Bringing Poetry to Life: Creative Approaches for Teachers

1 December, 2024

For many, the thought of teaching poetry to primary students can be daunting. With the condensed yet evocative language, the rhythm and flow, and the layers of meaning hidden beneath the surface, it isn’t any wonder why. Teaching poetry to primary students can be a bit like trying to nail jelly to a wall. In this article, we’ll do our best to demystify the art of poetry and show how it can be fun for teachers and students.

Understanding the Elements of Poetry

Poetry is an elegant dance of words that can evoke emotions we didn’t know existed (though, in a classroom it’s less of a dance and more of a three-legged race, with everyone going in different directions). Before diving into how we can teach poetry in the classroom, let’s unravel its complexities by exploring the elements that bring poetry to life. What exactly makes a poem so enchanting?

• Rhyme

One of the key elements that adds charm and musicality to a poem is rhyme. A rhyming scheme refers to the pattern of rhyme that a poem utilises. Examples of common rhyming schemes include AABB, ABAB and ABBA. Poets often use rhyming patterns to create a predictable pleasure for the reader. It’s important to note, however, that not all poems rhyme.

• Structure and Rhythm

Structure is the skeleton that gives shape to a poem. Elements such as stanzas, line breaks, and patterns work together to build an effective poetic structure, allowing poets to control pacing, emphasise certain words or phrases, and create contrasting rhythms within their work.

Rhythm, which adds a catchy bounce and flow to the words, making a poem feel alive when read aloud. For primary students, rhythm is often the most engaging part of a poem, as it helps them connect with the text in a musical way. Rhythm can be achieved through the careful combination of stressed and unstressed syllables. The basic rhythmic structure of a poem is called meter.

• Figurative Language

Figurative language devices play vital roles in poetry. They infuse poems with vivid imagery and evoke powerful emotions by amplifying everyday experiences into something extraordinary. For a detailed exploration of each figurative language device, check out our article Figurative Language: Painting with Words.

• Imagery

Imagery refers to a sensory explosion of words that evoke strong pictures in our minds. Poets can awaken our senses and emotions and materialise landscapes through carefully chosen sensory language and evocative descriptions. In teaching poetry to primary students, focusing on imagery helps them visualise and connect with the poem more deeply.

Poetry Activities & Strategies for Primary Students

We’ve put together a collection of activity ideas and strategies that will help you guide your students through the poetic wilderness.

1) Creating Couplets

Writing poetry can be intimidating, so rhyming couplets can be a great way to get students writing. A rhyming couplet is two consecutive lines in a poem that rhyme with each other. Students can write about any topic, but a good way to kick things off is to assign students a specific theme (e.g., weather, animals, emotions).

2) Figurative Language Focus

Students have the choice of several different figurative language devices to make use of in their poems. Choose one device to focus on at a time. Make a collection of appropriate poems and have students explore these examples, guiding them to identify each figurative device and the effect they have on the reader. Additionally, create opportunities for students to write poems (or couplets) that focus on the chosen figurative language device.

3) Poet’s Playground

Expose students to various visual, tactile, and emotional triggers by setting up stations with various stimuli. Stimuli could include artwork, objects, or nature scenes. Instruct students to rotate through these stations, making notes of sensory details and emotions they evoke. These notes can be later used to add detail to poems. This activity is designed to broadens students’ imaginations, engage their emotions, and sharpen their observation skills.

4) Emotion in Motion

Assign each student a different emotion. Have them write poem (or phrases/couplets) that capture the essence of that emotion. Encourage students to use metaphors, similes and descriptive language to convey the feeling vividly.

5) Collaboration Creation

Organise students into groups of 3 or 4 and provide each group with a piece of paper and a theme or topic for the poem. The first student writes a line of a poem. They then fold the paper to hide their line, they but tell their group the last word of their line. The next student writes their line, considering the theme of the poem and the final word of the previous line. Continue until the poem is complete!

6) Talking to the Moon

This activity gives students the opportunity to personify elements of nature. Have students choose an element (e.g., the moon, a waterfall, the breeze, a tree) and then consider what qualities, emotions or thoughts their chosen element might have. For examples, the sun could be angry, the moon could be mysterious, or a tree could be wise. Have students imagine a conversation between themselves and their chosen element and explain that this will form their poem. Alternating lines or stanzas can be used, representing their own voice and the element’s voice.

7) Poetry Prompts

Poetry writing prompts are a great way to get the creative juices flowing and can be beneficial in encouraging students to explore different styles, themes, and emotions. Another benefit of prompts is that they can be tailored to target specific techniques or poetic language devices. Prompts could include everyday objects, images, photographs, words, memories or abstract concepts (e.g., love, fear).

8) Sleeping Poets

Over the course of a week or so, have students jot down fragments of their dreams in a notebook. Using their notes of their dreams, students are to compose imaginative poems that will certainly blur the lines between reality and fantasy!

9) Poetry Response Journals

After reading a poem, provide time for students to reflect on their thoughts and feelings that the poem provoked. Students should also be encouraged to make note of interesting language use. This could be noted in their individual journals or even on a class poetry wall.

10) Poetic Picturescapes

By arranging words and phrases in creative ways that complement the theme of the poem, students can create visual poems. This multi-sensory activity is a great way to blend artistic expression with poetic language.

11) Poetic Form Flips

Share with students a poem written in one form and ask them to transform it into a different form. Encourage students to keep the poem’s original theme or message. This is a great activity for teaching students about a specific poetry form (e.g., sonnet, haiku, ode, limerick).

12) Comic Art

Have students transform a familiar poem into a comic strip. Each stanza of the poem should be represented in a different panel, allowing students to experiment with imagery. This activity is a fantastic way to enhance student’s comprehension and creative engagement. Check out Make Beliefs Comix to create digital comics!

These activities encourage students to think beyond the ordinary and tap into their creativity and imagination, enhancing their experience of exploring and writing poetry. For more activities, worksheets and ideas, visit our Poetry page.

Written by Scott