The systematic teaching of a poem consists of the following steps

The systematic teaching of a poem consists of the following steps:

I. Introduction or P. K. Testing. First of all, a brief introduction should be given by the teacher which should arouse the curiosity of the students regarding the poem to be taught.

The students should be mentally prepared for listening to and appreciating the poem. The teacher may be mentally prepared for listening and appreciating the poem. The teacher may put a few questions to the students by way of testing the previous knowledge of the students. The idea is to create proper atmosphere for the presentation of the poem.

Announcement of the Aim

After the students are properly motivated and are in the proper frame of mind to listen and appreciate the poem, the teacher should announce the name of the poem to be taught; and write its title simultaneously on the black-board.

Presentation of the Poem

The teacher should recite the poem in the best possible manner. This step is also called Model Recitation of the Poem. The teacher is expected to read or recite the poem in an ideal manner so that it serves as a model for the students to imitate.

The success of the poetry person depends upon the effective recitation of the poem by the teacher.

Recitation by the Students

After the model recitation of the poem by the teacher, two or three students may be asked to recite the poem by turn. The idea is to give training to the pupils in the art of poetry-recitation. The students should also be guided regarding the correct way of reciting the poem.

In the lower classes, all the children may be asked to recite the poem collectively, because small children enjoy the rhythm and music of poetry thus produced.

Meanings and Explanations

One of the aims of teaching prose is to increase the vocabulary of the students. But, this is not the aim of teaching poetry. The aim of teaching poetry is simply to provide aesthetic pleasure. Telling the meanings of difficult words proves a hindrance in the fulfilment of this aim.

Therefore, as a rule, such poems should be selected for teaching which do not contain many difficult words. But whatever difficult words are there, the meanings should just be told, and the students should not be asked to use those words in sentences. The meanings are to be told just because it helps in the comprehension of the poem.

Critical Appreciation of the Poem

This is a step which is recommended to be followed in the higher classes only. This is because the students of the lower classes are not familiar with the principles of literary and poetic criticism.

In the lower classes, after giving the meanings of the difficult words, the poem may be recited once again by the teacher for the appreciation of the pupils.

In higher classes, the students are encouraged to assess and evaluate the poem on the basis of the principles of literary criticism.

The criticism of the poem is to be divided into two parts:

(а) The contents of the poem.

(б) The form or the style of the poem.

The poem is to be criticised from both these points of view, but the standard of criticism will depend upon the grade of the class. It is only in the higher classes that proper criticism of the poem will be done.

Allotting the Home Work

The students should be encouraged to memorise the poem by heart; they should not be compelled to do so.