for Teachers for Schools for Enterprise
for Teachers for Schools for Enterprise
Copyright
Course Navigator
How to Teach Spanish VocabularyNext Lesson 

How to Teach Poetry

Chapter 8 /  Lesson 24   Transcript
Start Your Free Trial Today

An error occurred trying to load this video.

Try refreshing the page, or contact customer support.

Coming up next: How to Teach Spanish Vocabulary

You're on a roll. Keep up the good work!

Take Quiz Watch Next Lesson
 Replay
Your next lesson will play in 10 seconds
  • 0:01 Teaching Poetry
  • 0:54 Teaching Tone and Mood
  • 1:30 Poetry as Song
  • 2:32 Visual Expression
  • 3:25 Acting Out
  • 3:48 Poetry Puzzle
  • 4:21 Lesson Summary
Add to Add to Add to

Want to watch this again later?

Log in or sign up to add this lesson to a Custom Course.

Login or Sign up

Timeline
Autoplay
Autoplay

Recommended Lessons and Courses for You

Lesson Transcript
Instructor: Marquis Grant
Poetry is all around us, from songs on the radio to crazy Dr.Susses books. This lesson will highlight some neat ways to teach poetry in ways that not only provide rigor but also relevance.

Teaching Poetry

Year after year my students groan at the mere mention of the word 'poetry.' I had the same experiences as a student myself, so I certainly empathize with them. I remember poetry always being taught in a rather rigid manner, with very little creative flare incorporated. Sure, we were all told that it was important to study poetry (never why it was important), but the teacher was generally the voice, interpreter and decider of how poetry was represented. Even after I became a teacher, I dreaded teaching poetry because of the memories that I had of sitting through poetry lessons. Then I realized, there are a lot of different ways in which poems can be introduced to students to make it relevant and interesting at the same time. Let's take a look at some of these methods for teaching poetry.

Teaching Tone and Mood

Tone is the author's feelings within the poem. Mood is the way the readers feel when they read the poem. To teach these concepts, have the students read the poem silently at first, then jot down the tone and mood of the poem. Ask for volunteers in the class to read the poem out loud. After each reading, ask students to write down the tone and mood of the poem. After hearing the poem read aloud multiple times, discuss with students how an oral reading changes the tone and mood of the poem based on their notes.

Poetry as Song

Students can really get into the poetry lesson by creating a musical beat for a poem, whether it is Hughes, Walden or Bronte. Older students love it because it gives them a chance to explore their creative side while, at the same time, analyzing rhyme scheme, imagery, a​nd other poetic devices. An extension assignment could be to have students create their own poems, but encourage them to think of the poems as a song without music (think a capella). Have students share their poems with their classmates and ask them to name the rhyme scheme, imagery, metaphors, similes, and other poetic devices that were used.

Another activity that students usually love is to have them bring in the lyrics to their favorite songs (clean versions only). Students should be prepared to present the song to the class and discuss important elements of the poem. Ideas for discussions could include:

  • Number of stanzas
  • Rhyme pattern
  • Literary devices used
  • Theme

To unlock this lesson you must be a Study.com Member.
Create your account

Register for a free trial

Are you a student or a teacher?

Unlock Your Education

See for yourself why 30 million people use Study.com

Become a Study.com member and start learning now.
Become a Member  Back
What teachers are saying about Study.com
Free 5-day trial
Description

Earning College Credit

Did you know… We have over 160 college courses that prepare you to earn credit by exam that is accepted by over 1,500 colleges and universities. You can test out of the first two years of college and save thousands off your degree. Anyone can earn credit-by-exam regardless of age or education level.

To learn more, visit our Earning Credit Page

Transferring credit to the school of your choice

Not sure what college you want to attend yet? Study.com has thousands of articles about every imaginable degree, area of study and career path that can help you find the school that's right for you.

Research Schools, Degrees & Careers

Get the unbiased info you need to find the right school.

Browse Articles By Category

Browse an area of study or degree level.

Recommended Articles
You are viewing lesson Lesson 24 in chapter 8 of the course:

 Back To Course

Educational Psychology: Help and Review

9 chapters | 332 lessons

Ch 8. Instructional Pedagogy: Help and Review
Ch 9. Individual Differences in Children:...

How to Teach Poetry Related Study Materials

Create an account to start this course today
Try it free for 5 days!
Create An Account

Explore our library of over 70,000 lessons

Browse by subject
Support