Summary
Poetry has long been a form of literature (not a genre) that readers have either loved or hated. It can be found in fantasy, historical fiction, realistic fiction and traditional literature genres.
There are many different sources that say how poetry should be evaluated. The textbook page said to keep in mind 5 different things :
- Is the subject familiar to children? Will they have the background knowledge to understand it?
- Does it have imagery that is accessible to young readers? Shel Silverstein was an author who was great at creating that.
- What about the rhyme? Young readers need to begin with it.
- How is rhythm used? Children pick up on the different “beats.” Is the rhythm natural and does it fit the subject?
- What role does sound play? Alliteration, onomatopoeia, etc. are all parts of that.
“Eye on Life Magazine” says to evaluate poetry by looking at it’s sound, language, rhythm, sensory images, rhyme, humor, emotional intensity, quality of imagination, substance and purpose.
Scribd wants you to ask a series of questions.
- Can kids understand?
- Does it stir emotion?
- Does it play with sounds of language?
- Age appropriate?
- Does it allow the reader to be interactive?
- Is the subject matter appealing?
- Can it stand up under repeating readings?
- Will it accompany you through life?
Children’s Literature in Action, the book I used in my class last semester, lists criteria to review poetry. It focuses on rhythm, rhyme, sound, language, imagery and emotion.
I found the videos on Poetry very engaging. How poetry is the most neglected format was talked about, which is often a result of people having a bad experience with poetry in the past. Writing poetry is sometimes easier for the reader, since they can turn the poem into anything they want it to be.
Research on Conclusions about Poetry was mentioned. They were :
- Narrative poetry is liked better.
- Readers like rhyme and sound devices
- Funny, contemporary, familiar and animal poems are popular
- Visual images excite the reader
- Don’t talk down to the reader in your poems
- Interactions with the poem and repeated readings are vital.
The NCTE Award for Excellence in Poetry for Children was mentioned, and some of the past recipients named.
Many poems were shared by such authors as Kalli Dakos and Ruth Heller, that I would like to learn more about.
The link for Poetry, Part 2 was not working but I found it on YouTube. I loved the many examples of poetry books and authors that were showcased. A few that stood out were Marilyn Singer, J. Patrick Lewis and Lee Bennett Hopkins.
Reflection
In my past course on Children’s Literature, I found the poetry reviews very difficult to write because of my own rough experiences with poetry and epics such as “Beowulf.” After reading this section, it gave me even more criteria that I can talk about when writing my reviews of YA literature. When picking a poetry book for a YA reader, I need to be sure that I remember some of the research that was presented, such as that narrative poetry is often liked best. I actually found this true for myself last semester, when I connected to the books Firefly Letters and Twelve Rounds to Glory.
The reading also gave me several areas in which to review poetry, such as the rhyme and imagery that is introduced. It is enough to grasp the reader’s attention and keep them wanting to read more?
Lastly, this chapter taught me that I need to broaden my reading scope and read more poetry that covers different genres, such as traditional literature and historical fiction. Maybe I will even find some great titles to share with my students!
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