Grading and Poetry

It's been a week of grading and evaluating film and poetry submissions. I've been commenting on literature unit plans and regretting how much work students put into them! Argh! What I really mean is I'm tired.

Here's the introduction to a selection of poems written by middle and high school students soon to be published in the Illinois English Bulletin:

Benefits of Poetry Writing

Every year middle and high school students submit amazing poems to the Illinois English Bulletin poetry contest. Last year we highlighted how poetry writing aligns with multiple Common Core Standards. But there are many more reasons why children, teens, and adults should write poetry. Here are just a few:

Poetry helps us know each other and build community. As Phoenix Suns owner Richard Jaffe explains, “poetry provides a gift of inspiration or education to others. One thing we know—we are not alone! Universal questions, fears, and emotions are called ‘universal’ because everyone, no matter what country or culture they’re raised in, experiences them. Once we’ve done the work of exploring and finding our own answers, we can help others by sharing them. I like to share my poem ‘Eternal Happiness’ because it describes what I’ve found to be the source of my own eternal happiness.”

Poetry opens venues for speaking and listening, much neglected domains of a robust English Language Arts curriculum. When read aloud, poetry is rhythm and music and sounds and beats. Reading poetry aloud can improve vocabulary and pronunciation, and help students discover culture and history. According to a study conducted by social worker Nadia Alvarez and psychotherapist Jack Mearns, “connecting with a [spoken word poetry] community, having a forum of communication, emotional development, and having an internal drive to write and perform help the poets to feel balanced in everyday life. The performance aspect of spoken word poetry seems to confer several benefits that would not be found in writing alone, such as social support through connecting with others.”

Poetry provides a space for English Language Learners. Because poems defy rules, poetry can be made accessible for ELLs -- poems can be easily scaffolded and students can find ways of expressing their voices while being limited in their vocabulary. Teach for America’s digital initiative specialist, Emily Southerton asserts “Poetry ignites students to think about what it’s like to share their opinion, be heard, and make a difference in their world.” Southerton sees poetry as a safe place to write. For Southerton, “Students can let go of traditional writing rules with poetry. I tell the kids the most important thing about poetry is that people feel differently after reading it.”

Poetry builds resilience in kids and adults; it fosters Social and Emotional Learning. As poet and visiting writer at Ursinus College Anna Marie Hong asserts, “Writing poetry remains one of the best tools we have for knowing what we think and what we really feel.” For Hong, “Writing provides a way for us to process experience, which is often difficult for young adults, to understand it better, to connect our lives with the experiences of others, and to change events through this new understanding.” The students who submit to IATE’s poetry contest are well-served by their writing!