Tuesday means Tea Time and Poetry
May 16th, 2006 by lvbirders
Tuesdays for us means tea time and also the day we meander in art and classical music as well as poetry. We usually follow suggestions by Ambleside Online and so this term we are delving into the words of the poet, Alfred Noyes.
Noyes was a British poet who lived from 1880-1958. One of his most famous poems is The Highwayman and Josh and I have recited and enjoyed this one numerous times. Another favorite of Josh’s is Noyes’, Daddy Fell Into the Pond. Josh just has to laugh each time we recite this one.
We always begin a study of a poet with one or more biographies of that poet to get a feel for the time period he lived in, where he was born, educated, etc. I try to find any picture books in our library that may be used. Josh makes an entry onto our wall timeline and then we begin by enjoying the poems themselves. I have found it very important that I am not the only one reading the poems. Josh and I take turns reading one or more outloud to the other. I feel poetry is meant to be recited instead of just read. As Joshua reads a poem to me it helps him become aware of the meter and rhyming scheme of each poem. The more he does this the more comfortable and accomplished he gets in his oratory skills. He has learned to truly appreciate the beauty of language in reciting poetry.
We all love tea time :-) My daughter and I read “The Highwayman” this year; we really enjoyed it. She even read it to her younger brother, one night, at bedtime.
Ah poetry, so lovely to read, so hard to compose (at least for me).
MOMOF3FEISTYKIDS,
Glad to hear others like that poem. Josh and I were almost afraid to recommend it because it seems so violent but it brought out much discussion for us. He had heard about highwayman before and so had some background to understand it. Noyes’ language in this poem is so beautiful and lyrical. We listented to it on audio from an internet site and then practiced reciting it ourselves. Isn’t is great when the children like something so much they just have to share it… like your daughter :)
Ed, composing is difficult for me too. My children seem to be less apprehensive about expressing themselves in verse thank goodness. Reciting or writing it, the world of poetry holds tremendous gifts for us all.
Thanks for sharing that poem-the Highwayman! I’ve never read it before and it is awesome! I am quite sure Superboy will like it, too.