06-28-2011, 10:57 AM
Anyone can be taught to write poetry, or at least taught to write better than they do when they start.
I teach adult literacy, and I've started introducing more and more poetry into the classes because of the great response from students. These are people who range from 16 to 80, but who've never been taught to read and write properly -- many of them begin classes thinking that they'll never be able to learn anything. Poetry is a great tool for them, as it gives them a structured and disciplined way to express themselves (even if you're writing freeverse, there's still structure involved of a sort). I have never come across a student who has wanted to improve and been unable to.
If a new member joins and hasn't been exposed to much poetry in the past, it's always best for them to declare that. Pretending to knowledge you don't have just stops people from offering it to you.
I teach adult literacy, and I've started introducing more and more poetry into the classes because of the great response from students. These are people who range from 16 to 80, but who've never been taught to read and write properly -- many of them begin classes thinking that they'll never be able to learn anything. Poetry is a great tool for them, as it gives them a structured and disciplined way to express themselves (even if you're writing freeverse, there's still structure involved of a sort). I have never come across a student who has wanted to improve and been unable to.
If a new member joins and hasn't been exposed to much poetry in the past, it's always best for them to declare that. Pretending to knowledge you don't have just stops people from offering it to you.
It could be worse