I have read during my courses this semester. As Literature is expression, it gives the chance to talk about so many things in our classroom with our students. Obviously this is not only in our English classes; it can be applied in every subject and you can find it everywhere. Unfortunately, in our current educational system there is not an appropriate use of literature. What teachers usually teach is reading classical masterpieces of novels, books, poems and others. But, they don’t teach how to appreciate the broad field of topics that literature gives us through these masterpieces. In fact, there are good old masterpieces which treat current issues, such as “The Wife of Bath” or “The Merchant of Venice”. At the same time, there are lots of poems which talk about history, feelings, descriptions and emotions within others. Hence, poetry must be appreciated as a thought-provoking element in our classroom. This paper is mainly a work about how to appreciate poetry through different perspectives that the teacher can present to students to make it appealing to them.

First of all, we have to know what poetry is. Encyclopedia Britannica defines poetry as “literature that evokes a concentrated imaginative awareness of experience or a specific emotional response through language chosen and arranged for its meaning, sound, and rhythm” But, I would like to paraphrase one idea that I heard once from Jorge Montealegre (Argentinian poet). You can find poetry everywhere, because poetry is interpreted as every single person’s feelings and emotions. Songs, art, books, diaries and so on are poems. You don’t need to specific rules to write poetry, you can express yourself throughout poems, even if you don’t have courses about it. Having in mind this idea of poetry, as teachers we can bring poetry in the classroom as simple as a way of expression. Moreover, the teacher must present more option to read. In other words, keeping just what the textbooks have is not enough to show the real purpose of poetry. Thus teachers must bring extra material to fill students’ needs and in that sense make poetry appealing to students.

Now, the reason why teachers should teach poetry is because if we see poetry as Jorge Montealegre shows this art; students can feel it much more appealing. From the beginning students have to comprehend that in those songs that they listen to; they can find poetry. One of the most important things is that the teacher should explain poems as one of the thousand ways that poetry has. Also, the teacher should explain that poems can be interpreted by every single student’s feelings. Therefore our learners should feel free in their own poems’ interpretation and the classroom will be the place to express their feelings.

Poetry is a marvellous form to say something. Naturally, not all songs are poetics, because they need some requirements. Song writers need to look for the right words to say something. Maybe, it doesn’t mean that they need to use fancy or tricky words, but at least some different but appropriate words to express what they really feel. Another important issue within poetry is how it is narrated. Through songs we can easily find a melody, but when it is narrated without musical instruments, you also can follow a certain rhythm, which makes it more intensive and appealing. Sometimes, we say: what a beautiful song! It is because that song appeals to us; thanks of its melody, rhythm, words and specially our own moment of life. Hence, some songs are seen as poems. In Latin America there are some singers who sing very poetically. For instance, Ricardo Arjona, Luis Fonsi, Alejandro Lerner and others.

Like this, the appreciation of poetry by our students must be the most important aim to reach in our classes. Through poems we can tell a story, describe an object or situation, narrate an event or simply express feelings and emotions. The difference that poetry could make inside classrooms is mainly based on the teacher’s purpose and intention. In other words, if the teacher wants to teach poems as they normally do, it means that they just take a masterpiece and students read it without discussion or interpretation, there is no doubt that learners won’t appreciate it as a thought-provoking way of writing. However, if the teacher wants to discuss a specific topic, presents poems’ implication in society or create new writings with learners, they could see how important poems are. Thus teachers must to show poems and poetry in general as a way of learning and development of knowledge, as normal as reading a book, novel or textbook. Students will appreciate poetry not just as beautiful words. In fact they will realize how thought-provoking poetry is.

In short, the importance of how to appreciate poetry is mainly because it is very thought-provoking. Through poetry students can learn historical issues and also discuss current events. The appreciation of poetry must be based on what students feel about it. Hence, it would be very appealing to them. But, they do not discover this characteristic of poetry if we do not teach them how to do it. If we do not show poetry as a way of expression, which can be presented in songs, writings, poems and speeches; students will continue categorize it as a structured way of writing. Literature itself is thought-provoking, but poetry is not always viewed in that way. For that reason this paper tried to show the importance of it in our lives through our work, which is English teaching. We are educating people, therefore we must present them different ways of finding new themes to discuss. Throughout poetry we can reach that purpose in an innovative way, because as we mentioned before, most of teachers do not present poetry as a way of topic discussion. But, the broad field of topics that we can find inside poetry (songs, poems and writings) is completely unknown. However, how thought-provoking it is must be the principal intention in our classes and if we follow this characteristic; students will do it at so.

Sources
Web Pages:
Goodblatt Chamita. “Teaching Poetry” 9 July 2009.

"Poetry." Encyclopædia Britannica. 2009. Encyclopædia Britannica Online. 9 July. 2009

Books:
Bennett Durkin Diane, Language Issues: Readings for Teachers. New York: Longman Publishers, 1995.