Ars Poetica Lesson Plan

What is poetry, and why is it conventionally regarded as difficult and obscure?

Students who have previous experience with poetry might initially respond to this question by jumping in with a dictionary definition and a few examples. Poetry, they might say, is a form of written art in which the figurative and aesthetic features of words are emphasized and used to create meaning beyond the literal meaning of what is said. Furthermore, poetry can include everything from nursery rhymes to spoken word to epic poetry like Beowulf—it is a very diverse art form. Students with this "clear idea" of what poetry is may take issue with the notion that poetry is generally "obscure,"...