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"The idea that poetry comes from beyond oneself is vital, as is the sense that one writes a poem in a condition that is often associated with a spiritual position, i.e., the condition of humility. One doesn't know what one's doing and is inspired in that respect. But it doesn't mean one's completely inert, or passive; rather it's just about allowing a poem to come from wherever it comes from and getting it into the world."
-Paul Muldoon, winner of the 2003 Pulitzer Prize forMoy Sand and Gravel

"I feel my way into a poem. Ther is no topic that is taboo. And even if I were to avoid certain topics, they would return to me, beckoning, and demanding to be written."
-Yusef Komunyakaa, winner of the 1994 Pulitzer prize forNeon Vernacular

"There seem to be no deals you can make with poetry to entice it out of its lair. A poem, actually any writing, is always a private thing, and that is how I begin. It must have that secret source."
-Michael Ondaatje, author ofThe English Patient and 12 poetry books

"There seem to be no deals you can make with poetry to entice it out of its lair. A poem, actually any writing, is always a private thing, and that is how I must begin. It must have that secret source."
-Billy Collins, U.S. poet laureate, 2001-2003

"You have to pay attention to what's said and what's not said, and what's done and not done. And that creates curiosity. You go to that what if. And that what if takes you into the poem."
-Nikki Giovanni, University Distinguished Professor of English, Virginia Tech

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"The idea that poetry comes from beyond oneself is vital, as is the sense that one writes a poem in a condition that is often associated with a spiritual position, i.e., the condition of humility. One doesn't know what one's doing and is inspired in that respect.

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"Poems come from ordinary experiences and objects"

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"Poems come from ordinary experiences and objects"

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Poems by Off To Neverland. -The world is trying to kill you - ~ Remember that you are loved~ * Trust is to be earned not given. * + Love has no gender + > Peace and love will set you free <

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"To express themselves and say things they probably wouldn't openly say to people."

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"To express themselves and say things they probably wouldn't openly say to people."

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Why Poetry?

We all know that time is limited, and teachers have to make instructional choices. Poetry is one of those topics that often gets dismissed as whimsical and unimportant. However, it is a powerful instructional tool and an important art to study at any age. Poetry is a way to understand how language and symbol systems work. It is a worthy expression of emotion, or deep feelings, and aesthetics, or a sense of what is beautiful about the world. High school seniors Sam and Catherine will tell you what they have gotten out of their study of poetry over the years.

Community Building

Sam remembers his elementary school teachers relying on poetry to build community. In first grade, they would learn a new poem every Monday. As a class, they would practice the poem over the course of the week and have conversations about it. Sometimes they would even sing the poem or do little dances to its rhythms. Sharing this poetry with his class made Sam feel as though they were a literate community.

Sam's fourth grade teacher gave each student a binder for collecting poems they love. Twice a month, a few students would get a chance to share their favorite poems with their classmates. This became a great way for Sam and his classmates to learn about each other's tastes and opinions. Sam thinks that poetry can be a great help for building community in the classroom.

Literacy Instruction

Catherine feels that it was her early teachers' use of poetry that got her off the ground as a reader. Because poetry often uses language in specific and unusual ways, it drew her attention to the written word. She remembers her second grade teacher doing a lot of cloze activities, or fill in the blank passages, involving poetry. She also remembers learning about rhyme and word families by reading poems with rhyme patterns.

As she got older, Catherine learned to become a more sophisticated reader via poetry. It was her middle school teachers' inclusion of poetry that taught her about metaphor, symbolism, and alliteration. Catherine feels that the lessons she learned about literacy via poetry have actually made her a more critical reader of all sorts of genres.

Cultural Experience

Sam really loves that poetry has given him access to the broader world of cultural experiences. Now that he is older, he enjoys the fact that he and his parents know many of the same poems and can talk about their messages together. In addition, Sam's study of poetry from cultures other than his own has helped him understand universal truths, as well as cultural differences. Sam has come to understand that the poetry of a particular culture, like so much of their artwork, offers a unique and fascinating window into that world. Now that Sam's younger sister is getting older and starting to study more poetry on her own, Sam also finds that their conversations are becoming more interesting and sophisticated. He is proud to have access to this level of cultural experience.

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why is poetry important? - video & lesson transcript | study.com

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Why Is Poetry Important? - Video & Lesson Transcript | Study.com

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We all know that time is limited, and teachers have to make instructional choices. Poetry is one of those topics that often gets dismissed as whimsical and unimportant. However, it is a powerful instructional tool and an important art to study at any age. Poetry is a way to understand how language and symbol systems work.

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'O me! O life!... of the questions of these recurring; of the endless trains of the faithless--of cities filled with the foolish; what good amid these, O me, O life?' Answer. That you are here--that life exists, and identity; that the powerful play goes on and you may contribute a verse.

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"Poetry is a way to understand how language and symbol systems work. It is a worthy expression of emotion"

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"Poetry is a way to understand how language and symbol systems work. It is a worthy expression of emotion"

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"I write because I would like to live forever. The fact of my future death offends me."

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"I write because I would like to live forever. The fact of my future death offends me."

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"We don't read and write poetry because it's cute. We read and write poetry because we are members of the human race. And the human race is filled with passion. And medicine, law, business, engineering, these are noble pursuits and necessary to sustain life."

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"We don't read and write poetry because it's cute. We read and write poetry because we are members of the human race. And the human race is filled with passion. And medicine, law, business, engineering, these are noble pursuits and necessary to sustain life."