Teaching Poetry: Notes toward an Integrative Rationale

David Swanger

doi:10.2307/375081

College English Sep 1974

Teaching Poetry: Notes toward an Integrative Rationale

David Swanger

Abstract

THE FIRST PRINCIPLE of teaching poetry is this: Poetry is a host of activities which ought not be fragmented by the teaching process. Current practice highlights the need for a statement of the principle; its validity is derived, however, from the vital relationship between three key activities: writing poems, developing an explicit poetic standard, and responding to poems. The second principle shares this integrative rationale: In a very important sense, all poetry is one poem. All poetry embodies language used excitedly, precisely, and presentationally rather than discursively; all poetry has a quality of semantic thickness which enables the respondent to participate creatively as he makes meaning of the poem. Types of poetry-romantic poetry, epic poetry, concrete poetry, etc.-comprise divisions of convenience which identify outward differences and historical literary periods; they do not contradict the notion that in a more basic sense all poetry is the same. The set curriculum of my ideal poetry course would not be poems at all, but poetics. This derives from my second principle-if all poetry is one poem, we need to know how that poem works. Further, by making poetics,

Journal: College English
Published: 1974-09-01
DOI: 10.2307/375081
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Topics: teacher development
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Teaching Poetry: Notes toward an Integrative Rationale

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