Poetry is a form of writing that is loved by many people. It’s a more simplistic way of writing, and doesn’t have to be a long story. It also happens to be a greater way of expressing emotion through writing. Through the poetry unit, the poems that the students have written and shared have been rich in emotion. They have expressed their feelings in a simplistic and metaphorical way. It has helped expand the students figurative language and their writing techniques. Which is why poetry should be required in school because it can increase students’ literacy and linguistic awareness, it helps people get to know each other and build community, and writing poetry helps engage people with their emotions.
To start, a good reason for poetry to be required in school is that it can increase students’ literacy and linguistic awareness. Reading and writing poetry can help students to expand their oral and written vocabularies. It can also help people become more aware of the ways that language can be used, for example, rhythms, imagery, and metaphors. Dr. Janette Hughes wrote in her article, ‘Poetry: A Powerful Medium for Literacy and Technology Development’, that “This kind of attention to the language and rhythms of a poem serves to expand oral and written vocabulary. Research tells us that children with well-developed oral skills are more likely to have higher achievement in reading and writing as well”(Hughes 2). Therefor, taking Hughes idea into consideration, poetry can be a great way to expand vocabulary, writing styles, and reading capabilities. That is a big plot point in an English class, so requiring poetry can make it easier for students to learn.
Another reason to require poetry is that it, helps people get to know each other and build community. Poetry is a great way to express emotion through writing. That is especially important for students, as they need an outlet for what they are feeling. Elena Aguilar explained it in her article by writing “Poetry can allow kids to paint sketches of their lives, using metaphor, imagery and symbolic language to describe painful experiences, or parts of themselves that they’re not ready to share”(Five Reasons Why). She mentions how people can express their emotions in a way that isn’t direct but people can still understand. Requiring that poetry be taught in school would be beneficial to the students by balancing their mental health by giving them a way to express themselves. It also gives them a chance to meet and connect with others that feel the same way or have similar interests.
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In contradiction, some people may claim that there is no use in requiring poetry because it doesn’t help students. It doesn’t affect their learning in the future and it is a dying art form. On the other hand, poetry helps engage people with their emotions in a way that can help students know themselves and understand others. It doesn’t just make them think about themselves and how they understand the message of the poem, it gets them thinking about how others may interpret the poem. It gives them perspective. Miranda Sinclair explains that “Poetry encourages students to view the complexities of the world in new ways and to develop empathy and understanding for other points of view” (The Importance of Poetry). And not only does poetry help give people perspective it also helps them learn about themselves and what they can do. Dwight Longenecker writes that “Writing and reading poetry will nurture your imagination and no matter what your career, a bright and active imagination will be a bonus”(Why you need poetry). Reading and writing poetry can help give students insight on themselves and the perspective of others, which shows that it should be required.
In other words, requiring poetry to be taught in schools would positively benefit both the school, and the students because it can increase students’ literacy and linguistic awareness, it helps people get to know each other and build community, and writing poetry helps engage people with their emotions. Students already read and write stories that further their linguistic capabilities, but poetry is a simpler and easier way to do it. It gives students a way to express themselves while giving them the literacy awareness that they need in the future.
