Hey, Reader: Saving Poetry, as a Curriculum
Hey, Reader :)
So, as I’ve already addressed, I’m a poet. It’s what helps me convey my inner feelings. It also brings pain outward. It’s therapy, just without a trained doctor forcing you to pay them for help, whether you get that “help” or not. In many ways, it also helps you find yourself. Writing poetry is a luxury that we all should have; it’s something a lot of us need; an expressive coping mechanism. So, why--when it comes to youth, specifically--is it not as commonly indulged as, say, social media?
As a kid coming up in underfunded public schools--like many. Maybe even you relate, Reader--, I was deprived of a lot of extracurricular activities, including poetry clubs. That, and having all kinds of poetry I was exposed to, in school, be accompanied by tedious classwork, really ruined the idea of poetry for me, at that time. Simply because it was being taught to me in the wrong way; which is a, and not sound dramatic, plight, especially to adolescent children and young adults struggling with mental health. And even a plight to poetry itself. Something as fire as “I, Too” by Langston Hughes shouldn’t be ruined with a “whole page summary”. Why would one even need to write a whole page about a poem made with less than twenty lines?
I may be exaggerating on the length of the summary, but tedious classwork, paired with the teachings of a lot of the same outdated poems, is driving a wedge between students and poetry. However, Teachers can diminish this wedge by eliminating these deterrents, and boost the appeal by teaching--and showing--students how poetry can heal and build a better connection with oneself. No therapist, or pricey crystal necklace required.
It can start with teachers just showing students a powerful slam poem on youtube; something timely for reference, of course. And--along with them having the knowledge of poem structures, styles, and techniques--allowing them to create their own poems, based on whatever prompt chosen. Exercises, such as, are what spark one’s imagination; causing a student to have to dig deep to create either a symbolic, introspective piece. Or, even a straight-forward, yet meaningful gem. Poetry classes should be as wide and boundless as a sandbox. And I say “Let the kids play freely”.
As always, I hope you have a nice day, Reader. And, I’ll see you soon.
