The dictionary has a few different definitions for the word “poetry”, but I chose to list the one I thought would be most helpful. Poetry is, “the art of rhythmical composition, written or spoken, for exciting pleasure by beautiful, imaginative, or elevated thoughts” (Dictionary.com). Some synonyms for the word include: verse, rime, lyricism, song, and stanza. When I think about poetry, the definition above and the words listed as synonyms are not what I envision. When I think of poetry, I think of random words written down that are sometimes misread or misinterpreted, and of course the dreaded “rhyme”. I have always feared writing poetry because of the “rules” each poem is given. Some poems have to rhyme, some poems have to have so many syllables on each line, some have to have so many words, etc. However, after reading the texts we were assigned in class, my fears have become less of a fear and have developed into excitement. I want my students to see that poetry does not always have to have “rules”. Sometimes you can write about anything you want; just like Jack in Love That Dog. It doesn’t always have to make sense to the reader, as long as the author enjoys writing/reading it. Free verse is one of the best ways to introduce poetry to the class. In fact, I think it should be introduced first, before all the “rules” of writing poetry are introduced. I think free verse is a great way to open students up to writing and get their thoughts and feelings on paper. If students know they can write about anything in the world, they will choose something that inspires them, not what inspires the teacher. I enjoyed all the poetry books we read and found them very helpful. These books have opened my eyes and helped me see that poetry really is “the art of rhythmical composition, written or spoken, for exciting pleasure by beautiful, imaginative, or elevated thoughts” (Dictionary.com).
