Poetry does not have to be all structure and pre-determined forms. Poetry is and can be fun and exciting for middle schoolers. By carefully selecting which poems to use when introducing poetry, sixth to eighth graders may be more receptive to enjoy poetry and may even be inspired to write poetry of their own.
Introducing Poetic Metaphors
Poetry is rich with literary devices. Two often used literary devices in poetry are metaphors and similes. An excellent poem to introduce metaphors to middle school students is Eve Merriam's "How to Eat a Poem."
Merriam's poem is short and uses everyday vocabulary. There are no unfamiliar or hard to pronounce words and the metaphor runs from the first line to the last. Line three of "How to Eat a Poem" also uses imagery, which is prevalent in all forms of poetry from the free verse to the haiku to the sonnet.
Poems That Rhyme
Many middle school students have been exposed to rhymes from a young age from books like those by Dr. Seuss. Rhymes are used in various ways in poetry, however the most common form of rhyming is the end rhyme where the last syllable of a line will rhyme with the last syllable of another line. Two consecutive lines with end rhyme are called a couplet.
Robert Frost's "The Armful" uses six couplets and can also be used a vehicle for introducing the idea of stanzas. Stanzas are sections of poetry much like paragraphs are sections of a chapter or book.
Relating Poetry to Middle School Students
Selecting poems with topics that middle schoolers can identify with will greatly increase their comprehension, understanding and appreciation of poetry. "One Art" by Elizabeth Bishop explores how things are lost and what student can't relate to lost or missing homework assignments? In addition to having a theme that sixth to eighth graders can identify with it also uses stanzas, a repeated aba rhyme scheme and a variety of punctuation put to excellent poetic use.
Poems for Sharing With Middle Schoolers
When introducing poetry to middle schoolers it is important to select poems that are short and appropriate for a sixth to eighth grade attention spans. Choosing poems that have easily identifiable literary devices as well as themes that students can relate to will help increase their appreciation of poetry. Some suitable poems for sharing with middle schoolers include:
- "How to Eat a Poem" by Eve Merriam
- "The Armful" by Robert Frost
- "One Art" by Elizabeth Bishop
- "The Road Not Taken" by Robert Frost
- "Buffalo Bill's" by e.e. cummings
- "To a Butterfly" by William Wordsworth
- "This Is Just to Say" by William Carlos Williams
For more advanced students longer poems, such as Frederico Garcia Lorca's "Romance Sonambulo" or Edgar Allan Poe's "The Raven" can be used.
Introducing Poetry to Sixth to Eighth Graders
By choosing poems with easier to identify literary devices, such as metaphors, couplets and stanzas, middle school students may be more receptive to poetry as these elements may be easier to identify. Once students have built a basic understanding of poetry introducing more complex structured forms, like the sonnet, will be easier because the students will have an understanding of some of the literary devices used by Shakespeare.
Also, using poetry written for adults when teaching children sets the bar high and shows them poetry that they can enjoy and identify with for the rest of their lives.
 |
