The Teaching of Poetry

History of Children's Poetry

  
Poetry
Poetry is universal
is usually one of throughout the
the first types of world's oral
literature traditions as songs
presented to a and folklore passed
child in the form down to younger
of nursery generations.
rhymes
or lullabies.
  The sinful child
17th-18th Century - could be saved by
Saving the Child strict moral tales,
Sinner lessons, hymns and
poems.  Most of
The Puritan's these were rooted
believed that in biblical scripture.
literature's sole
purpose was to
save souls.
Example:

Isaac Watts's Divine
Songs Attempted in
Easy Verse for
Children

- Watts has written

small verses with
some illustration
inspired by the Bible
 Some of these were
17th-18th Century - for children and
Chapbooks featured street
rhymes, games, jokes,
Cheap chapbooks short comical verses
 were sold on the and emphasized some
streets and in stores FUN for a change from
to the common the strict religious
"chap" during the lessons.
17th and 18th
centuries.
17th-18th Century – A humorous stories (The
Chapbooks Merry Tales of the Wise
Men of Gotham). A
Example: collection of short stories
that earned praise from
all sides..
 Many did teach
17th-18th Century – lessons and some of
Mother Goose them with cruel
consequences, but
Mother Goose was many were just filled
actually a collection with enjoyable stories
of numerous authors that widened the
of these fun short imagination.
verses for young
people.
 
Example:

William Blake, a great
artist and poet, wrote
“The Lamb”. He
compares it to Christ,
who came into this
world as an innocent
child.
 The 19th century
19th Century - continued the
Innocence Prevails, mindset that
Sarcasm Reigns children were,
more or less,
Building upon the innocent creatures
view of childhood needing to be
that William Blake nurtured and
introduced in the educated.
late 18th century.
Example:

Sarah Martin's The
Comic Adventures of
Old Mother Hubbard
and Her Dog. This
picture book was
extremely popular in
the 19th century and
was, in essence, a
humorous children's
picture book told in
verse.
20th- 21st Century -
Child-Centric from
Children's literature in
Laughs to Life
the form of picture
books and novels
The 20th century
seems to be more
brings with it a new
popular, but poetry
child-centric
still has its readers in
attitude.  Many
children of all ages.
advancements in
childhood education
and upbringing
influence the
children's publishing
industry.
 
And to Think That I Saw It
on Mulberry Street by
 Theodor Seuss Geisel a boy
named Marco, who
describes a parade of
imaginary people and
vehicles traveling along a
road, Mulberry Street, in an
elaborate fantasy story he
dreams up to tell his father
at the end of his walk.
However, when he arrives
home he decides instead to
tell his father what he
actually saw—a simple horse
and wagon.
.
Thank you!