Articles for Teachers & Students

Ten Poems Students Love to Read Out Loud
How voice and attitude can change how we understand poetry.
By Eileen Murphy

For Students

Again! Again!
Children's poetry and the joys of repetition.
BY Sonia Levitin

The Start: Writing Your Own Poem
Resisting the urge to interpret contemporary poems and “wrong” dreams.
BY Judy Rowe Michaels

Poems to Send the Person You're Crushing On
When you care enough to send the very best.
BY Becca Klaver

Ten Poems to Get You Through Science Class This Year
Stars and trees and birds, oh my!
BY Karen Glenn

Ten Poems to Read When You Get Stuffed in a Locker
Because it’s so funny you forgot to laugh.
BY Caitlin Kimball

Poems about Teaching and Teachers
Poetry about learning, for teachers and students alike.
BY The Editors

For Teachers

Caroline Kennedy on Learning Poems by Heart
Poems and teaching resources from Kennedy's new anthology.
BY The Editors

With A Little Help from Dr. Angelou
Resources for teachers for teaching African American poetry.
BY The Editors

A Taste of Poetry
How to demystify and re-mystify poetry for your students.
BY Judy Rowe Michaels

Primary Sources
Getting your students to stop writing about what they know.
BY Jill McDonough

Ten Poems I Love to Teach
Surefire poetry hits for the classroom and beyond.
BY Eric Selinger

Finding Your Poet
Students venture out into the world to discover their own true love, then return to share it.
BY Judy Rowe Michaels

Visualizing Words and Worlds
Teaching students to see good writing through what’s around them
BY Andrew Zornoza

Escape Artists
Working with non-traditional students, and finding poetry in prison.
BY Rachel Richardson

Against Slogging: Engaging Poetry in the Classroom
Ways to make every text, every minute count with struggling readers.
BY Eileen Murphy

Nurturing the Omnivore: Approaches to Teaching Poetry
Explore the many paths to experiencing poetry in the classroom.
BY Eileen Murphy

A Primer

Edward Hirsch

How to Read a Poem (and Fall in Love with Poetry)

Curious about poetry, but don’t know where or how to begin? We’ve reprinted the first chapter from the book How to Read a Poem by Edward Hirsch. Its 16 sections provide strategies for reading poems, and each section has plenty of links to examples of poems in our archive to illustrate the points.

By Edward Hirsch

Originally appeared in Poetry magazine.

This poem has learning resources.

This poem is good for children.

This poem has related video.

This poem has related audio.