Sometimes it’s fun to get a little meta in English class so what about poetry? Focus on some poetry about poems in order to explore what poets think about their work and the art form itself.
A word of warning: Introducing some of these poems to students might make their brains explode so use them with some caution! But seriously, students often find it interesting how much poets themselves even struggle with poetry both in writing and in reading or understanding it.
These selections of poetry about poems will make a fun addition to class during National Poetry Month in April or any time of year when you’re studying poetry, analysis of any literature, or examining a writer’s craft.
14 Selections of Poetry about Poems
1. Poetry by Marianne Moore
Moore has a well-known line that says poetry is all nouns and verbs. And if that isn’t the truth! Read the poem.
2. How to Eat A Poem by Eve Merriam
The extended metaphor of poetry like a ripe fruit is great for analysis! Read the poem.
3. A Loaf of Poetry by Naoshi Koriyama
A loose recipe for making a poem – another great extended metaphor. Read the poem.
4. Poetry Reading by Wislawa Szymborska
Read the poem. Then read more about this poet who won the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1996 in this article in Vogue or this one from the New Yorker, which includes a reading list of some of her greatest poems.
5. Who is A Poet? by Tadeusz Rozewicz
A mere 12 lines, in couplets, to answer the title question. Read the poem.
6. Introduction to Poetry by Billy Collins
A classic that is often a great kick-off to any poetry unit. Read the poem.
7. Poem for the First Day of the Poetry Unit in Language Arts Class by Kyle “Guante” Tran Myhre
Read/watch the poem. Another option to kick-off your poetry unit is with this spoken word piece. Check out this spoken word FREEBIE with suggestions and an activity that can adapt to any spoken word piece!
8. How to Read a Poem: Beginner’s Manual by Pamela Spiro Wagner
A tongue-in-cheek guide to reading poetry. But the best takeaway from it is the line: To read poetry requires only courage! Read the poem.
9. What’s A Poem? by Charles Gighna
Gighna is known as Father Goose because he is a prolific writer of poetry for children. And while his work may be simple it’s for that exact reason that it can be as good for high school as it is for middle or elementary school! Read the poem.
You might also check out another one of his poems – A Poem is a Little Path (scroll to the bottom) – that’s part of his collection of children’s poetry.
10. At the Student Poetry Reading by Kim Stafford
I love to use this one leading up to an end-of-poetry-unit performance showcase. So while this selection of poetry about poems might be more about performance it’s still a solid addition to study! Read the poem.
11. Young Poets by Nicanor Parra
This one features advice for young poets, including those who might in your classroom! Read the poem.
12. Why I Am Not a Painter by Frank O’Hara
Read the poem. It focuses on the process of a poet versus that of a painter. Informal in language this selection of poetry about poems could work as a way to guide students’ understanding of the craft of poetry. They could mimic the poem by writing their own version filling in the final blank themselves: Why I Am Not a __________.
13. Prompts (for High School Teachers Who Write Poetry) by Dante Di Stefano
This poem is written by a high school teacher and poet and reflects his time teaching English to juniors and seniors. It focuses on some of the stories he collected from his time teaching, and while it doesn’t specifically comment on poetry it’s a walk through the process in a different way than O’Hara’s poem. Read the poem.
14. Why Do You Love the Poem? by Charles Bernstein
A funny question and answer poem about the reasons you might love a poem that are soundly (and humorously) rejected by the poem. Read the poem.
How to use these poems
- Analyze the poems: Use a TPCASTT – a graphic organizer with prompts to break down the content of any poem. Check out this freebie template and guide.
- Facilitate a discussion: Focus on what poetry is and why it’s difficult or what makes poetry, poetry. You might use the following quotations as jumping off points:
- Make a classroom display. I love to add them to my door so when students are waiting to leave/come in and crowd around the door they have some poetry to read!
Don’t have time to do a full poetry lesson because there are other things on your plate? Totally get it. Try these poetry-infused attendance slides as part of your classroom routine. Use them once a week throughout the year or daily during National Poetry Month in April.
Students will read some poetry, review some figurative language terms, and meet some new poets!
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