Education Commons^™

(Re)Incorporating Poetry Into The Secondary English Curriculum, Bethany L. Riggs

Mahurin Honors College Capstone Experience/Thesis Projects

This essay and unit plan examine and defend the teaching of poetry in high school English courses as a vital, practical, and major component of a curriculum. The instruction of poetry in public schools is strictly limited today, yet students gain skills through humanities classes that cannot be learned through other courses, such as critical thinking, self-expression, and analyzing abilities. These skills are translatable to additional subjects as well, including composing music, interpreting languages, evaluating arguments, solving problems, drawing conclusions, and understanding difficult concepts. How poetry is taught must also be examined, with regards to specific strategies, structural guidelines, and …