EL 111 – CHILDREN AND ADOLESCENT LITERATURE

October 17, 2022 Discussion – Midterms #

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POETRY FOR CHILDREN – Junnel Calara

WHAT IS POETRY?
Most emotionally charge means of written expression and it consists of words arranged in patterns of sound and
imagery to spark an emotional and intellectual response from us.
It is the language of imagination of feelings, of emotional self-expression, of high art.
The language in poetry is musical, precise, memorable and magical.
Prose explains, but poetry sings.

HISTORICAL BACKGROUND
Poetry was not considered a genre.
It was used for moral teachings for children.
Much later in time writers began to introduce the idea of poetry for the enjoyment of children, eventually
developing poetry into a genre.

FIRST FORMS OF CHILDREN’S POETRY

Most ancient forms of poetry were first carried out in oral forms and some of them did not survive the transition
from oral to written. Some of these early forms were:
 Ballads
 Lullabies
 Nursery Rhymes
Example of Nursery Rhymes
Humpty Dumpty sat on a wall All the king’s horses and all the king’s men,
Humpty Dumpty had a great fall. Couldn’t put humpty dumpty together again.

LANGUAGE OF POETRY: IMAGERY

 TOUCH - TACTILE  SEE - VISUAL
 SMELL - OLFACTORY  TASTE - GUSTATORY
 HEAR - AUDITORY  MOVEMENT - KINESTHETIC
Visual - they consist of things we can see. And what the cuckoo says you know.
-Mother Goose
The sun was shining on the sea,
Shining with all his might:
He did his very best to make Olfactory- they suggest the smell of things.
The billows smooth and bright.
As Mommy washed up
And this was odd ,because it was
And the children played,
The middle of the night.
Smell of warm butter filled the air.
-Lewis Carroll
-Anonymous

Tactile - they appeal to our sense of touch.

Kinesthetic- they refer to actions or motions.
Through the green twilight of a hedge,
A poem once stopped me on the street.
I peered with cheek on the cool leaves pressed.
I’ve got a poem stuck on my feet.
-Walter de la Mare
A poem attacked me in the shower.
I find a poem most every hour!
Auditory- they suggest the sound of things, usually - Mark Stansell
resulting in an effect “onomatopoeia”.
Bow-wow says the dog, Gustatory- they suggest the taste of things.
Mew-mew says the cat,
A mouse found a beautiful piece of plum cake ,
Grunt-grunt goes the hog,
The richest and sweetest that mortal could make.
And squeak goes the rat.
‘Twas heavy with citron and fragrant with spice.
Tu-whu says the owl,
And covered with sugar all sparkling as ice.
Quack-quack says the duck
- Iona and Peter Opie

FIGURATIVE IMAGES
SIMILE - it is a stated comparison employing a Making a song
connective such as “like” or “as” In stone that sings.
- Langston Hughes
My love is like a red,red rose.
-Robert Burn
PERSONIFICATION - here human qualities are
given to an inanimate object, an abstract idea, or a
METAPHOR - it is an implied comparison, not
force of nature.
directly stated such as “like’ and “as”.
The Night was creeping on the ground!
In the morning the city
She crept and did not make a sound.
Spreads its wings
- James Stephens

SOUND PATTERNS
RHYTHM - the pattern of stressed and unstressed syllables in language.
RHYME - the repetition of similar sounds in the two or more words.
END RHYME - the repetition of the ending sounds One,two
in two or more lines. Buckle my shoe:
 Three, four ASSONANCE - the repetition of vowel sounds
Shut the door. within words.
Five, six
Hickory Dickory Dock,
Pick up sticks.
The mouse ran up the clock.
Seven,eight
The clock struck one,.
Lay them straight.
The mouse ran down,
Nine, ten
Hifckory Dickory Dock!
A big fat hen.

CONSONANCE - the repetition of consonant

ALLITERATION - the repetition of initial sounds
sounds within words, often a variation in adjoining
in two or more words.
vowels.
Peter Piper picked a packed of pickled peppers.
A flea and a fly
A pecked of pickled peppers Peter Piper picked.
Flew up in a flue.
If Peter Piper picked a pack of pickled peppers.
Said the flea, “Let us fly!”
How many pickled peppers did Peter Piper picked?
Said the fly, “Let us flee!”
So they flew through a flap in the flue.

RANGE OF POETRY FOR CHILDREN

Nonsense Verse Vs. Humor
NON-SENSE VERSE - comic themes about events that are non-sense or impossible.
HUMOR - themes that are playful and amusingly possible.
Why both? - fun way of introducing children to rhyme, rhythm, meter and verse patterns.

Everyday World  Story poems.

 All age and themes.
 Life is real and earnest.
 Beginning ,middle and end.
 Real yet imaginative.
 Characters and plot.
 Portray the consciousness of real children
and their everyday play.
 For and about children.
Lyric Poetry
 Ancient Greek Poetry performed with a lyre.
Traditional Ballads  Songlike.
 Express clearly thoughts and feelings.
 Passed down orally from generations.
 Moods evoked by well chosen words.
 Carried out by sailors and travelers.
 Song story with rhythm ,danceable.
 Plotted narrative.
Nature
 Anonymous authors.
 Themes tend to be tragic.  Sensitive and imaginative interpretation of
nature that kindles a responsive spark in the
reader.
Narrative Poems  Animals.
  Poetry from other lands.
 Different languages.
Around the World
 Understandable universal illustrations.

IMPLEMENTATION
 Poetry has been used for teaching since its first forms centuries ago.
 Teaching vs sermon
 Infinite possibilities.
 Useful characteristics of poetry for learners:
o RHYME
o RHYTHM
o REPETITION
o HUMOR

STRATEGIES IN TEACHING POETRY

1. READING POETRY ALOUD TO CHILDREN
 Poetry should be introduced first and frequently to children in an oral form. Most poetry is best read
aloud. Children’s oral language is the basis for their later acquisition of literacy.
 We need to practice reading the poems ahead of time and frequently. Keep in mind that poetry should be
read for its meaning and enunciated words clearly. Pay attention to the poet’s punctuation and slow
down your normal reading pace to give full value to each sound.
 Some poems need to be performed and dramatized. Using your voice to make special effects such as
variations of volume, pitch and speech rate ,even a dramatic pause.
 Brief encounters with one to three poems at a time are best. Too many poems in one sitting may
overwhelm students or make the reading tedious.
 After reading the poem, be sure to announce the name of the poet so that children discover the writers
they especially enjoy.
 Some poems warrant discussion. Children can take the opportunity to tell how the poem made them feel
or what it makes them think about.
2. CHORAL POETRY
 Choral poetry consists of interpreting and saying a poem together as a group activity. Children enjoy this
way of experiencing poetry because they have a participatory role in the activity.
 Short, humorous narrative poems are good first choices.
 Options for reading a poem chorally include unison, two or three part, solo voices, cumulative build up
and simultaneous voices.
 Incorporating actions, gestures, body movements and finger plays can produce more interesting and
enjoyable presentations.

3. LEARNING TO WRITE POETRY

  Children need to be very familiar with poetry of many kinds before they should be expected to compose
poems.
 Teachers often start the writing of poetry as a collaborative effort. The class brainstorms for ideas and
then composes the poem in groups of pairs.
 Children’s poetry follows no absolute rules, perfection of form should not be a goal. They should be
reminded that poetry is a form of communication and that they should think of an idea, feeling, or event
to write about in their poems.
 We can encourage children to compile personal and class anthologies of their own poems or their
favorite poems.
 We can encourage children to model the works of professional poets by attempting imitation of a whole
poem of specific techniques.
 We can read aloud many poems of one poetic form and then analyze the form to reveal the
characteristics of its structure.

EXAMPLES OF CHILDREN’S POETRY BOOKS

POETRY FOR YOUNG PEOPLE - LANGSTON HUGHES

Poetry for Young People presents young readers with their first introduction to the work of famed Harlem
Renaissance poet Langston Hughes. The book was edited by poetry experts with the intention of sharing the
best and most applicable work that should appeal to young readers. The poems in this collection include ‘My
People,’ ‘Words like Freedom,’ and ‘The Negro Speaks of Rivers.’

A SONGBIRD DREAMS OF SINGING: POEMS ABOUT SLEEPING ANIMALS BY KATE

HOSFORD
A Songbird Dreams of Singing features a poem for every sleeping animal. It explores the nature of these
animals, like a giraffe, and helps children develop a love for both poetry and nature. Here are a few lines from
‘Why the Giraffe Takes Tiny Naps:’
Here’s the deal.
A giraffe
Doesn’t want to
Be a meal.
I AM LOVED: A POETRY COLLECTION BY NIKKI GIOVANNI
Written by famed author Nikki Giovanni and illustrated by Newberry Award honoree Ashley Bryan, this award-
winning collection was compiled by the illustrator in an effort to share Giovanni’s work with young readers.
The book’s main message is that all people, young and old, are loved. Poems in the collection include ‘Kidnap
Poem,’ ‘No Heaven,’ and ‘Do the Rosa Parks.’ Here is a quote from ‘I Am a Mirror:’
I reflect the grace
Of my mother
The tenacity
Of my grandmother

“A poem begins in delight and ends in wisdom”

—Robert frost
You can find magic wherever you look. Sit back and relax all you need is a book!”
—Dr. Seuss