Poetry is not a secret language; rather, I would argue that poetry is the most authentic language, the most accessible language, the most natural form of language that we have. It’s alive and dynamic and real. Poetry is our first language. Poetry is found on the tips of our tongues and in the spirals of thought that race around at 2:30 in the morning. Poetry is our first language. It resides close to the heart, hiding from the stiff molds of the world—that’s why some of the most natural poets are kids. They have yet to be pressured and molded by the world around them and they say what they feel. Poetry is their first language.
But, somewhere along the line, poetry became a foreign language only spoken by the select few. It became something that intimidates not only young writers but also educated adults, too. Poetry became a lost language to some and a dead language to others.
It’s not too late though.
To revive the poet that lives inside of us.
To Awaken the Heart and coax out the poetry that hides there.
I promise.
I love poetry. I love writing it. I love reading it. I love sharing it. There is something about it that is magical, musical, inexplainable. The same way that artists relate to colors, and musicians relate to music notes, and gardeners relate to flowers, I relate to poetry. It astounds me that we are capable of evoking such emotions and thoughts with just a few lines; I mean think about it: the power of words. They can create things from nothing. They can change the way we think. They can make you see and feel and wonder about the very things that I see and feel and wonder. It’s incredible how so abstract yet so concrete words are. That is why I believe poetry is the most natural language; poetry is this organism, this essence, and this living embodiment of words that can be found where you least expect it. Some of the best poems I have found are on the streets as graffiti, others are from quotes on Pinterest, and others are shared by people I admire.
(above) Poetry found on the streets of Brighton, UK (2018).
(below) Poetry found on Pinterest
In Awakening the Heart: Exploring Poetry in Elementary and Middle School by Georgia Heard, there is a collection of strategies and techniques for teachers who want to coax out the poetry that lives in our students. It’s not about teaching students how to write poems, but rather about creating a space where students feel safe enough to explore the poet inside of them. I know it sounds so flowery and unrealistic but think about the following couple of suggestions.
My favorite idea that Heard mentions in her book is that referencing the bulletin board that reads “What We Say is Poetry” because it emphasizes the natural tendency for us to rely on poetry to communicate ideas, images, thoughts, and feelings. Heard explains that she wanted to capture when “a poem was trying to be born” as her first grade students went about their days. When she heard them say something, observe something, notice something, and communicate that something poetically (note that these students are doing so accidentally, yet naturally), she would record their words on the bulletin board. One young poet said this one day as the class was just going for a walk: “The clouds were opening and the sun was closing and the grass was turning back and forth.” By honoring her students words, the whole class began to see and think poetically, which creates a space where the poet inside each of them felt it was safe to venture out and try new things.
A few other suggestions that Heard mention that I really liked included an activity that explored Words’ sound personalities, an activity that “Cracked open words,” and using poems as gifts. I have included the directions for the two word exploration activities below. I have also “gifted” you a poem at the end of this post.
In my classroom, I hope my students leave from our time together having reunited with their first language. My students might not feel entirely comfortable reading or writing poetry, but I hope that they have at least acknowledge the innate capability that resides within them and that they will find power, beauty, and comfort in embracing that poet at some point. I want my students to find value in words and for them to use those words to inspire change, express themselves, and free the poet (that first language) within them. If nothing else, I will emphasize to my students that poems and structured molds repel each other because that kind of structure removes the authenticity that real poems have. I will encourage students to turn inward as they explore how to express feelings and moments and we will read poems that model this reflective practice. We will soak in the poems of poets before us and experiment with their strategies as we search for the words and spaces that we want to use in our own work. Poetry is an immersive experience. It requires a space to be reflective and the time to feel the poem.
I think that poetry has been overlooked in the past, but as educators realize that poetry is not just a territory for elite, confident writers, I feel that it will become more central in the curriculum, but first, it needs to be taken off its pedestal. Especially when it comes to verse novels and poems that center around students’ interests and identities, poetry offers an accessible opportunity for reluctant readers and writers to interact with the form, magic, and vast potential that is hidden within our language. Our first language.
XO,
Miss S.
And with that...
off you go
to lose your mind
and find your soul
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