Christensen - Chapter 5

In Phillip Pullman's book, "Shadow in the North," the character Axel Bellman states, "An English poet wrote 'Energy is eternal delight.' I could not express it better.  Perhaps that is why we have poets."  (305)  I read this passage shortly before reading Christensen's chapter on poetry. It is the line, "Perhaps that is why we have poets" that speaks to me.  Poetry is a valuable tool that can be used to inspire and express meaning in a way that narratives can't.  The aesthetic feeling after reading a piece of poetry that accurately reflects your opinions, experiences, or counterarguments in a way which expresses them better than you ever could is a wonderfully powerful thing.  Christensen's belief that poetry tells the rest of the story, particularly in terms of historical events, is something that I had not thought of.  I typically see poetry as intimate personal expression instead of a means of interpreting and expressing external events.  I think this approach would allow students who have a strong dislike of poetry could really get into.  It takes pressure off of exposing personal issues and gets them exploring social, historical, and political issues.  This is an ideal outlet for discussing injustices or current issues effecting their lives.  I also like the idea that a poem can be used as a brainstorming activity during the writing process.  Using a poem as inspiration or even supporting evidence combines multiple literacy skills.  Likewise, creating interior monologues provide new insights on a particular issue, helps develop characters, organizes a writer's thoughts, and exercises critical thinking skills.