| What is the Charlotte Mason approach to
| |
| | thinkers. Education is mind to mind,
|
| the study of poetry? Our first step is to
| |
| | thought to thought, person to person.
|
| see that our children enjoy it. Much
| |
| | Notes, commentaries, lectures, long lists
|
| later they will probably take the second
| |
| | of questions, and other middlemen are not
|
| step for themselves, reading those poets
| |
| | needed. Let the poets speak and the
|
| whose work needs some preliminary study
| |
| | children do the thinking.
|
| and background explanations in order to
| |
| | Biographical backgrounds on the poets
|
| be appreciated.
| |
| | serve to widen a child's curriculum and
|
| In Our Present Society Poetry is Almost
| |
| | add to his cultural heritage.
|
| Invisible These days poetry seems to have
| |
| | For a lighter dose, or to tempt a child
|
| been boiled down to the popular "jingle"
| |
| | who doesn't think he will like poetry,
|
| or an advertisement's "catchy phrase."
| |
| | try the nonsense poetry of Lewis G.
|
| Does poetry only belong to bygone days
| |
| | Carroll or Edward Lear. Slightly older
|
| when the average person spent what little
| |
| | children won't be able to resist the
|
| leisurely time he did have reading and
| |
| | humor of Ogden Nash. While "nonsense"
|
| reciting? Consider the life of ancient
| |
| | poetry is not full of great insights, it
|
| Athens at its best-its peace and learned
| |
| | does train the ear to delicious sounds
|
| leisure and poetry. Compare this to the
| |
| | and rhythms. What fun just to repeat,
|
| restless, artificial, luxurious existence
| |
| | "Jabberwocky" or "The Owl and the
|
| of Rome.
| |
| | Pussycat!" Humorous poetry can be just as
|
| Like ancient Rome, today is a day of
| |
| | much fun to repeat ("Telephony" by Ogden
|
| bigger and better things-interstate
| |
| | Nash is a good example), and has a
|
| highways, 100-acre amusement parks, huge
| |
| | sharper tang, great for developing those
|
| hotels, super supermarkets and bigger and
| |
| | critical thinking skills! Develop Your
|
| bigger newspapers (so that whatever is
| |
| | Inner Ear A calm stately voice echoes
|
| hideous in life may reach our ears within
| |
| | from the past, "Take your time." Poetry
|
| a few hours of its happening).
| |
| | will speak wonderful things to those who
|
| Poetry is one of the things that can't be
| |
| | give it time and attentiveness. As
|
| made bigger and better. It must remain
| |
| | reading requires an inward eye, poetry
|
| quietly and unobtrusively and forever
| |
| | requires an inward ear. Unencumbered by
|
| itself. Vulnerable, it may drop unnoticed
| |
| | modern media, our
|
| out of the running, leaving us to our
| |
| | great-great-grandparents had both. They
|
| steel-girded world of material things
| |
| | read poetry for pleasure and made a
|
| without its pleasure. But despite its
| |
| | regular meal of their favorites.
|
| invisibility many people still read
| |
| | A really good poem can be read many times
|
| poetry for pleasure today. I'd like my
| |
| | over. Your readings increase in pleasure
|
| children to be among them.
| |
| | over the years. This is an old-time
|
| Poetry is Serious Business Poetry is not
| |
| | method of "studying" poetry that deserves
|
| just a school subject. It is the deepest
| |
| | mentioning.
|
| expression of thought and feeling of
| |
| | From Shorter to Longer Works In the days
|
| which certain exceptional minds have been
| |
| | before workbooks, young children in Miss
|
| capable. It includes the full gamut of
| |
| | Mason's schools had copy books. Children
|
| all human experiences, from war poems and
| |
| | were to choose some favorite verse and
|
| epics, to psalms of worship, to love
| |
| | copy it neatly into these personal books.
|
| sonnets, to delightful nonsense verse
| |
| | Thus the study of poetry also yielded
|
| that trips off the tongue, to nursery
| |
| | better penmanship, spelling, and
|
| rhymes-anything people think about or
| |
| | vocabulary.
|
| sing about. We can read it as though we
| |
| | After years of a relationship with
|
| ourselves shared in those thoughts and
| |
| | poetry, built on the shorter poems,
|
| those emotions.
| |
| | children will be capable of enjoying and
|
| Poetry has been helping men and women
| |
| | comprehending longer and more abstract
|
| from all backgrounds and cultures share
| |
| | works. High school students can become
|
| deep emotional experiences and insights
| |
| | familiar with the longer works of
|
| throughout all recorded history. Hearing
| |
| | traditional classic poetry just by
|
| a translation of a remarkably beautiful
| |
| | checking out books of poetry from the
|
| poem written by King Tutankhamen to his
| |
| | adult section of a public library. This
|
| wife, I was astounded! Chaucer,
| |
| | is where some background explanation, in
|
| Shakespeare, and the author of Beowulf
| |
| | the form of critical commentaries or even
|
| also wrote poetry that still speaks to us
| |
| | the ever-handy Cliff Notes, may be
|
| today on many different levels. They
| |
| | helpful.
|
| didn't write it for textbooks either.
| |
| | Along with Beowulf, the works of Chaucer
|
| Early in this century Vermont farmers
| |
| | and Shakespeare are commonly studied in
|
| would read poetry beside their fires in
| |
| | high school. They contain more adult
|
| winter. My husband Dean and I once knew a
| |
| | themes, so use your discretion. These
|
| hefty Rolls-Royce auto mechanic who loved
| |
| | were included with emphasis in a
|
| opera and poetry.
| |
| | Charlotte Mason style of education. I am
|
| We would admit a child grows up lopsided
| |
| | unfamiliar with more modern poetry, but
|
| if athletic prowess is his only ambition.
| |
| | the usual warnings apply.
|
| Let's take this idea further and say he'd
| |
| | Poetry For an Uncertain World It has been
|
| receive a lopsided education if he could
| |
| | said by an educator following Charlotte
|
| "make the grade" without any love or
| |
| | Mason's philosophy, "Literature is the
|
| respect for poetry.
| |
| | sum total of the courage and home, the
|
| With Tact and a Tiny Bit of Enthusiasm
| |
| | faith, delight, and despair of the past,
|
| How can we introduce our children to
| |
| | and if we deny youth this, and give them
|
| poetry? You can never make a girl or boy
| |
| | instead a little pale skepticism of our
|
| like a poem against his or her will. You
| |
| | own, a conscientious distrust of the
|
| can not bully them into it, or argue them
| |
| | ideals with have sustained other
|
| into it. Convert them by indirect means.
| |
| | generations and other ages, a belief that
|
| Infect them by your own interest and
| |
| | the world began yesterday and if we are
|
| gentle enthusiasm. Pick out some poetry
| |
| | not careful will end tomorrow, because
|
| that appeals to you and simply read it
| |
| | our own idealism is unequal to the
|
| aloud to your children. Eventually they
| |
| | problems it has to face, then we do them
|
| may desire to start reading some on their
| |
| | a poor service. All our aspirations for
|
| own. Don't be surprised if their tastes
| |
| | the young are likely to be defeated
|
| are a bit different than yours! If you do
| |
| | unless we hand them on a certain moral
|
| not like poetry there is an obvious
| |
| | stability, a belief in beauty, truth and
|
| remedy: introduce the child and the poem
| |
| | goodness for their own sake; whereas if
|
| and leave them to make friends for
| |
| | we give them these-and in giving them
|
| themselves. They may, or they may not,
| |
| | these poetry will surely be included-we
|
| but you can never make things better by
| |
| | have at least the assurance that we have
|
| your interference.
| |
| | done our best to equip them adequately
|
| In introducing people it is generally a
| |
| | for the certain difficulties of this
|
| mistake to praise too much beforehand.
| |
| | uncertain world." Resources For the Young
|
| You may only establish a distaste. In the
| |
| | Lavender's Blue is a book of nursery
|
| same way it is a mistake to praise a poem
| |
| | rhymes compiled by Kathleen Lines with
|
| too eloquently. After all, the child is
| |
| | pictures in soft pastel colors by Harold
|
| entitled to form his own opinion. To drag
| |
| | Jones. It's published by Oxford
|
| a poem into the glare of publicity is to
| |
| | University Press.
|
| lose some of those very qualities which
| |
| | We wore out a copy of The Random House
|
| made it precious. When you share a poem
| |
| | Book of Poetry for Children (selected by
|
| you can simply say with tact "I like this
| |
| | Jack Prelutsky and illustrated by Arnold
|
| poem, do you?" In the case of younger
| |
| | Lobel) in our home. It provides a cute
|
| children, try and create a mood of
| |
| | and funny commentary on life. I suggested
|
| enjoyment, first by choosing the sort of
| |
| | it as a "first" poetry book for
|
| poem they are likely to appreciate and
| |
| | kindergarten through second grade. You
|
| then by throwing yourself into reading it
| |
| | may need to remove the few Halloween
|
| aloud with gusto, or better still
| |
| | pages.
|
| allowing them to throw themselves into it
| |
| | A copy of A Child's Garden of Verse by
|
| with zest. If you introduce them to
| |
| | Robert Louis Stevenson should be
|
| really good poetry as Miss Mason
| |
| | available in every public library. We
|
| advocated, suitable for their age,
| |
| | have a copy illustrated by Jessie Willcox
|
| children will do the rest for themselves.
| |
| | Smith.
|
| Ways to Take a Poetry Break Seasonal
| |
| | A poetry book with gorgeous full color
|
| Poetry One way is to choose poems that
| |
| | paintings is A Child's Treasury of Poems
|
| celebrate the changing of a season. Look
| |
| | edited by Mark Daniel. It is coffee-table
|
| in the index of any large poetry
| |
| | quality.
|
| anthology for anything that has to do
| |
| | Favorite Poems Old and New selected by
|
| with the particular time of year. The
| |
| | Helen Ferris is a handy anthology that
|
| Book of 1,000 Poems lists poems by season
| |
| | has been around since 1957 and is for
|
| in the subject index. There are over one
| |
| | sale in many homeschool catalogs. I
|
| dozen poems per season with more than two
| |
| | checked this book out of a library so
|
| dozen for spring-a favorite subject with
| |
| | many times that I was happy to see it
|
| many poets. Whether it be winter, spring,
| |
| | available at a curriculum fair and bought
|
| summer, or fall, you are certain to find
| |
| | a copy.
|
| an array of poems. Read a few at a time
| |
| | The Book of 1,000 Poems is an inexpensive
|
| to savor the season. In between new
| |
| | hardcover "no-frills" anthology of over
|
| readings any previously read poems can be
| |
| | 600 pages which we use a lot, too.
|
| repeated as often as desired-a painless
| |
| | For Older Students Treasury of Best Loved
|
| way to memorize poetry. Seasonal poems
| |
| | Poems, illustrated by Eleanor Fortescue
|
| can be copied into greeting cards by the
| |
| | Brickdale, is a good introduction to
|
| children or onto large paper surrounded
| |
| | reading weightier works. I have used it
|
| by children's drawings.
| |
| | to acquaint myself with poems by John
|
| By Subject Perhaps a more "schoolish" way
| |
| | Donne, Robert Burns, William Wordsworth,
|
| to incorporate poetry into the curriculum
| |
| | Lord Byron, Percy Bysshe Shelley,
|
| would be to ask what the poets have to
| |
| | Elizabeth Barrett Browning, Walt Whitman,
|
| say about anything with which you happen
| |
| | Emily Dickinson, Robert Frost, and
|
| to be studying. Nature poetry abounds. I
| |
| | others.
|
| counted fifty short poems about birds in
| |
| | An old book still in print is One Hundred
|
| our poetry anthology! There are poems
| |
| | and One Famous Poems, compiled by Roy J.
|
| about the sea, trees, animals of various
| |
| | Cook. It has a black and white photograph
|
| kinds, the wind, the moon. There are
| |
| | or portrait of each poet. The poems do
|
| poems about the early morning, unusual
| |
| | not seem to match the staunch Victorian
|
| people; there are patriotic poems and
| |
| | faces, which leads me to believe that in
|
| story poems. Poets write about honesty,
| |
| | some cases it may be better to read the
|
| fortitude, chivalry, decisiveness,
| |
| | poem without seeing the face. I guess
|
| loyalty, perseverance, hope, faith, and
| |
| | we're more accustomed to the modern
|
| love. Their commentary on any subject as
| |
| | "cover girl/cover guy" look. Charlotte
|
| well as their subtle or profound
| |
| | Mason would deem the poems in this book
|
| sentiments are worthy to be woven into
| |
| | required reading for every high school
|
| our homeschools.
| |
| | student.
|
| One Poet at a Time Still another way to
| |
| | For the Serious Reader of Poetry Five
|
| acquire a taste for poetry is to become
| |
| | Hundred Years of English Poetry (edited
|
| familiar with one poet at a time. Here
| |
| | by Barbara Lloyd-Evans) will satisfy any
|
| are a few favorites for the elementary
| |
| | serious reader. It has 1200 pages of
|
| years: William Blake, Samuel Coleridge,
| |
| | meaty longer (British) poetry beginning
|
| Eleanor Farjeon, Henry Wadsworth
| |
| | with word-for-word Geoffrey Chaucer
|
| Longfellow, Walter de la Mare, Christina
| |
| | (1343-1400) and ending with Matthew
|
| Rossetti, William Shakespeare, Robert
| |
| | Arnold (1822-88). It omits Shakespeare,
|
| Louis Stevenson, Lord Tennyson and John
| |
| | as the editor assumes you already own his
|
| Greenleaf Whittier.
| |
| | works and she felt that including works
|
| This time look in the index under an
| |
| | from him would inconveniently lengthen
|
| author's name. Read all of his or her
| |
| | the already over-sized book (high school
|
| poems you can put your index finger on in
| |
| | college level).
|
| one week.
| |
| | Biographical Stories for the Young I have
|
| Poetry is strewn with ideas-saturate
| |
| | included several biographical stories of
|
| yourself in these words that can have an
| |
| | famous poets in issues of my Parents'
|
| intoxicating effect on the intellect.
| |
| | Review, a newsletter for home training
|
| Ideas to the mind are what nutritious
| |
| | and culture. A free description of back
|
| food is to the stomach. Remember,
| |
| | issues is available from Charlotte Mason
|
| Charlotte Mason encourages us to give
| |
| | Research & Supply Company
|
| children contact with the minds of
| |
| |
|
