Before approaching any of the poetry lesson plans provided in this section it is suggested that teachers have their students learn or review the vocabulary often associated with writing poetry.

The specific questions, likewise, provided below will also help establish a better understanding of poetry before students begin any lesson.

Use the following websites for assistance in vocabulary definitions:

Cummings Study Guide of Literary Terms

Virtual Salt Literary Terms

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▪ Getting Started
 

▪ Poem of Instruction

▪ Sound & Sense

▪ Storytelling

▪ Indirection

▪ Language

▪ Persona
▪ Sonnet

▪ Mosaic

Lesson Plans Into

Discuss the following questions with your students.
I suggest that short answers / explanations accompany the questions.

1. Why are poem titles important?

2. Why is the first line of any poem important?

3. Why is the last line of any poem important?

4. Why might word or letter “sounds” be important to a poem?

5. What is meant by the reference: “speaker of the poem?”

6. What does  "place" mean in reference to poetry?

7. Why is poetry an important literary form? 

8. How has poetry been used throughout the ages?

            Other Questions to be added...