The evolution of poetry education

题材文章词数诗歌教育396 难度 ★★★体裁建议用时说明文7 min

难词探意

1. articulate /ɑːɪtɪkjuleɪt/ v. 清晰地发（音）；明确有力地表达

2. lullaby /ɪlʌləbaɪ/ n. 摇篮曲；催眠曲

3. strand /strænd/ n. 线股

4. unsanctioned /ʌnɪsæŋkʃnd/ adj. 未批准的；未经认可的

5. marginalize /ɪmɑːdʒɪnəlaɪz/ v. 使处于边缘

The American poet William Stafford wasarticulatingwhat many poets believe： The roots of poetry (rhythm， form， sound) go far back—both personally and culturally—“to the crib”and “to the fire in front of the cave”.

No surprise， then， that children delight in the pleasures oflullabies， nursery rhymes，chants and jingles. Yet as they get older， their delight in poetry often fades. Their pleasure in language and form lessens.

How have schools been part of this evolution? And what can they do to bring back delight?

Historically， poetry has played an important role in the curriculum of US schools. In 19thand early 20th-century classrooms， “schoolroom poetry” was memorized and performed as a way to promote citizenship， to create a shared sense of community， to develop an American identity and to assist with language acquisition—particularly among immigrants. This ease of form and content was not， however， matched by historical accuracy. Writers sometimes rewrote history into poems that celebrated American values.

In the mid-20th century， it became less important for schools to make citizens or teach English language through memorized lines. Instead， poetry in schools separated into twostrands： “serious poetry” and “verse”. Serious poetry was studied. Verse， on the other hand，wasunsanctioned—playful， irreverent and sometimes offensive. It was embraced by children for the sake of pleasure and delight.

By the late 20th century， classrooms and curricula began to value the sciences over literary expression and information and technology over art. The study of any poetry—serious or not—becamemarginalized.

Though the late20th century saw a decline in the study of poetry in schools，recent decades have seen a climax in poetry that is more relevant and more accessible to young people. For instance， in the past， schoolchildren learned poems written almost exclusively by white men glorifying a sanitized version of American history， but recently students have begun to read poems by poets who represent racial， ethnic， cultural or religious diversity as part of their heritage.

In addition to writing poetry in their classes， today's young writers are appearing on numerous poetry websites and are circulating poems—their own and those of others—through social media. Young people are growing their own voices， falling in love with words， writing and performing their own poems.

Reading Check

Read the text carefully and fill the mind map with only one word for each blank.

In the 19th and early 20th century“Schoolroom poetry” was memorized as a way to promote 1.. However,the simplicity of this form and content did not 2.the accuracy of history.

In the mid-20th century

In the late 20th century

In recent decades

Language Study

Difficult sentence

Though the late 20th century saw a decline in the study of poetry in schools， recent decades have seen a climax in poetry that is more relevant and more accessible to young people.

【翻译】_____________________________________________________________________________

【点石成金】本句中，Though引导让步状语从句，that引导定语从句。 be accessible to...意为“可为……所理解”。