Writing and Understanding Poetry for Teachers and Students: A Heart's Craft [Hardcover]

Grounded in craft, this book was composed on three premises: That the study and modeling of great poems is integral to understanding poetry and learning to write poems, that scaffolded learning builds a writers and a readers confidence and knowledge base and increases learning, and that teachers and facilitators of poetry can and should build learning environments we call our hearts in a safe place. Each chapter contains an introduction to a main focus, new terms, a model poem, an explication, short prompts heuristic to each chapters focus, and a model exercise. Student poem samples are included in each chapter. The last chapter discusses syllabi, portfolios and alternate grading. A Hearts Craft differs from other poetry how to books because it combines art with pedagogy in a unique and effective fashion.

Suzanne Keyworth was the advisor for an award winning student magazine at State College of Florida for nearly two decades, and obtained her MA from Hollins University and her MFA from Warren Wilson College. A 6th generation Floridian, she has a chapbook titled When the Distance Closes In as well as a book of poetry, Markers.

Cassandra Robison, Ph.D., now Faculty Emeritus, was faculty advisor for the multi- award winning student literary magazine Imprints at the College of Central Florida where she taught Creative Writing, English, and American Literature. Of Swedish heritage, she has two chapbooks titled Leaving the Pony and Tundra Heart.

I find this text smart in three important ways. First, since many young people think they can write poems worth hearing in spite of the fact they've never listened themselves, it stresses reading from the get-go. Second, it provides poems written by peers of the book's target audience in response to the authors' craft suggestions so students can model on the work of people their own age. Third and most importantly, the creators of this book are not only academics but also poets themselves, so not only can lCÐ