Poetry is often seen by some as inaccessible, which is quite a shame, considering the beauty that can be contained within a single stanza, or in some cases, the mere elocution of one word. Hearing poetry read is a wondrous joy, and The Poetry Archive is a great way to enter this world. Established in 1999, The Poetry Archive contains readings by hundreds of poets, including a number of real...

Poetry can truly be found anywhere, and that is the animating force behind the website and the series created by WGBH in Boston, along with other partners at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee and the Poetry Foundation. On PBS, the Poetry Everywhere "moments" appear somewhat unexpectedly, but here visitors can make their way through these readings as they see fit. Visitors can check in on...

Poetry Out Loud, which is sponsored by the National Endowment for the Arts and the Poetry Foundation, is a contest in which students memorize and recite poems. They start first in the classroom, then recite school-wide, then regionally, then by state and, finally, at the National Finals. The Teaching Resources section of the site features tips for teaching Poetry Out Loud, lesson plans and a...

Computers have been in classrooms for decades and continue to implement new and compelling resources expanding their multimedia capabilities. This set of classroom resources from ReadWriteThink brings together several hundred interactive activities for students in grades K-12. First-time visitors should explore the Featured area for helpful activities that address doing research (Inquiry &...

Born into one of Boston's most prominent families (and growing up to detest it), Robert Lowell was perhaps the most important poet writing in English during the second half of the twentieth century. After leaving Harvard to study at Kenyon College, Lowell went on to study at Louisiana State University under the novelist and poet Robert Penn Warren. Lowell's second book, Lord Weary's Castle, was...

Born in 1905 in Guthrie, Kentucky, Robert Penn Warren was a giant of American letters through the twentieth century; he was exceptionally versatile when writing poetry, novels, and literary criticism. As a young man, Warren entered Vanderbilt University at the age of 16, where he came under the tutelage of Allen Tate, John Crowe Ransom, and Andrew Lytle. Warren spent many years as a college...

Born in 1905 in Guthrie, Kentucky, Robert Penn Warren was a giant of American letters through the twentieth century; he was exceptionally versatile when writing poetry, novels, and literary criticism. As a young man, Warren entered Vanderbilt University at the age of 16, where he came under the tutelage of Allen Tate, John Crowe Ransom, and Andrew Lytle. Warren spent many years as a college...

Educators may enjoy this lesson plan, Teaching Poetry Through Rap, which uses music as a model to teach metaphors and other literary techniques. The lesson opens with a game, "Rapper or Shakespeare?" modeled off of a TED Talk given by Akala (a British educator and rapper). The video of Akala's talk is embedded for reference. Next, the lesson examines popular "literary elements," including similes,...

This handy guide from University of Victoria English professors G. Kim Blank and Magdalena Kay, provides a well-composed and insightful rubric for reading poetry. While the introduction points out that there is no single way to read a poem, the rest of the entry provides some important tips. For instance, when interpreting, it's important to continually reference the poem as it stands. The authors...

The Poetry Foundation is one of the web's most trustworthy sources for all things poetry, and this extensive list of free teacher resources is no exception. Here educators will find a wide variety of helpful lesson plans, information, course materials, assessment advice, activity ideas, insights and techniques, and other opportunities and tools. For instance, one link will take readers to lesson...