Robert Frost Prompts the Poet in You

Overview

From Theory to Practice

OVERVIEW

In this lesson, students write poems similar in form and style to one of three poems by Robert Frost. First, students learn key details about the life of Frost. They then read and discuss three Frost poems. Together with the teacher, students create a poetry prompt for one of the three poems. This involves having students brainstorm ideas that connect to one of the poems for use in a writing assignment. Finally, students use their poetry prompt to write their own poems reminiscent of the form and style of the selected Frost poem.

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FROM THEORY TO PRACTICE

Certo, J.L. (2004). Cold plums and the old men in the water: Let children read and write "great" poetry. The Reading Teacher, 58(3), 266–271.

• By introducing great poetry to our students, we can begin to lead them (and ourselves as teachers) beyond poetry writing forms that we most comfortably teach (e.g., diamantes, cinquains, haikus, and acrostic poems).
  
  
• Part of our job is to guide our students in finding the content in great poems that connects to the experiences in their own lives. Another part is to encourage students to use their imaginations to comprehend that which they have not yet experienced.
  
  
• A poetry prompt is a "writing suggestion, statement, or assignment that stems from an original text." Poetry prompts should be open-ended and should connect to your students' world. To make poetry prompts different from traditional writing prompts, class time should be dedicated to helping students brainstorm their own ideas for writing by looking closely at a specific text.
  
  
• By creating a poetry prompt for a great poem in collaboration with students, the teacher empowers and enables students to write their own great poetry reminiscent of the form and style that they have studied.

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