Lindsey Howe

Professor Certo

TE 848

15 August 2010

Using Poetry to Enhance Student Narrative Writing

Introduction

In my opinion, teaching English is no laughing matter. Every summer, just as I am doing

now, I spend my days attempting to plan units that not only address all of the state standards, but

that also meaningfully engage as many students as possible. As of recently, I just finished

reading a few books, and I have begun planning the lessons that accompany these pieces of

literature. For me, planning lessons for the books that we read is a walk in the park (for lack of a

better metaphor). On the other end of the spectrum is the teaching of writing. For the past five

years (the first is my student teaching year) of my career in teaching, I have felt like I was

beating my head against a wall as I attempted to teach my students to write effective pieces of

writing. Jeremy Dean asks the ever-important question, which I ask myself every year, “The

underlying question is at once deeply philosophical and academically pragmatic: what makes

children enjoy reading and writing or loathe language as a burden?” (2002, 25). With that

question in mind, it is then my job (sometimes a burden) to help my students to see that reading

and writing can be very fulfilling tasks. How does one accomplish this? We show them forms of

writing that are not only effective tools in the expansion of their writing skills, but they are also

helpful in getting them to understand themselves better. In the following project, I will be

exploring the relationship between the teaching of poetry in order to enhance all forms of
writing. More generally, for the sake of time, I will be looking at how poetry enhances the

writing of personal narratives.

Teaching Environment

It is not only important to understand the school that I teach in, but it is also important to

understand the expanded environment of the nation’s educational system at present. For starters,

I am a teacher at Brown City Junior/Senior High School. Brown City is located in the thumb of

Michigan. This school educates students in grades 7-12. The total enrollment is 489 students.

For the past four years, I have taught at least one new class (major and minor) per year, so I have

been exposed to the writing skills of many types of students. During my first two years, I taught

eleventh grade, and I focused most of my efforts attempting, with what felt like a lot of failure, to

get my students ready for the MME. During the next two years, I tackled the teaching of ninth

graders, and I found it a lot easier, if that is what you want to call it, to prepare these students for

the next year’s PLAN test. This coming year, I will be, yet again, teaching and honing my two-

year’s of skills for ninth grade. Above and beyond that, I will be taking on seventh grade, where

I will be preparing these students for the next year’s EXPLORE test. With all of that said, I have

found that it was my duty to help my students to enhance their writing skills. To clarify this

statement, it has to be understood that the writing skills of our students has steadily gotten better,

based on their scores on the EXPLORE, PLAN, and MME tests. For example, the percent of

students who were at or above proficient in writing for 2009, on the MME, was 43%. The year

before, 2008, was 42%. To take that even further, “The state average for Writing was 43% in

2009” (“Brown City High,” 2010). Even so, they are not at the level that would help these

students to greatly compete with their counterparts when they leave our building. With that said,
I have been trying very hard to come up with ways to enhance their writing skills in ways that do

not leave them drooling them on their desks.

Also important is the fact that the teaching environment of the nation is ever-evolving.

Now, more than ever, writing has been put on the forefront of importance within the curricula of

schools around the nation. For example, the newest MI test (MME), within the past few years,

includes a writing section, which is scored on its own and then averaged into the composite

score. I have witnessed, firsthand, how important it is for all teachers, within all disciplines, to

incorporate some sort of writing instruction. Why is this so? This is because students do not

simply encounter writing prompts that deal with prose excerpts. On the contrary, they encounter

excerpts and prompts that ask them to dip into their knowledge banks from subjects like science,

history, the arts, etc. With that said, it is true that it is my job to focus a large part of my teaching

on the teaching of writing skills, but it is also important, as I just stated, for other teachers within

a school to tackle this “monster,” so that the students are fully prepared to do well on all parts of

the high stakes tests that they must take. Above and beyond high stakes testing is the fact that

writing is such a large part of many professions, so our students have no choice but to step-it-up

and hone their writing skills for when they graduate from high school. According to “Writing

Next”, “With the exception of mining and transportation/utilities, large majorities of salaried

employees in all industries are expected to write” (“Writing Next,” 2006, 7). This being the case

means that we not only have the pressure of teaching to the test, but we are also expected to

ready our students for the real world.

A Discussion on Poetry
 First, it must be said that, “Teaching poetry to high school students is an arduous,

thankless task... To a fourteen-year-old, nothing could seem as impossibly boring and irrelevant

as Dylan Thomas’s [“Do Not Go Gentle Into That Good Night”]... At fourteen you are still the

invincible center of your own universe, and studying poetry by “old dead guys” is about as

exciting as watching grass grow” (Baart, 2002, 98). Even so, side-stepping a poetry unit would

be like deciding not to teach grammar; both elements of the English language are essential, in my

opinion, for the growth of an English-literate human being. Like Sheri Skelton, “Poetry is in my

bones. I was born with a love for it. I did not learn to tolerate it as a child learns to swallow a

few bites of broccoli or carrots. Nor did I acquire an appreciation for it as a connoisseur

develops and refines a taste for only the finest wines. Poetry was, and is, a part of me... Yet for

all of my passion, poetry was absent from my classroom when I began teaching high school

language arts...” (2006, 25). Even so, this is not always the case for all of my English students.

Often times, when I introduce a poetry unit, I run into the same issue as Craig Steenstra. “At

first, about half of the students are quite anti-poetry. They tell me that it’s too hard. Some even

say that it’s a girl thing... I tell them that every person has creative ability, and even though that

ability is stronger and easier to elicit for some than for others, it is there nonetheless” (2006,

102). With that in mind, “It is no surprise that many English teachers struggle with this age-old

quandary when preparing their poetry units: How can I make poetry relevant and interesting?...

The real dilemma of teaching poetry is not deciphering which poems to teach them, but

unraveling how we can best teach students to write their own poetry. How can I make writing

poetry relevant, interesting, and possible?” (Baart, 2002, 98). First off, we can show our students

that poetry is all around them. The book The Spoken Word Revolution highlights the fact

that hip hop, a form of lyrical poetry, is a great way to get kids interested in poetry. Artists like
Tupac Shakur and Common, just to name a few, have written songs that can be analyzed and

hopefully loved for what they are, poetry! Furthermore, “In writing poetry, student shed their

outer shells of grammar etiquette, loosen their linguistic and emotional formality, and show

readers versions of themselves hitherto unseen” (Dean, 2002, 26). This fact has the potential to

help all students to unlock their hidden potential, lay down their walls, and begin to write like

they have never written before; they can write from the soul. Another fact about poetry may

spark the interest of students, especially those students that are afraid of the word limits of

formal essay assignments. This fact is that, “Poetry is, in a way, like shouting. Since you can’t

yell at the top of your lungs for a long time, you have to decide what you really need to say, and

say it quickly” (qt.. in Dean, 2002, 27). Many students may love the fact that poetry strays from

the formal 500-1000 word essay; assignments that get groans every time that they are assigned.

Instead, students have the opportunity to simply select a few words that succinctly get their point

across. In the end, “We want students to know quality work, to breathe lyrical words, to embrace

the power of poetic language” (McReynolds and Perry, 2006, 110). This being the case, why not

help students to do so by introducing them to readable/analyzable poems, and in turn, they may

just surprise us. Even further, “Writing poetry encourages students to be self-motivated, and

when they write something original they are likely to feel a degree of gratification. That often

keeps them coming back for more” (Steenstra, 2006, 102). That ‘more,’ we hope, is the writing

of other genres of writing (narrative, expository, etc.).

How Can Poetry Help the Writing of Narratives?

What does all of the above have to do with writing a narrative? For starters, writing a

poem is very similar to writing a personal narrative. Just as poetry does, the personal narrative
asks students to include specific details and well-thought word choice in order to get their point

across. Even further, “Most people are aware that we have five senses: seeing, hearing, smelling,

touching, and tasting. Many composition books tell students to infuse their writing with the five

senses. That, of course, is easier said than done. Student writing about personal experience

seldom includes sensations other than those of sight” (Hillocks, 2007, 83). With that in mind, it

can then be said that we should show students how to incorporate such details into their writing.

It is not enough to simply say, “I would like you to include the five senses into your writing.”

Instead, we must provide them with activities that push their thinking toward this request. “The

teacher should [know]: Students will not develop a repertoire of writing skills and forms unless

we teach them” (McReynolds and Perry, 2006, 111). With that said, in order for students to do

what we ask of them (provide the five senses), a teacher could provide his/her students with a

poem that incorporates the description of what is seen, heard, felt, etc. After discussing how a

poet has done this, students can then go to their narratives and mimic what they saw in the

poem(s). Why does poetry work in this instance? For starters, it is generally short and sweet.

Students may not be as overwhelmed with a poem as that of an example of a narrative. Instead,

students can analyze what is done within a poem within a class period. Furthermore, “Our

classroom structures need to offer opportunities for students to apprentice themselves as makers

of literature to the literary artists whose work they admire” (qtd. in Mayo, 2000, 74). Let’s help

students to admire a form of writing. What form is better, in my opinion, than poetry? Also

helpful is the fact that, “Pushing students to leave the coziness of the known to try the unknown

is one of the benefits of teaching poetry. Although this is not an easy task, teachers can use

poetry as a way to stretch students’ thinking and arrangement of language” (McReynolds and
Perry, 2006, 112). Once they have left their comfort zones, they may be more apt to try new

things when working on their narratives.

Skelton introduced a lesson, which helps students to use poetry to be more descriptive.

This lesson asks students to “define sense of place. Students clip words or phrases from

magazines and arrange them in free-verse poems to describe where they live. The finished

poems are mounted on construction paper for classroom display... The resulting creations offer

insightful glimpses into the students’ thoughts about their home...” (Skelton, 2006, 26). How can

this lesson translate into their narratives? As with the descriptiveness within their poetry, this

lesson can help students to be more descriptive, all around. The following section highlights

more lessons that serve to elaborate on this point.

The Proof is in the Pudding (Lessons)

In my opinion, it is not enough to prove my point with research; it is also important to

include lessons that shows that it is possible to mold poetry and narrative writing together. The

following lessons do just that.

As a preface to this first lesson, students have just finished up a poetry unit, so they are

equipped to interpret the poem provided within this lesson. Also, they have written poetry, so

they have the tools, hopefully, to use creative details within their narratives; they understand

what is meant when they are asked to use their five senses when describing the plot, setting, etc.

of their narratives. This lesson has been adapted from Hillocks’s book, Narrative Writing.

On page 122 of this text, Hillocks provides his readers with a poem, and then he follows it with

an assignment that he would give his student, which asked students to take the poem and create a

narrative from its contents. I have adapted his idea and made it my own. Refer to figure 1.1 for

this assignment. Figure 1.2 is a teacher-created example of the completed assignment. Why was
this included? It is my hope that all teachers model for their students their own writing. Also, it

would be helpful to discuss this writing with them, so that they can see what has been done, as

well as what changes should be made to make it better. McReynolds and Perry confirmed this

thought when they spoke about poetry writing. “We need to model our poetry writing process

for students and let them observe and examine our thinking as we write. Many students assume

that effective poetry writers are born to write. Although this may be true in rare cases, most

poets work diligently through writing challenges” (2006, 111). Just as a teacher should model

his/her poetry, as McReynolds and Perry stated, it is equally as important to model his/her work

in all forms of writing assignments (expository, narrative, research, etc.).

A second lesson, which was included in Nicole Baart’s article, can be used to help

students to add specific details to their poetry and/or narrative pieces. Ideally, this lesson would

be used during a poetry unit, which would take place prior to the narrative unit, so that students

would have this lesson in their skills bank. That way, they can use what they know while

constructing the writing of their narratives for previous lesson. “The Scent Writing Workshop is

designed to evoke memory through scent... For this workshop I use sixteen identical mini plastic

containers. The sides and lids must be opaque; students should only be able to smell the item,

not see it. First, I poke holes in the lids of the containers, making sure they are big enough to let

scent through... Next, I use a permanent marker to number the containers one through sixteen. I

place a heavily scented product inside of each container... In class, students pass around the

containers and experience each scent, writing down whatever comes to mind as they smell it...

Students record their thoughts... I assign students to write a “memory poem” based on

something that they experienced during the workshop” (Baart, 2002, 99-100). According to

Baart, “Through these [there were more included in the article] workshops I have aspired to
assist students in understanding the profundity of their own imaginations. Poetry is inherently a

part of us; it is identifying and conveying it that is so difficult” (Baart, 2002, 103). Once all of

this has been proven, students can translate these new skills into other forms of writing, like

narrative.

Conclusion

Although poetry is a very difficult thing to teach, it is also very important in its own right. A

poetry unit, on its own, has the potential to unlock the insightfulness of the students involved

through the reading of poetry and the writing of original poems. Paired with another form of

writing, poetry has the potential to possibly do so much more; it can enhance the writing skills of

the students. As was stated above, poetry can be paired with a narrative unit, and students could

take what they have learned during the poetry unit and infuse that into their personal (essay)

writing.

Figure 1.1

Read the poem entitled “The Road Not Taken,” by Robert Frost (1915). After you have

gotten a sense of what this poem is about, I want you to write a narrative about the context of this

poem. What was the main character’s choice? Why did he/she choose this option? What was

the option that he/she did not choose but chose to save for later? You may include yourself as a

character, or you may create new characters outside of your own life. Be sure to use description

that goes beyond simply telling the sight aspects of the narrative; include the other five senses, as

well. This narrative must be at least two, double-spaced, typed pages. The poem is included

below.

The Road Not Taken

Two roads diverged in a yellow wood,

And sorry I could not travel both

And be one traveler, long I stood

And looked down one as far as I could

To where it bent in the undergrowth.

Then took the other, as just as fair,

And having perhaps the better claim,

Because it was grassy and wanted wear;

Though as for that the passing there

Had worn them really about the same.

And both that morning equally lay

In leaves no step had trodden black.

Oh, I kept the first for another day!

Yet knowing how way leads on to way,

I doubted if I should ever come back.

I shall be telling this with a sigh

Somewhere ages and ages hence:

Two roads diverged in a wood, and I--

I took the one less traveled by,

And that has made all the difference.

Figure 1.2
 It was a difficult decision, but my heart led me in the direction that felt right for me. I

had been going back and forth about my future during the my entire high school career. At one

point, I had decided to go to college because my parents had been pushing me to do so. They

would say, “Rebecca, we want to see you soar; we have so much faith in you, and we do not

think that you can reach your full potential without a college education.” Each time I had been

sat down and talked to about my future, I would find myself leaving that environment and

traveling, in my mind, to a place where my wildest dreams had come true, and I was finally

where I fit in. This place was not where everyone went; it was not where everyone expected me

to go.

As I opened up the doors of my first independent business, I could smell it; it was the

smell of freedom. It was also the smell of opportunity. What do those things smell like? They

smell clean and new, like laundry that has been dried outside on the line. My mind was swirling,

and all that I could see was my future flashing before my eyes. I pictured myself old and

wrinkly; I was sitting next to my wife as we handed the successful, family business over to our

kids. My heart started to palpitate; it was finally happening. Suddenly, I realize that my other

option, attending college, was not the right choice for me (at this time). I was not cut out for a

desk. I was not ready to hunker down and be a full-time student. I wanted the freedom to create

things that resulted in something other than a grade. I wanted to get paid for creating, not the

other way around. That is not to say that I will never attend college, but now is my chance to

spread my wings and fly in the direction of the winds that take me toward a business in art

creation and brokering. Do not get me wrong, I am afraid of failure, but I know myself; I am

going to work as hard as I can to be successful, and I know that I will make it possible to do so.
There are no guarantees that this business will succeed, but I know that I will do what it takes to

attempt to make success an option.

References

Baart, Nicole. (2002). “Saying it More Intensely: Using Sensory Experience to Teach Poetry
Writing.” English Journal.

“Brown City High School Test Scores.” (2010). Retrieved from

http://www.greatschools.org/modperl/achievement/mi/658#mme_summer

Dean, Jeremy. (2002). “Simon Says: A Case Study of Simon, Poetry, and Success.” Voices
from the Middle. 10(2).

Hillocks, George Jr. (2007). Narrative Writing. Portsmouth, NH: Heinemann.

McReynolds, Velvet and Tonya Perry. (2006). “Teaching Poetry From the Inside Out.”
English Journal. 96(1).
Skelton, Sheri. (2006). “Finding a Place for Poetry in the Classroom Every Day.” English
Journal. 40(7).

The Spoken Word Revolution. (2009). ed. Mark Eleveld. Naperville, IL: Sourcebooks
Inc., 2003.

Steenstra, Craig. (2006). “Writing Poetry to Connect to Literature.” English Journal. 96(1).

“Writing Next.” (2006). Retreived from http://www.all4ed.org/files/WritingNext.pdf