Poetry in the classroom

Poetry helps teachers and students to really interact with each other and benefit from
the exchange of ideas and wisdom resulting from the various experiences of life. It is also a
space where crossing borders is allowed, horizons are expanded and intercultural perceptions
are defined. As a teacher, I have always encouraged students not only to approach English
language learning in a spirit of discovery of meaning, but also to express their emotions and
thoughts freely. This experience of exercising freely their imaginative and cognitive abilities
will enable them to improve their linguistic abilities as well. Hence, if English poetry as a
language material is integrated with other forms of English language, it can offer a rich
resource for input to language learning.
Many students and even experienced readers and writers feel a great deal of anxiety about
trying to understand the meaning of a poem. Poems can often seem mysterious and confusing.
Knowing how to read a poem and where to look for themes and meaning can make reading
poetry and writing about it less intimidating. Often, poetry is not just about one main point;
the meaning can be contained in the word choice, sounds and rhythm. We must keep in mind
the fact that poems don't always have only one identifiable meaning or theme. They are often
about sharing an experience, feeling or idea.
Haiku poems promote brainstorming and collaborative work; they facilitate expression
without the burden of sentence structure. Students are encouraged to see words and short
phrases as self-sufficient, and to play with the sounds of the words themselves, while
juxtaposing simple concepts. Haiku poems often present pairs of contrasting images. They
usually depict an image from nature rather than an action and facilitate the reader's reflection
on nature. Traditionally, they follow a three line, 5-7-5 syllable format, although that
restriction has been altered in recent years. Today, one may find haiku that are only one line,
or in which the syllable pattern has been shortened or lengthened.
Since haiku poems are enjoyed by students of all ages, I have used them in a number of
lessons. Students work independently to write their own haiku, using different pictures to help
them generate ideas. They are encouraged to use their own words, while the teacher circulates
among students to answer and ask questions, and have students check their syllable patterns.
As students write particularly interesting phrases, they share them with the class to help those
who are having difficulty with ideas.
If the students write their haiku on paper, they have to pay attention to their
handwriting and their illustration should be related to their topic. If the students use
computers, they can also apply images for the backgrounds of their haikus. Students can
illustrate the feeling or image of the poem, using colours and shapes. They can talk about the
image depicted in the haiku and the feelings it evokes, what colours and shapes would help
illustrate these things. When they finish, the students display their work.
Here are two haiku poems created by my students: